08 Apr Carol Kasza
Carol grew up in Colorado and began her love of wild places as a rock climber in her 20’s, working a few months a year as a union laborer on seasonal construction jobs, and spending the rest of the time traveling and climbing, from the Scottish Highlands, French Alps and Canadian Rockies to the Shawangunks in New York and climbing areas across the West. Yosemite Valley was her second home though, as she spent months there in the spring and fall, meeting and having the opportunity to climb with legendary climbers like Yvon Chouinard and Chuck Pratt.
Her climbing experience led to a job for 2 seasons as an instructor for Colorado Outward Bound School, leading 20+ day mountaineering courses in the North and South San Juan Mtns. After moving to Fairbanks, Carol’s last climbs were all women climbs on Denali and Foraker, before she shifted her focus to backpacking and running rivers in the Brooks Range.
From the founding of Arctic Treks, Carol was concerned about both setting high professional standards for wilderness guides and protecting the wild places our businesses depend on. Over the years she has served as president of the Alaska Wilderness Guides Association (AWGA), founding board member and president of the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association (AWRTA), board member of the Northern Alaska Environmental Center and the Alaska Conservation Foundation.