Victoria Garvin

Bellingham, WA

<strong>Vic</strong> has been passionate about outdoor activities for as long as she can remember. She was raised in Northern California, and spent her winters as a child exploring the Austrian Alps. This is where she became passionate about spending time in the mountains and off-piste skiing. She began outdoor guiding in her teens, taking groups trail riding on horse-back. After moving to Washington for college, she continued in her outdoor pursuits through ski patrolling, backpack guiding, and leading outdoor clubs. She began guiding glaciated mountains and backcountry skiing shortly after. <br><br><br>Through her experiences working for several different companies, she noticed an extreme lack of female representation in leadership, overworked and underpaid guide staff, and therefore less quality experiences for students and clients. She founded Upward Transitions in hopes to create a change in the guiding industry by promoting a better environment for women and underrepresented gender identities, a sustainable career for guides, and quality holistic experiences and education for participants. She is especially passionate about creating access for all in outdoor spaces, and helping aspiring mountain athletes learn new skills to achieve their goals. <br><br><br>Victoria’s personal mountain endeavors have taken her from the top of Aconcagua in Argentina, to the end of the Haute Route in Switzerland. <br><br><br>Certifications: Registered Nurse (+ACLS, BLS), Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC), AIARE (Level 1, Level 2, and Rescue Training), Professional Avalanche Training 1 (PRO 1), Professional Avalanche Training 2 (PRO 2), AIARE Instructor Training Course (ITC), AMGA Single Pitch Instructor (SPI), AMGA Alpine Skills Course, AMGA Ski Guide Course, AMGA Advanced Ski Guide Course, AMGA Alpine Guide Course, LNT Trainer.