Becoming the Partner You Seek with Mark Smiley

🎧 Episode Summary:

Spring is here, and with the avy-ed season wrapped up in Colorado, Jason sits down with renowned mountain guide and educator Mark Smiley to talk about his journey from the Midwest to the highest peaks, and his efforts to reshape mountain education.

Mark shares how his early experiences with Boy Scouts and road trips planted the seed for a lifetime of mountain exploration, and how a lack of mentorship early on drove him to build Mountain Sense—a platform designed to break down the barriers to learning essential mountain skills.

Together, they dive into:

• Mark’s path to becoming an IFMGA guide (including passing his ski exam before ever being paid to guide on skis!)
  

• Why he created Mountain Sense and what it means to “become the partner you seek”
  

• The cultural differences between ski touring and climbing communities around risk and education
  

• How online learning can supplement in-person avalanche education
  

• Human factors, mentorship, and building trust in backcountry teams
  

• Why storytelling, humor, and real-life experience matter more than PowerPoint slides
  

Mark also shares a recent near-miss avalanche incident in Canada and reflects on the decision-making traps that even seasoned professionals encounter.

• Learn more about Mark’s courses at Mountain Sense
  

• Follow Mark Smiley on Instagram: @smileysproject
  

Ready to become the partner you seek? Visit Mountain Sense to explore online masterclasses on avalanche safety, ski mountaineering, crevasse rescue, alpine climbing, and more.

Sponsors for this episode:

• Wyssen

• Gordini

• OpenSnow

• PeakVisor (discount in link)