REFERENCES
If you are looking for reasons why you should consider climbing with us instead of another service, please feel free to ask some of our guests. Their experiences with us should be your best reason.
"I first began climbing with Marty in the spring of 1999 (9+ years ago). When I think back at the timid, novice that first knocked on his door, then remember the many climbs we have done together, I am truly amazed. I look at pictures of our current trips, and I hardly recognize the climber in them. Marty consistently and patiently mentors me. He always believes that I have potiential that often I don't see. Because of him, I look at those pictures and I proudly say, 'That woman is ME! I'm a rock climber!' "
Amy Meredith
Chatsworth, NJ
"Both my wife Joan and I have known and been climbing with Marty since 1991 (that's over 17 years ago). He has always been a strong, safe, and well-informed climber no matter whether he is climbing in his back yard at the Gunks or in other areas which he is not as familiar with . We have climbed with Marty in New Hampshire; Red Rocks, NV; Seneca Rocks, WV; Needles, SD; DevilsTower, WY; and other locations. Additionally, we have climbed with many Internationally Certified Guides in many countries over the past 20 years, and we consider Marty one of the best. He has a great positive personality, is very motivational, and lots of fun - important on any long trip! Above all Marty has provided us with the instruction and encouragement necessary to become much better climbers and get the most out of the sport."
Al & Joan Morena
Mountain Top, PA
"Jennifer and I have been climbing since 2001. Climbing is our passion
and Marty's Alpine Endeavors is the best partner to share it with. They
have consistenly provided a very safe, fun and inspiring environment for
us to enjoy both rock and ice, develop skills and realize our climbing
ambitions.
Marty, Angelo and Ryan are great guides - they have plenty of humour and
skills, oozing competence and empathy, but they can push you when needed.
They take pride and joy in your success and help you achieve it by setting
new challenges. We get additional comfort knowing how safety oriented
Marty is and how much training he organizes for his guides.So our climbing
is getting better and better, and we have fun while it is happening. We
can't wait to book another climbing day. "
Jennifer Powers, Jacek Wojtowicz
New York, NY
"I have worked with Alpine Endeavors & Marty Molitoris since
1998.
Our travels have taken us to rock climbs in New Paltz, The Adirondacks,
Boulder, Colorado and Red Rocks, Nevada. We've ice climbed in the
Catskills, hiked in Cold Spring and even a canoe portaged in and around
Lake Saranac, New York. Each experience was terrific. The guides were
knowledgeable and well prepared. Their concern for safety was paramount.
I highly recommend them."
M. Sachs
Greenwich, Connecticut
"I started my climbing career under Marty's tutelage over 9 years
ago (1999). He has been able to support my climbing needs as my skills
improved and interests in climbing broadened. Marty is an excellent mentor
who has provided the encouragement and training that has allowed me to
reach my goals as a climber."
Dr. James Wilson
Philadelphia, PA
"We just wanted to say thanks to Alpine Endeavors, and Joe in particular,
for an amazing day at the Gunks. My girlfriend, Dee, and myself had an
absolutely wonderful day, in spite of being very hot until mid-day and
then having to leave early due to rain. The weather was not with us,
but the great rock, sweeping vistas, and a stellar guide made the trip
one for the memoirs. I'm not a great climber, but I am a climber that
has had the privilege of climbing in many places around the world and
with a number of guides. Joe is hands down the best I have ever had the
pleasure of climbing with (except perhaps "Gustavo" in Brasil), and
that's saying a lot because honestly most guides are pretty cool.
Thanks again, Dee and I very much look forward to the next time we're in
the Northeast so we can return to the Gunks and hopefully book another
excursion with Alpine Endeavors.
Oh...I don't know if you're formally associated with Rock and Snow but
that's a great store!"
Peter D. Adkison
Seattle, WA
Here are comments we received from some of our guests, next time you climb with us, please send us your thoughts.
"Marty - Thanks again to Joe and Miriam for a fabulous day yesterday. It was awesome experience for all the boys and both guides did a fantastic job teaching all the basics, emphasizing safety and “leave no trace,” and making it all fun at the same time."
As can be expected with any group, some of the boys absolutely excelled in the environment and I was particularly impressed with how some picked up the knot tying, belaying and safety issues so quickly.
"Marty - It was a great time and we appreciated your flexibility given that it was a holiday weekend. Ty was one of the best instructors I have experienced. He laid the concepts out extremely well and was always very encouraging.Cheers"
"Marty-
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you for setting up such a great day for our group today. I was sorry that you did not join us so we were not able to meet in person, but your crew (Joe, Mark, Kevin, Ty) was fantastic - professional, knowledgable, patient, a great fit with our group, and most importantly, made sure that everyone was able to do the most possible with their abilities. Everyone had a great time and left with a great experience and some new skills.
Looking forward to an opportunity to do business again in the future."
"Hey Marty - I just wanted to thank you and your staff again for Saturday. Everyone had a really great time and Ian, Joe and Tai were wonderful. Their friendly and accessible approach to climbing, professionalism and attention to detail and safety were, as always with AE, great. I also want to say personally how much I appreciate what you're doing with your program in respect to education and the environment with regard to your certification sponsorship of the WFR, single pitch, leave no trace and of course your climbing courses. I think you're doing some really great things and from what everyone told me on Saturday -in a way that everyone truly respects and appreciates. It's exciting. So again thank you. You've got a great staff and it was great to see everyone again. Until next time take care and best of luck. "
Hi Marty - I just wanted to say I really enjoyed yesterday's ice climbing with Ian. He was patient, good-natured, and informative - thanks to him I finally overcame some fears. It was great. I'll definitely be back! "
"Hi Marty - thanks for being a great leader and planning out an awesome trip (Ecuador '08). It was definitely one of the hardest and coolest things I've ever done... a great experience!"
"Hi Marty. The Presidential Traverse was great. Ryan was awesome: supportive, commanding when he needed to be (when I faltered), kept us safe, explained everything, advised, commented, and did it all with class. He’s a great guide. I went through my usual moments of weakness and fear, but we got through it, though not over the ridge we wanted (due to Saturday’s high winds and near zero visibility). I will never forget it, and I want to do it again."
"Hi Marty - Thank you for a great trip this weekend on the Presidential Range. Ryan is an excellent guide, I've already recommended him and AE to some friends! Unfortunately we could not complete the full traverse and turned down along the Cog Railway (practically in the clear!). It was a fantastic way to learn all about mountaineering and winter survival, an experience I won't soon forget."
"Hey Marty - just wanted to let you know that Liz and I loved our experience with Mark and your company. We will definitely be back and will refer your company to all of our buddies. Thanks for getting us climbing on such short notice."
"Hi Marty,
Once again your staff has impressed us and provided a climbing experience
beyond anything we could have expected. Amy and I have been interested
in trying aid climbing (and of course sleeping on a portaledge!) as well
as one day climbing a big wall. Ryan taught us many skills and gave us
an amazing preview into what big wall climbing is as well as recount many
stories from his impressive big wall experiences.
We are at a loss for words to describe the incredible 2 days of climbing
we had with Ryan. The experience was phenomenal and we had one of the
best nights of sleep of our lives on the portaledge (what a view!).
Thank you again!"
"Hi Marty,
Just wanted you to know that I had a great day of climbing with Joe. He
was
an excellent guide, and I learned so much from him. He gave me a lot of
encouragement which allowed me to have an awesome day. That Friday was
one of the happiest birthdays in my life. Three Pines was the most spectacular
climb I've ever done, and I'm anxious to see the pictures he took. Please
thank Joe for me.
Looking forward to another day of climbing in the near future! "
"Marty,
Tracey and I had a great time (and first experience) rock climbing with
Mike. We both thought he was a great instructor as well as very
personable. Mike was a thorough and stressed safety the entire time
allowing us to push our limits! Feel free to provide me as a reference
in the future. - Ryan Greene"
"Hi Marty,
I am writing to let you know that I had a great experience last week,
climbing with Conor. he was an excellent instructor - thorough,
professional, knowledgeable, fun, and challenging - and i would definitely
recommend him to anyone interested in learning to climb. While at first
I
was a bit nervous (only because of his age), my mind was quickly set at
ease by his attention to detail and his emphasis on safety; he quickly
gained my trust and I felt secure throughout.
I had a great time climbing and would like to do it again soon."
"Thanks Marty.
I had a great time Paavo was a great teacher. I would like to do a full
day next time I'm up here."
"Marty,
Great time, Connor was awesome, can't find one complaint.
Looking forward to our next time."
"Hey Marty,
The boys and adults had a blast the ice was great but more importantly,
Angelo and Ty were great with them. You always manage to have knowledgeable
and safety minded guides who are encouraging and fun to be with. its always
a pleasure to climb with Angelo and Ty was a positive addition. i think
the boys got to do between 8-10 climbs apiece yesterday and they all slept
was soon as the hit the car. they are anxious to come again and do Moore's
bridge.
It was also interesting to see how other groups operate since ASBESTOS
COVE was packed with other climbers and groups. YOU RUN A VERY SKILLED
OPERATION BAR NONE.
Thank you for the book the boys will use it to plan future trips. when
they
woke up the were scanning it for other sites for your suggestions.
i will get back to you on the other events,soon. i will be presenting
the
courses at the BSA district roundtable this Wednesday.
Will send you the pictures as soon as they are developed.
once again thanks for a great day."
"Hey guys,
I wanted to let you know that you are some of the best instructors that
I have had in my professional career as a safety officer. Your professional
experience certainly made this class a big hit with our employees and
I have received a lot of positive feed back! "
"Hi Marty,
Sunday was a wonderful day of climbing for me, and it was good to meet
you. I am very aware that I'm not a very good climber; however, I truly
love it,
and I'm so happy when I have the opportunity to climb. Angelo had so much
patience with me, and I was truly appreciative. He was an excellent guide!
He took me on my first multi-pitch climb and taught me how to rappel.
Rappelling was certainly worth all of the work of getting to the top!
He
explained other things about belaying, etc that I didn't know. Please
express my thanks to him. I had an awesome day!
I am looking forward to ice climbing. "
"Marty,
Thanks a lot for connecting me up with Joe yesterday. We had an amazing
day. Seven good pitches. We did Baby, Son of Easy O, and the first pitches
of Birdie Party, Higher Stannard and MF....Whew! I will definately call
you again if I am in need of a guide/climbing partner.
I looked at the weather and just couldn't pass up rock climbing on a beautiful
weekend in January. Thanks again!"
"Marty, just a note of thanks for all you did for us this weekend.
Your
instructors were pros and were great with our Scouts. The farm turned
out to be a real winner and we look forward to returning in the future.
Thanks again for all you did to make this trip a success."
"Marty,
We haven't had the pleasure of meeting, but I did want to let you know
how
much my son and I enjoyed climbing with your company with Angelo as
our guide. Iexpected competence and was not disappointed. but, what really
made the difference was the level of enthusiasm and the quality of his
teaching skills. While we were and still are rank amateurs, we had the
thrill of climbing a three pitch climb to the top of our cliiff and
rapelling down. We hope to make another trip this fall before weather
changes us to ice climbers (another first). thanks again for the day."
"Hey Joe,
Thanks for the day up on the cliffs. For whatever
reason, it was a particulary satisfying day so thanks
for your time, patience and update on the lingo. You
do a very nice job as a guide and instructor. Hope the
weather brings you some good winter days (if not, see
you soon) and enjoy the holidays."
"Hi, Marty.
Michael and I had the best time climbing with Joe. He was exactly
what I want from a guide--knowledgeable, patient, cautious,
amusing....all great attributes!
We are looking forward to learning to ice climb this winter and hope
that Joe will be available to teach us, Thanks again"
"Marty,
Amy and I wanted to let you know that Angelo is an asset to your
company and he is a great teacher and guide. He went above and beyond
our highest expecations for the weekend. He taught us so much, but really
made it stick - while still having a great time. Angelo was great at moving
at our pace, but making sure we had all the skills we needed while still
answering our out of the blue questions on all different climbing topics.
His energy was high the entire time and we really enjoyed spending our
weekend with Angelo."
"Marty: Judy and I had a great time yesterday climbing with Ryan
at the
Preserve. We appreciate your calm, helpful attitude toward your clients,
and it was a pleasure learning from Ryan. All the way home (the scenic
route over 44/55), we talked about the accomplishments we had, especially
for Judy who had never climbed before yesterday. We both felt that we
were able to extend ourselves beyond what we thought we had been capable
of doing without having a pushy attitude from our instructor. We enjoyed
getting to know Ryan, and we appreciate his instruction, encouragement
and balance in allowing us to expolore the rock while providing timely
instructions. I feel that I am better prepared for my upcoming 14ers expedition
in the Sierras with the Sierra Mountain Center, and I will extend your
greetings to them when I arrive in Bishop next month."
"Hi Marty,
I had two excellent days of climbing. Joe did a great job teaching and
choosing routes. I hope to make it down there again soon.
Thanks!"
"Marty, thank you for such a wonderful experience with the campers. Everyone came back beaming from the experience and the counselors were quite impressed. Thanks so much for another great experience. I look forward to working with you and your guides again in the future."
"Marty,
We just wanted to let you know that Taino Grosjean is really awesome.
We went climbing with him two weeks ago and it was amazingly fun, educative,
safe, challenging and exiting. We truly enjoyed the way he guided and
supported us!
Please make sure to inform him about how much we appreciated his knowledge
and kindness."
"Marty,
Just a heads up...we had an awesome time at the gunks and got on some
cool classics. Angelo was very professional and a great guide."
"Dear Marty,
Thank you so much for setting us
up with Mike. We had an excellent time, of course. Once again,
Alpine Endeavors gets rated as the best guide service going, in my book,
and I will always recommend your service to anyone who is inquiring."
"Hi Angelo,
I wanted to thank you for guiding me and my father. We had such a blast
. You can be sure we will be booking future climbs soon and someday maybe
some more advanced classes. Again thank you very much. "
"Dear Marty....
I just wanted to let you know that my boyfriend and I met with Angelo
on Saturday morning for the much anticipated rock climbing lesson. I loved
it just as much the second time around as I did the first time with you.
And my boyfriend cant wait to climb Mt Rushmore !! We had beautiful
weather, a great time, and above all, Angelo could not have been more
pleasant, helpful and willing to please us yet all the while keeping our
safety as his primary concern. I cant thank you enough and look forward
to another rock climbing experience with Alpine Endeavors!"
"Marty, I just want you to know how much I enjoyed ice climbing with
Ryan today at Stoney Clove, he is a very personable and intelligent young
man, I also learned some needed skills and felt completely safe under
his guidance. I have not ice climbed much lately, in fact the last
time I did was with your firm at the Ice fest 2003, however next season
I do plan on climbing ice regularly in the Stoney Clove and Smugglers
Notch area’s and would certainly want to use Ryan as the guide.
I know as a business person its important to get client feedback on your
employees."
"Hey Marty,
We all had a great time yesterday. Mike and Angelo are great guys and
even better guides. They made the day very enjoyable for everyone. I would
also like to thank you because it is always a pleasure to deal with you
when I'm planning these trips."
"Hey Marty,
Thanks for the pictures and thanks for an awesome experience!!
You and your team were fantastic..."
"Hey Marty,
I just wanted to let you know what
a great time I had on this trip. Thanks for setting everything up
and coordinating all the facets. It was especially nice having the
chance to work one-on-one, which I certainly didn't expect. Plus,
I felt like I was really getting a nice experience within the local climbing
community.
I actually am starting to get a bit
excited at the idea of joining the Joshua Tree trip. I know it will
be a great time, too. Please let me know the dates and details when
you have them set."
For related information see Media.
