The Northwest Mountain School is a small climbing and skiing guide service started in 1994 and run by IFMGA - UIAGM certified guides Olivia Cussen and John Race. We are based in Leavenworth, WA and one of only two married couples in the US to be working together as IFMGA certified guides. We have a combined 26 years of guiding experience and have worked for many large guide services such as Rainier Mountaineering, Inc, International Mountain Guides, and Alpine Ascents International. The Northwest Mountain School is the umbrella under which we offer small group trips of the highest quality to the worlds premiere climbing and ski destinations.



As IFMGA guides we have each passed rigorous courses and exams on our way to becoming American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) certified Rock, Alpine, and Ski guides. Both college graduates, John with a BA in English Literature, Olivia with a BS in Wildlife Biology, we have ended up spending our adult lives guiding and have built a business that will allow us to raise a family, provide our customers with a very high quality experience, and remain involved in protecting the very fragile environment in which we work.



Organizing and leading your trip of a lifetime is a job that we take seriously. We will work hard on your behalf while keeping things light enough to keep you smiling and coming back.