Rob Hess

Location Jackson, WY

Role Owner, Chief Guide

Years Guiding 44

About Rob Hess

As one of our owners and chief guide, Rob has been a mountain guide and outdoor educator since 1980. Rob started with JHMG in 1986 and became one of the owners in 1998.  Rob’s experience is broad , he is equally at home on steep skiing descents, mechanized skiing, long ski tours, technical alpine routes, waterfall ice climbs, high altitude ascents, long expeditions, long traditional rock climbs or short sport routes. Of note, Rob was the third American to summit Mt. Everest with out the use of supplemental oxygen.

Rob is an AMGA certified Rock, Alpine and Ski guide and is an IFMGA / UIAGM internationally license mountain guide. Rob served as technical director of the AMGA for 8 years and currently functions as the discipline coordinator for the ski discipline. Rob is an instructor and examiner for the AMGA in the Ski, Rock and Alpine disciplines and was voted guide of the year in 2007 by the AMGA. Rob is a current Board member of the AMGA and serves as the President of the Board.

During the summer months Rob can be found guiding and managing the guide ranks out of the Jackson, Wyoming headquarters, with the occasional trip to the Alps. Fall and spring find Rob climbing and guiding in the desert southwest including Red Rock Canyon in Nevada and the greater Moab area. Winter finds Rob ski guiding around Jackson as an off piste guide at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort , ski touring in Grand Teton National Park, Alaska, British Columbia and the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps. Rob is also known to guide ice climbs in Cody, Canadian Rockies and in a various locations in  Colorado through out the winter.

Certifications:

  • - AMGA certified Rock Guide
  • - AMGA certified Alpine Guide
  • - AMGA certified Ski Guide
  • - IFMGA / UIAGM licensed mountain guide
  • - Level 3 Avalanche
  • - Wilderness First Responder

Testimonials

  • Thank you for taking us on the climb. It was such a blast! Being on the Grand was really neat and I hope to do more climbs like it. Thanks for teaching me many things!

    — Heather Berch, age 15 (recipient of Jim Ratz Memorial Scholarship)
  • Thanks to Jackson Hole Mountain Guides for your time, effort and patience to get this old man to the top of the Grand Teton on my 60th anniversary climb. I am proud of you and your excellent climbing school.

    — Paul Petzoldt, the first Teton guide and founder of NOLS and Exum Guide Service
  • My experiences with JHMG have been uniformly outstanding.   Each guide that has worked with me over the years has taken a genuine interest in helping me advance my climbing.  The levels of professionalism, expertise, and interest in teaching among the guides I have worked with has been top-notch.

    — David Matthews
  • If you want to climb safely with confidence and learn about WHAT you are actually doing and climbing…Pick JHMG.  Hands down the best guys for the job!  YEARS of experience and professionalism are very obvious from the moment you step inside the shop.  Nice guys, well trained and fun to climb with!

    — Darren Davis
  • I just wanted to thank you for setting us up with such unbelievable guides.  They were absolutely solid, professional and fun to be around.  We couldn’t have had better, nor better results.  That climb of the Grand is something I’ll never forget.  I will be back to climb Mt. Moran next.

    —  Paul Edelbrock
  • Totally positive experience climbing the Grand Teton that exceeded my expectations. Guides Nate, Jed and Noah were professional, knowledgeable, with great senses of humor, and I felt totally safe and encouraged to push my limits of climbing to gain confidence and still have fun.  Also to meet Rob Hess and share conversation at high camp was very memorable. The trip was well organized and executed with care and precision. The equipment and accommodations were premier…very comfortable and well laid out. The food was good and satisfying. JHMG made this trip the best climbing experience of my life. Well done JHMG!

    — Ed Erikson
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