Matt Hallstead

Born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania Matt began a lifetime of mountain recreation by skiing in the Poconos as a child. He took interest in rock climbing while in college and started traveling throughout the American east in pursuit of adventures involving rock and snow. The chase for bigger objectives landed him in Salt Lake City, Utah after finishing school. Matt worked as a ski patroller in the Wasatch Range while using SLC as home base to explore the classic climbs and ski descents of the American west. After sampling several mountain states, the glaciated volcanoes of Washington felt like home.

Matt is now loosely based out of Bellingham, Washington and balances mountain guiding with personal adventures year round. He spends the majority of the year working in Washington and Alaska, and has been a core member of our Denali guide teams since 2022. When not guiding with Alpine Ascents, Matt can be found riding mountain bikes, trail running, climbing personal objectives in the Alaska Range, and definitely drinking obsessively brewed coffee.

Take 5 with the Guide

What was your first mountain?
Mount Shasta

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not guiding?
Riding bicycles! But maybe coffee? Coffee while bicycle?

What’s always in your snack bag?
Scandinavian Swimmers

If you could be stuck with anyone (past or present) at base camp for a week, who would you choose?
Robin Williams

One piece of advice for aspiring mountaineers
Mentorship is priceless