Ari Novak is an ice climber and mountaineer for La Sportiva, Petzl and Deuter based out of Bozeman Montana. Novak’s love of ice and rock climbing has led him to establish first ascents around the country and around the world. In 2019 Novak and his team established the hardest water ice line in the Indian Himalayan “Snow Leopard” HW7 150m. In Montana, Novak established “White Tara” 5.10a along with Conrad Anker who describes the route as “one of the best rock routes in the State” In Alaska, Novak has explored some of the most remote reaches of the Matanuska glacier as featured in National Geographic. Novak’s number one passion is sharing climbing through teaching ice climbing technique to enable others to enjoy the mountains as safely as possible. Novak is a regular instructor at the Ouray and Michigan Ice Festival. In addition to ice climbing Ari enjoys ski mountaineering and all things winter.
Based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Favia is an avid boulderer who specializes in toe-hooks, lowball roofs, and complex traverses. Outside of climbing, Favia is known as Dr. Dubyk and serves as a physician at the University of New Mexico where she practices pathology. She enjoys sports and animal photography during her free time--often capturing images of her rottweiler-mixed dog, five cats, and her mountain-biking husband, Brian, during their many adventures.
Eric is an enduro mountain bike racer and outdoor athlete living in Vail, Colorado. With a passion for fitness, Eric spends his office hours personal training and coaching cyclists. Graduating from the University of Colorado where he raced collegiate mountain biking, his pursuit of the outdoors was fueled by a degree in Environmental Studies. An avid traveler, Eric has been all over the world and continues to seek new adventures. He has no intentions of slowing down, on or off the bike.
Gabrielle is an East Coast sport climber, boulderer and now traditional climber based out of Southern Maryland. When she is not spending her weekends getting out to the crag, she can be found at Earth Treks Hampden in Baltimore, MD teaching bouldering classes. Gabrielle’s focus in rock climbing, in addition to achieving her project goals, is on the community. She strives to work with affinity spaces, climbing/outdoor companies, and individual leaders to help increase access to climbing and the outdoors, as well as to share and uplift the voices of those in under-represented communities. Outside of rock climbing, Gabrielle is a full-time cybersecurity engineer and graduate student, set to finish her Master’s in Cybersecurity in December 2019! While rock climbing is almost always the only thing Gabrielle wants to do, she also really enjoys getting any moment she can outside - be it running, hiking, backpacking, or reading in a hammock.
Tyler Fontes and his family live the urban lifestyle next to Downtown Phoenix, Arizona, however they love exploring the great outdoors and try to get their twin two year old boys in nature whenever possible. Tyler is a full time stay at home Dad to Caellum and Emmerich and is always getting his kids out in nature. They love that their kids love exploring the outdoors as much as they do. When they get the opportunity Tyler and Andy are always taking their kids hiking in the Sonoran Dessert surrounding the Phoenix valley. They also enjoy camping, kayaking, and fishing. Tyler ad Andy started hiking with their kids when they were four months old and haven't stopped since. In the past two years, they have taken their boys hiking/camping at the Grand Canyon North Rim, Coal Mine Canyon, Chiricahua National Monument, Zion National Park, Mammoth Mountain, McDowell Mountain Preserves and other National parks surrounding Phoenix. Caelluum even took his first steps at their camp site in Zion National Park! Exploring and respecting nature is a family value Tyler and Andy love passing down to their kids.
With the same analytical approach she took during her collegiate years, Priscilla expresses her passion for the outdoors rigorously and methodically. She takes the knowledge that she gained as a Mechanical Engineer and applies it to some of the biggest and most challenging mountains in North America. Whether she is on a remote photo-shoot in Northern Canada, or on a Bigwall in Yosemite; you will always find her cool, collected, and with a larger than life smile. Priscilla hopes to share her love for nature through her actions, when she isn't climbing you can find her performing Aerial Arts, Skiing, Hiking and practicing Yoga. Using her knowledge of complex rigging systems, she is able to get innovative angles and photographs of all the mountain sports that she holds dear. Priscilla believes that through movement and photography she can inspire others to get outside and obtain a greater appreciation of our natural world.
Melody and her family-husband and 4 children- live in Utah and was inspired by her youngest child, Ruby, who has Down syndrome. Hiking was a way to cope with the diagnosis and change in family dynamics and she quickly realized she loved carrying her on her back and sharing her love of the outdoors. She is determined to show that everyone has a place in the outdoors and that a diagnosis doesn’t have to limit you. Currently her family is on a mission to hike in all the National Parks with Ruby and their 3 other children. Melody created @downwithadventure as a way to share Ruby’s adventures, promote kindness and inclusion and encourage women to find their passion and take time for self care. She is obsessed with cactus, maps, flamenco dancing and hiking in skirts.
A lifelong resident of Washington state, John and his family live in the mountains to be in the outdoors as much as possible. The kids have been hiking since they could walk (or be carried) and now head deep into the wilderness every summer. The family also snowshoes, fishes, and is just getting into climbing. John writes at moosefish.com and as @moosefish on the socials. When he can't be in the outdoors, he's a computer nerd.
Desert dwellers with roots in Idaho and NorCal, Morgan and Cade Peirce are raising their kids in the outdoors. Their little crushers have been climbing since before they could walk and are passionate boulderers just like their dad (mom’s hoping to get them psyched on multi’s in the near future).
“Having worked in the climbing and angling industries for over a decade, it’s been a lifelong passion to raise little outdoor stewards of our own. We’re stoked to bring Deuter along on all our adventuring, both near and far from home.”
Morgan keeps a relatably hilarious online journal of what she calls “one gloriously cute shit show”. Follow along for a real life account of what it’s like to recreate outdoors with littles. The ups, downs and in-betweens.