Aili Farquhar

Aili discovered her love of mountains and wild land in New England. She and the three other co-presidents of her high school outdoors club, affectionately known as the Grungy Hiker Chicks, led climbing and winter backpacking trips all over New Hampshire and the Adirondacks. She followed the siren song of the high peaks to Jackson Hole at 19 and worked as a biological surveyor and wilderness ranger for the Parks and Forest Service for six years. She completed a degree in Earth Science from The Evergreen State College in 2008, which she financed by working as a deckhand on commercial crab and salmon boats in Alaska and Washington. Her passion for sharing wild lands and giving people the tools to travel on glaciers and at altitude prevailed, and she started guiding in 2010 in Washington, Alaska, Wyoming and Colorado. She has split time between spring and summer guiding and fall and winter work as an MWD Field Engineer on horizontal drilling rigs in North Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming since then. She currently resides in Lyons, Colorado, where in addition to guiding she is adapting to the changing energy industry and pursuing a second career in renewables.
When she is not leading trips, ice climbing or working towards AMGA certification, Aili likes it wild and remote. She is happiest on obscure traverses in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming or the Olympic Mountains in Washington, reveling in the Type 2 (or 3) fun while trying to keep her climbing partners in a good mood with her bountiful supply of dad jokes. Aili is a published author, full time RV-er, and guardian of her half-wild oil rig kitty Cade.
Significant Ascents
Guiding Ascents:
Alaska
Denali – 7 Guiding Expeditions, 4 Summits
Alaska Range – 4 Mountaineering Courses in Base Camp and Pika Glacier
Mt. Francis
Radio Control Tower
Washington
Mount Rainier
Mount Baker
Olympus
Shuksan
Glacier Peak
Eldorado
Mount Buckner – North Face
Bailey Range Traverse
Custom Olympic Range Traverses
Wyoming:
Grand and Middle Teton
Teewinot
Mt. Moran
Disappointment Peak
Pingora Peak
Wolf’s Head Traverse
Gannett Peak
Rest of the USA:
Mt. Whitney
Significant Ascents:
Alaska:
Harvard Route, Mt Huntington VI, 5.9 M5 A2
Direct West Buttress of Denali from Polo Field AI3 M4 IV
Bacon and Eggs, Kahiltna Glacier, AI 4+ AK IV
SW Ridge Francis IV, 5.8
North Summit of Denali 19,470
Lower 48 & Beyond:
Cathedral Traverse, (Teewinot, Owen, Grand)
Mt. Helen – Tower 1 Gully to Tower Ridge IV, AI3 5.8, Wind Rivers
Rainier – DC, Emmons, Ingraham Direct, Liberty Ridge
Baker, Adams, Hood – Many Routes and Ski Descents, Climbing Ranger on Adams
Olympic Mountains – Winter Traverses, Crystal Traverse attempt
Wind River Mountains –Wells Creek, Ski Descents in Titcomb Basin and Stroud Glacier
Numerous alpine rock and ice routes in Wyoming, Washington, Nevada (Red Rocks), Colorado, Utah, Montana, California and Argentina
Aconcagua, Argentina
Orizaba and Iztacchihuatl, Mexico
Certifications
Wilderness First Responder
CPR
AIARE Avalanche Instructor
AIARE Avalanche Level 2
Rigging for Rescue Fundamentals & Small Team Rescue
Leave No Trace Trainer
Awards & Recognition
2017 AMGA Patagonia Scholarship
2021 AMGA Julie Cheney Culberson Scholarship