Mike Donaldson's Bio

I’ve been guiding and climbing full-time for over a decade, and I’ve built my life around sandstone, granite, and the crews that tie in with me. This isn’t just a job — it’s been my through-line since the early 2000s.

 

I cut my teeth in Colorado and Yosemite, spent seasons on Yosemite Search and Rescue, and logged countless multi-pitch days guiding in Joshua Tree and Red Rock.
 

Along the way, I’ve hauled loads up El Cap, run clinics for new leaders, managed high-school climbing programs, and rigged shows at Allegiant Stadium and The Sphere as a SPRAT Level 2 rope tech.

 

What that means for you is simple: when you hire me, you’re not getting a part-timer or a side-hustle guide. You’re getting someone who has been living and breathing systems, efficiency, and commitment in the vertical world for over 20 years.

 

I’ve had the privilege to stand on top of some of the most sought-after routes in North America: Romantic Warrior in the Needles, Moonlight Buttress in Zion, Rainbow Wall in Red Rock, the Beckey-Chouinard in the Bugaboos, the big granite of Stetind and Lofoten in Norway, and more then 10 walls on El Capitan.

 

These aren’t trophies — they’re proof of mileage, judgment, and the ability to keep showing up when it’s long, hard, and serious.

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When you climb with me, you get more than a rope-gun day. You get a guide who can move fast when it counts, slow it down when it matters, and teach you the systems so you can take the reins yourself.

 

My goal isn’t to keep you dependent on hiring guides — it’s to make sure you walk away stronger, sharper, and more confident than when you showed up.

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This is professional guiding done right. Not a commodity, not a one-off day, but a partnership built on trust, shared mileage, and the simple joy of being out there.