Meet your
guides
Certified, experienced, and deeply passionate about Joshua Tree. Every guide on our team shares one goal — making your adventure unforgettable.
The People Behind Every Summit
Our guides are certified professionals who have spent years in Joshua Tree National Park — exploring its hidden corridors, mapping its cave systems, and developing the routes you’ll experience. They bring technical expertise, genuine warmth, and a deep respect for the desert environment to every trip.
About our certifications: PCGI (Professional Climbing Guides Institute) and AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) are the two leading climbing guide certification bodies in the US. SPI = Single Pitch Instructor. WFR = Wilderness First Responder. All guides hold current First Aid certifications.
Stephen, the founder of Summit Climbing Guides, is a certified Lead Guide from the Professional Climbing Guides Institute (PCGI). Book Stephen for your multi-pitch adventures or self-rescue courses!
Originally from Idaho, his deep-rooted passion for the outdoors began during his early years spent camping, exploring, and climbing in the picturesque surroundings of Sandpoint’s lakes and forests. Stephen honed his rock climbing skills across various locations in the United States, predominantly within the rugged terrains of Southern California. Joshua Tree National Park holds a special place in his heart, drawing him back repeatedly over the last 15 years. It was amidst these granite monoliths and iconic Joshua trees that Stephen sharpened his expertise before venturing to establish his own guiding company in 2022.
Brad is a certified Lead Guide from the Professional Climbing Guides Institute (PCGI). Book Brad for your multi-pitch adventures or self-rescue courses! He has been guiding in Joshua Tree National Park since 2021, leading well over 500 trips. He offers personalized experiences, including rock climbing, hiking, rappelling, and cave explorations.
Brad works with people of all ages and experience levels, focusing on families and beginner climbers to make the sport accessible. His background includes guiding in the White Mountains and teaching at a science school in Big Bear, CA. An experienced climber and backpacker, he has completed the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and 1,000 miles of the Continental Divide Trail.
Chad grew up near Escondido, California, where the ocean, mountains, and desert provided endless places to explore. He attended school in Portland, Oregon, and studied psychology. Since then, Chad has lived and worked in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Upstate New York, North Carolina, Northern California, Colorado, and now back in California.
He has been climbing rocks and mountains for nearly 20 years. For many years Chad worked on tree-based zip-line courses, served as an outdoor educator, and worked as an arborist. A migratory resident, Chad spends winters in Joshua Tree and summers in the Sierra. He guides in many disciplines and loves the desert and all the creatures that live there.
Cory is an AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide who was born and raised in Michigan. Before becoming a climbing guide, he enjoyed a successful career as a professional dancer. Cory’s climbing journey began in a local gym in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1990s, where he met his adventure mentor. Together, they traveled across the United States, engaging in rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, and backpacking.
Through these experiences, Cory developed a profound love for the outdoors and discovered his true passion: sharing that love with others. Some of his most memorable climbs and hikes have taken place in the Wind River Range, the Grand Teton, Gannett Peak, Granite Peak, Mount Whitney, and Mount Rainier. However, his favorite place to climb remains Joshua Tree National Park.
Sarah, a Midwestern girl inspired by PBS and National Geographic, always dreamed of being an explorer. After years in urban environments, she embraced adventure by moving to the California desert in 2016, forming a deep bond with the Mojave and Joshua Tree National Park.
As a volunteer with the Joshua Tree Search and Rescue and a Board Director for Friends of Joshua Tree, she supports rock climbing in the park. Sarah has guided interpretive hikes since 2019, led Desert Institute, and is a certified California Naturalist. A dedicated conservationist, she inspires stewardship and shares her knowledge of desert ecosystems while facilitating transformative adventures.
Nick is a certified AMGA Single Pitch Instructor and a local of the Joshua Tree area, where he grew up. From an early age, Nick found joy in exploring the wilderness of Joshua Tree National Park and the surrounding areas. He started climbing 7 years ago, beginning by bouldering in his backyard.
Nick has a unique appreciation for the desert and finds enjoyment in discovering and developing new climbing areas. As an enthusiastic and dedicated climbing instructor, Nick loves to share the desert experience and the world of climbing with his guests of any skill level. His goal is to inspire others to appreciate and respect the natural wonders of the desert, while having an adventure to remember.
Zarrin has been a professional outdoor guide for over ten years, holding a Wilderness First Responder certification and AMGA Single Pitch Instructor certification. He guides rock climbing, hiking, sightseeing, and astronomy tours in the Joshua Tree area. Originally from Pittsburgh, he holds a B.P.S. in Recreation, Adventure Travel, and Ecotourism from Paul Smith’s College in New York, and has guided across the country — snowshoeing and sea kayaking in the Tetons, and now climbing and stargazing in the desert.
A rock climber since age 14, Zarrin has a deep appreciation for Joshua Tree’s granite formations, particularly for traditional crack climbing, and finds real joy in mentoring Boy Scouts and the next generation of climbers. He is also a certified Night Sky Presentations and Stargazing guide with several tour companies in the area — drawn to Joshua Tree’s famously dark, cloud-free skies and its remarkable convergence of adventure and wonder.
Luke always loved climbing as a child, but it wasn’t until his early twenties that he discovered the technical systems that would turn that passion into a life. He left a professional career, moved to Colorado, and threw himself into climbing — and into a community that embraced him completely. Since then he has climbed extensively throughout Colorado, Utah, California, and Wyoming, and traveled internationally to climb in Mexico, Iceland, Greece, Malta, and Italy.
As his relationship with the sport has deepened, Luke has come to see climbing as something more than objectives and grades. For him it’s a transformative experience — one that teaches effective communication, redefines success and failure, and opens people up to trusting one another. That’s what he brings to every trip. Outside of guiding, you’ll find him with his dog, playing records, cooking, reading, or planning the next adventure.
Your Guide Is Waiting
Every trip is matched to your goals, ability, and curiosity. Let us know what you’re looking for — we’ll find the right adventure and the right guide for you.