Brandon Hensinger, founder of Ascent Adventure Consultants has been actively involved in guiding and the experiential education industry for 7+ years. He graduated from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania with a BA in Organizational Communication and Outdoor Leadership. His initial training and experience was developed with Quest in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania where he guided rock climbing, caving, kayaking, backpacking and ice climbing courses, along with facilitating teambuilding courses for groups of all ages and sizes. He has guided rock climbing trips across the country, and currently resides in North Carolina, where he can be often found climbing at Looking Glass, Linville Gorge, Laurel Knob, and Moore’s Wall. Brandon’s passion for the outdoors and his passion to see others grow in their ability and character by means of the outdoors is evident in everything that he does.

He can be contacted at bhensinger@ascentadventure.com.

Danny McCracken is passionate about teaching climbing and team work.  For Danny it is not about the grade; it’s “the best climber is the one having the most fun.” Climbing has taken Danny to stone and ice in Colorado, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.  In 10 years of climbing Danny has come to believe that the lessons learned on a rope can be carried into many different aspects of life.  He carries those lessons into his work in corporate environments doing technical leadership, project management, and organizational development in international organizations.  He is certified as a Six Sigma Green Belt and a Project Management Professional.

He can be reached at dmccracken@ascentadventure.com.

Scott is one of Ascent Adventure Consultants NC based guides. He has been escaping into the wilderness for as long as he can remember, hiking and backpacking in Southern Missouri and Arkansas. For the last 5 years he has been climbing in North Carolina with regular trips to climb in Europe, (mostly Southern Germany and Northern Italy) as well as The New River and Red River Gorges. He is looking forward to doing more alpine and alpine rock climbing. One thing he truly enjoys is getting new people introduced to climbing and seeing them improve.

He can be contacted at smillbern@ascentadventure.com.

Will has been pursuing adventure based travel both personally and professionally for over 7 years. His travels have taken him to 20 countries and 35 states, with experiences ranging from canyoneering in the Bavarian Alps, mountain biking in Costa Rica, mountaineering in Ecuador, rock climbing in Thailand, and backpacking in British Columbia. He has worked with several outdoor adventure guide companies, including Quest in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania, Longacre Expeditions, JPS Mountain Adventures, and currently Ascent Adventure Consultants.

He can be contacted at wtrax@ascentadventure.com.

Daniel Chambo comes to Ascent with over 7 years of study and teaching experience in the outdoor education industry, a rich personal climbing history, and a deep appreciation of the value of personal experience. Through his work as a wilderness instructor and climbing guide for organizations such as Outward Bound Wilderness, The Mountain Institute, and Inside Out Inc, Daniel has developed a leadership style that is authentic, dynamic, and approachable, and is a guide who finds great fulfillment in the process of connecting with people and figuring out how best meet their needs. From the desert towers of Utah, to the glacial peaks of Washington Sate, to the ancient granite domes near his home in Western North Carolina, Daniel’s personal climbing experiences have taught him so much that the idea of being able to share such experiences with others is simply irresistible, and his enthusiasm for the entire climbing experience tends to be rather contagious. Daniel currently holds the American Mountain Guides Association Single Pitch Instructor certification, and is continuously working improve his skills in order to offer fulfilling experiences to climbers of all levels.

He can be contacted at dchambo@ascentadventure.com

Tom has been a professional adventure education instructor for almost a decade. Building his tool box of skills through the years, Tom has worn many hats: wilderness therapy instructor, climbing specialist, raft guide, ropes course manager, expedition leader, and trail crew leader. Tom holds certification in swift water rescue and wilderness life guarding. He is a wilderness first responder, leave no trace trainer and passionate advocate for building character and changing lives through immersion in wilderness based adventure activities.Tom currently is a Single Pitch Instructor through the American Mountain Guides Association.

He can be directly emailed at trowan@ascentadventure.com

Joe has been working in the outdoor industry for over 10 years throughout the US and Canada. He has worked with students of all ages in activities including: sea kayaking, teambuilding, ropes courses, backpacking, bike touring, caving, and competitive climbing. Joe has earned a BA in Geography from Bloomsburg University, concentrating on environmental planning and outdoor leadership, as well as a MS in Environmental Studies. Joe has traveled and climbed around the country.  He currently works as an abandoned mine reclamation project developer and part time adventure educator.  Joe loves to share his passion of the outdoors with participants on all trips. Believing that the outdoors has changed his life, Joe hopes that his leadership will be a positive influence on course participants.

He can be directly emailed at jsassaman@ascentadventure.com

Jason has been playing in the backcountry since he first strapped on a pair of snow skis at age 4. He has backpacked over most of the US, including most of the Appalachian Trail, and has been climbing for over 7 years. Jason is a self-professed alpine climbing addict. His goal is to obtain his alpine guide certification through the American Mountain Guide Association. He has climbed and guided numerous Alpine Climbing routes in the North Cascades of Washington state, and the Tetons of Wyoming, as well as ice climbing in the Northeast. Jason is also a firefigher/EMT in North Carolina.

He can be reached at jseago@ascentadventure.com.

Ryan Williams grew up in North Carolina and graduated from NC State with a BS in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.  He spends his winters working as a rock climbing guide in the south of Thailand, and the rest of the year climbing and working in West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina.  Ryan has climbed, hiked, paddled, skied and snowboarded all over the United States and plans to continue traveling the Americas and Asia.  He believes that time spent outdoors and physical fitness are essential to the human experience, and he is passionate about teaching rock climbing because of the positive impact it can make on peoples lives.

He can be reached at rwilliams@ascentadventure.com

Beckett is the owner of El Potrero Chico Climbing School in Mexico. Beckett started to teach rock climbing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire four years ago. Beckett’s climbing passions include climbing the granite of Yosemite and Conway, Mexican limestone, Tennessee sandstone, Utah Windgate, and Rumney schist. On rainy days he enjoys reading about geology, juggling. cycling, and running. His best day of climbing is enjoying silence and focus while working a hard pitch thousands of feet off the ground. Beckett’s goal and passion in life is teaching.  He is a certified Rock Instructor with the American Mountain Guide Association.

He can be reached at bhonicker@ascentadventure.com

Derrek began climbing and exploring mountains in Vermont 9 years ago. Since then he has traveled and climbed both personally and professionally in many areas including the Southeast, Pacific Northwest, the Rockies, British Columbia, and of course the New England area. He has guided and provided instruction in both climbing and mountaineering for several companies. He is an outdoor educator for NOLS, teaching climbing, mountaineering and backcountry living. Through outdoor education and guiding he has been fortunate enough to work in such places as Red Rock Canyon in Nevada and the Wind River Range in Wyoming. He is a certified wilderness first responder and Leave No Trace trainer. Currently, he lives in Vermont with his wife and dogs. When he is not climbing the stellar rock and ice of the Northeast, he is usually playing outdoors with the family.

He can be contacted at danderson@ascentadventure.com.