Blog Bio

Carolyn Riccardi grew up as far away from rock climbing and the mountains as you can imagine in the Flatlands of Brooklyn. As a teenager she was introduced to backpacking in upstate, NY, hiking trails on the AT and camping in Harriman State Park. After high school she worked on Wall Street returning to college to study political science and history. Prior to guiding Carolyn worked as a sex educator in New York City. She was widely sought after appearing on the Today Show, VH1, Bravo and in print in the New York Times, GQ, the Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, and New York Magazine.

After reading Jon Krakauer’s account of solo ice climbing the Devil’s Thumb in Alaska, Carolyn was inspired to call Eastern Mountain Sports became a regular weekend traveler to the Gunks and Adirondacks. In a few short years Carolyn has climbed alpine rock in the Cascades, sandstone in Red Rocks, sport climbs in Flagstaff and Rumney, ice routes on Cannon Cliff, the Catskills and Daks, as well as classic three star routes in the Gunks.

Besides climbing and obsessing over the weight of each piece of her gear, Carolyn enjoys listening to heavy metal and watching horror movies.

Certifications:

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
New York State Licensed Guide
Wilderness First Responder
AIARE Level I

To book a climbing lesson with Carolyn call EMS Climbing School at 800-310-4504 or via email: carolyn1916@gmail.com. And find me on facebook – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1156276803&ref=search

Boston Basin, Northern Casacades, Washington