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Zack Wentz

@zackwentz

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Mtn Safety Advocate
@amga1979 Splitboard & Rock Guide
@bcaguide
@alaskaheliskiing ❄️ Safety
@cascadesconditions Founder
@hokkaidobackcountryclub

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This last week was one for the books, & one of the biggest weeks of my guiding career! Thanks to @alaskaheliskiing, I got to be in the position of running snow safety for the @freerideworldtour championships here in Haines, AK!!!
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It’s been a dream of mine to be in the position of managing mountain safety for an event of this caliber, & I’m happy to say that collectively as a company, we pulled this event off SOO well under extremely short timelines. We had such a small weather window, having to prep the venue & run the event in a short 2-day window of blue skies, & we’re blessed with great snow conditions & minimal avalanche hazard. It all came together in the best possible way the day of the event; stars aligned & AK magic happened for sure ✨
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The event was of course so soo cool, but having the opportunity to meet the athletes & staff that make it all possible in such a unique & personal way was a cherry on top of such an epic experience. The day after the event, we went heliskiing with many of the athletes & staff, & sharing such a uniquely beautiful place with the best ski talent in the world just feels unreal. Dreams realized in all the best possible ways 🙌 Thanks @alaskaheliskiing for giving me the opportunity to have yet another huge dream realized!!
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We’ve still got a month left in our season, & conditions are unreal!! Come up to @alaskaheliskiing to see what the hype is all about!!
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@westonbackcountry @k2.snowboarding @karakorambc @blackdiamond @pitviper @arcteryx.seattle @cripplecreekbc #FWT #haines taken in 35 Mile Lodge Heliport by @zackwentz

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7 months ago

As days get shorter & the winter rains start to fall, all that rain is turning to ❄️ in the mountains, which means winter is on!! I’ve already had my first turns of the season this year, so it’s on!!
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I’ll be working with @bcaguide primarily this season, running programs that are splitboard-specific. That includes splitboard-specific avalanche courses, intro courses, & steep splitboarding programs until I leave for AK in mid-February! Running a whole season of splitboard-specific programming has been a dream, so I’d love to have anyone & everyone involved!!
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Why do a splitboard-specific program? Well as splitboarders, we have different equipment of course, but also visualize terrain slightly different than skiers. Don’t buy it? I wrote a whole article about that here via WildSnow: https://wildsnow.com/33197/visualizing-the-backcountry-as-a-splitboarder-minimizing-the-challenges-of-movement-by-anticipating-terrain/ . Having that specific knowledge for your chosen tool, regardless of what level you’re at is important. There’s also only 3 @amga1979 certified Splitboard Guides in WA state, & only 2 in the central WA area, so by going with us you’ll be learning from the best!
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Sign up for various courses at the link here: https://www.bcadventureguides.com/ski/split-board/. Here is a summary of the program dates:
🏔️Split @aiare_official Level 1 - Snoqualmie Pass: Dec. 27-28, 2025
🏔️Intro to Splitboarding - Snoqualmie Pass: Jan. 3-4th, 2026
🏔️Steep Splitboarding Camp - Snoqualmie Pass: Jan. 10-11, 2026
🏔️Rogers Pass Splitboarding Week - Roger’s Pass, BC: Jan. 18-23, 2026
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Would be stoked for anyone to be involved in any of the above! Sign up via the attached link, or send me a DM with questions!
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@westonbackcountry @cripplecreekbc @arcteryxseattle @phantomsnowindustries @wolverinesnowproducts #snoqualmiepass #splitboarding #seattlesnowboarders taken in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington by @zackwentz

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a year ago

@issw2026whistler in Whistler was such a hoot!!! 🥳
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Trying to sum up this year’s ISSW is soo hard. Literally every talk & conversation this year seemed soo interesting & useful, & will be very applicable for the coming winter. Also equally important is how many long-time old friends, colleagues & connections were at the event, as this event always brings out the best & brightest of the snow & avalanche community. This fact alone reminds me why being a mountain guide & avalanche forecaster is the best job on the planet 👌
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This year especially was soo notable as I feel like as I grow in this space as an avalanche professional, each topic became more relatable & useful to improving the operations I’m a part of. I feel like my breath of experience made all the talks very tangible & useful, & I look forward to applying all the new skills through this coming (& notable) winter season!
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HIGHLIGHTS:
❇️ ACMG Guide Tristen Rasmussen’s tool MTN Ops on linking run list choices to a real-time updated map. This tool alone will help soo much for our newer guides to our terrain heliskiing, & help improve the flow of figuring out our existing operational knowledge gaps (📸2).
❇️ Wind slab modeling is the largest error with the SNOWPACK model, but folks are working on it! Using WindNinja, an app used in wildland firefighting, researchers can much more accurately model localized winds, & hence forecast localized wind slab formation with much more accuracy (📸3).
❇️ The SNOWPACK model is generally pretty reliable & should be trusted as much as models can be (📸4).
❇️ Another probe, similar to the @propagationlabs Snow Scope Probe is in development that can gather real-time temperature for every 10cms of distance. Soo cool!
❇️ Dating avalanche professionals is never meant to be easy, but very worth it 😅👌 📸4
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Such a good time!! Now I’m back home in WA & training again for the @amga1979 IIC, which’ll happen in mid-December again! Stoked to be right back at it!
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@bcaguide @westonbackcountry by @zackwentz

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11 days ago

Finished off my 8th summer guiding season in the Cascades last week, & went right into a sweet lodge trip up at @purcellmountainlodge with my buddy @philipgibney!!
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Philip & I met on our CAA Ops Level 1 course wayy back in 2016 or so, & have been friends ever since. He also just finished his ACMG Full Ski Guide cert, which is huge! It was such a pleasure to hang out with him at a world-class Canadian lodge; slow down, relax, & get familiar with the terrain he knows the best! What a rad & unique opportunity!! Thanks buddy! And for everyone else; go check out Purcell Lodge! Such a sweet lodge, with such nice & scenic hiking & skiing opportunities, & such stellar views as well 👌 and such a beautiful lodge too! It’d be such a cool place to do an extended @aiare_official hut-based Level 2 as well! It’s located immediately SE of Rogers Pass, so is in a prime location to understand more about a dry intermountain snowpack 👌
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Up next is the 2026 International Snow Science Workshop, happening this week in Whistler! As I grow in my career as a snow & avalanche professional, I’m finding it ever more important to seek out opportunities like this for professional development. All ISSWs are always fascinating & so soo fun, but this year I’m stoked to take the knowledge I learned & apply it in to my numerous positions of managing snow safety for heliskiing! Anyone I know going this year? Looking forward to catching up & building more community! by @zackwentz

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20 days ago

Up next in our Meet Your Guides series is Spliboarder extraordinaire @zackwentz . He has Numerous steep split-boarding descents in Alaska, Canada, Washington, Oregon & France and full split-board descent of the East Face of Aoraki/Mt. Cook in New Zealand.

Zack is a Certified AMGA Splitboard and Rock Guide and an Apprentice Alpine Guide. by @zackwentz

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24 days ago

Had such an excellent time last week doing a car-car climb of Kulshan with @jordyn.prince through @bcaguide!!
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This climb was soo beyond awesome. Leading up to it the night before, I had just come off a recent climb, & was feeling pretty worked from that, as well as the summer season in general. I wasn’t really sure how it would all go. I knew Jordyn was a crusher though, so to deliver a great trip for her, I figured it was my responsibility to get over whatever aches, pains or exhaustion I was feeling in order to deliver a good day for her.
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We started into the climb at midnight, & travel started quite smooth. We cruised up to Sandy Camp in 1hr, 35mins & were already fairly ahead of our time plan. Things were shaping up to be really good, but given it was going to be a 8500’ vert day, I didn’t want to get cocky. Traveling on the glacier, our pacing continued to be very smooth, maintaining a 1500’/hr pace largely the whole time. Somehow to my surprise we were still cruising…it was a just around 5am & we got to the crater at 9600’. It was euphoric…the stars above in the night sky, coupled with the city lights of Bellingham, Vancouver & the greater Seattle area sprawled beneath us….even though we were just on Kulshan, we really felt like we were high above the surrounding terrain & floating amongst the stars around us ✨ what a euphoric experience that I had never had on any of my previous climbs.
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Because we still felt fresh, we kept making our way up the Roman Wall, continuing to make great time. Cresting the Roman Wall, we started to get our first glimpse of first light, & I realized it was kind of hard to believe, but we were on track to summitting at sunrise, on the car-car climb to boot!! Totally nuts. Seeing the sunrise over the North Cascades & all of WA state just felt surreal, & was definitely a sunrise worth waking up early for 👌
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I’ve climbed & guided Kulshan probably 150 odd times so far, but this experience surely was one of the best, & re-reminded me why climbing Kulshan is such a memorable experience for many ❤️ Such a unique day, with a super strong guest. Thanks Jordyn!!
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@bcaguide @blackdiamond @arcteryxseattle @cripplecreekbc taken in Mount Baker Wilderness by @zackwentz

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a month ago

It’s been a marathon of work lately, guiding with @bcaguide in the North Cascades!
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One trip that was very memorable last week was guiding the Sulfide on Shuksan with my new friend Bruce! Bruce is an absolute crusher, & such an amazing human being. He’s 73-years old & had climbed Kulshan a few years back, & reached out to us to climb Shuksan this year. Without having nearly any rock climbing experience, & living in Florida, he totally crushed this climb! He moved well on the rock, in mountaineering boots nonetheless, & had a great attitude towards learning & growing his skill set. One piece that warmed my heart: he’s an ex-fighter pilot in the Navy, & has clearly lived a long & fruitful life, yet he told me this trip was the biggest highlight of his life so far…much praise! ❤️ thanks Bruce; was awesome climbing with you! 👌
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I’m in the midst of a pretty solid work block, guiding Kulshan 3xs this week! After that though, my summer season is coming to a close, & it’ll be nice to slow down, reflect & adopt a slower pace. This summer so far has been good in general, but a few trips have given me pause that I need time to reflect on, & it’ll be nice to have the time to actually reflect. Friends, I’d love to catch up with you too!
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@bcaguide @blackdiamond @arcteryxseattle @cripplecreekbc @petzl_official @northcascsdesnp taken in Mount Shuksan by @zackwentz

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a month ago

Had a really great time last week on a new route to me, the North Ridge of Eldorado Peak in the North Cascades!!
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This climb has it all: a rugged Cascadian approach, glacier travel, steep snow climbing, & best of all climbing amazing granite in a remote alpine setting. The longer I’ve spent in the North Cascades, the more I’ve found them to truly be the best climbing on 🌎; world-class alpine climbing in a remote mountain setting. You just can’t beat it!! Anyone hoping to climb the West Ridge of Forbidden but would like something of a similar style yet less exposed, this is a great option 👌
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My two guests were absolutely superb as well. Jonathon & Mike are both good friends from South Carolina, & last year climbed the North Ridge of Kulshan together. Impressively, this was Mike’s first ever outdoor rock climb, & in mountain boots nonetheless! Proper!! Ultimately, climbing is about the people & the partnerships you create through these experiences, & it was awesome to help facilitate a closer friendship between Jonathon & Mike, & help facilitate a successful trip for them both pushing their limits!
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Summer is starting to slow a little bit, which is nice, but North Cascades alpine rock climbing continues to be good through September! Reach out if you’d like to hop on one of these Cascades classics, or learn some skills to tackle your own climbs!
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@bcaguide @blackdiamond @arcteryxseattle @cripplecreekbc @northcascadesnp @petzl_official taken in Eldorado Peak by @zackwentz

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2 months ago

I’m incredibly stoked, honored & humbled to be joining the guide team at @hokkaidobackcountryclub this coming winter! HBC is a company I’ve wanted to work for for over 4 years now, & finally now have the experience to do so! Soo soo stoked!!!
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A whole season of heliski guiding work has always been the dream, & was why I studied snow & avalanche forecasting in university, as well as went through the whole AMGA ski guide pathway to gain certification. Combining HBC with my existing work with @alaskaheliskiing will be a whole season of heliski guiding, which will be just beyond!! HBC has also been voted as one of the top 10 heliski organizations worldwide, so it’ll be amazing to grow & learn as a ski guide & avalanche forecaster through this experience, working with some of the world’s best guides in one of the most iconic locations worldwide for backcountry skiing, while also bringing my years of experience managing snow safety for heliskiing to the team. Not to mention experiencing a new & beautiful country, culture & food, on top of a world-class powder skiing experience. It’ll be the dream for sure 👌
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If anyone plans on, or sees themselves in Hokkaido next winter, come on by & visit! The Japow, & of course ramen & sushi, will be 🔥 🔥!
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@westonbackcountry @g3gear @blackdiamond @arcteryxseattle #heliskiing #japan #niseko by @zackwentz

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3 months ago

Just got back from another mega work block, guiding two back-back trips in Boston Basin with @bcaguide!
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Many years ago, I remember mentioning that the best work schedule would involve always guiding the West Ridge of Forbidden. This last work block was exactly that; two back-back trips in Boston Basin, with the goal of prepping clients for Forbidden. The West Ridge of Forbidden is a 50 classic climb of North America, & one of the most beautiful alpine rock climbs in the world. Climbing moderate rock moves over thousands of feet of exposure in the wilds of the North Cascades just hits different. There’s also few other peaks that combine so many skills in alpinism, climbing steep snow, 5th class rock & scrambling all in one setting. Being able to share that experience, & get people fired up about wilderness alpinism just feels amazing ✨
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Ultimately though, guiding is about the people. Both of my guests for these trips live in New York, & have experience climbing big, snowy mountains & rock climbs around the Gunks. They sought out Forbidden as an opportunity to combine all their skills, & do a more technical peak in a wilderness setting, with Forbidden being a stretch goal for both of them. They both climbed the route in style, & for both of them this route was one of the most challenging things they’ve done in climbing. Being able to facilitate that growth experience for both of them felt amazing, & is what keeps my fire lit for mountain guiding 🤟
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Climbing in the North Cascades right now is all time! We’ve still got a month & a half of summer left; who wants to get after it?
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@bcaguide @blackdiamond @cripplecreekbc @northcascadesnp @arcteryxseattle @petzl_official #alpinism #alpine taken in Forbidden Peak by @zackwentz

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3 months ago

Just got back from two back-back Kulshan (Mt. Baker) trips through @bcaguide !
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They were both totally awesome. Despite the challenging weather (low clouds & cool temps), both groups summitted in style! The first trip we accompanied some extremely fit & stoked Canadians, & the second trip was a group of motivated high schoolers from @campnorwester !
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These days, it’s so much more about the people that we get to climb & ski with, rather than where or what we climb or ski. Both of these groups were ultra motivated & stoked to work hard despite the challenging conditions, & that paid off in spades! Many of the kids from @campnorwester said it was in the top 10 life experiences they’ve had so far, which always means a lot. Being able to facilitate something so life-changing & impactful to many is what brings me back to loving this career ❤️
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The summer season is in full swing! I’ve got a few days off this week, then two back-back trips on one of my favorite mountains in the Cascades, Forbidden Peak! We do have some availability this summer for more Cascade alpine climbs, rock & alpine instructional trips & more! Reach out if you wanna get in on the fun!
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@bcaguide @arcteryxseattle @blackdiamond @cripplecreekbc #northcascades #baker #alpine taken in Mount Baker Wilderness by @zackwentz

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3 months ago

June 14th @zackwentz and @mattski_plus_da_dogs set out with Jessie, Kaige, Rowland and Neda to climb Ragged Edge on Vesper with no beta on conditions. Well in photo 11 you can see a show stoppingly steep snow fields on the approach ledges that stopped us in our tracks… we pivoted and hiked to the summit and enjoyed a high alpine top rope session with 20 other climbers and took in the spectacular 360 view of the #cascades . Definitely needs a few weeks to melt back for a safer approach on the ledges. We have availability July 14-25 and Aug 15-30 for alpine and rock climbs this season, come and get your climb reserved this season! @vw_seattle @vw_north @vw_gyms members all get a discount, contact us and let’s 🧗! taken in Vesper Peak by @zackwentz

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4 months ago