ANGELA HAWSE
Ridgway, Colorado
Black Diamond Global Athlete
ANGELA HAWSE
Angela is one of few female IFMGA mountain guides with a successful career spanning over three decades and the 6th woman in the U.S. to earn the IFMGA credential. Angela has led over 30 high altitude mountaineering expeditions to the world’s Greater Ranges and guides remote trips from the Antarctic Peninsular to the Arctic. She skied from Sweden to Norway across Lapland, reached to the South Summit of Mt. Everest and has led many technical all-women’s ascents. She’s a champion for inclusivity, a mentor and an advocate for women and folks from marginalized communities in outdoor professions.
Angela joined the AMGA Instructor Team in 2005 as the only woman for many years. She was president of the American Mountain Guides Association and has trained and examined guides for the AMGA for 20 years. She has a Master’s Degree in International Mountain Conservation, serves on the IFMGA board and is vice president of the IFMGA Technical Commission, being not only the first woman but the first non-European to work in that capacity.
In 2011, Angela was named AMGA Guide of the Year and in 2022 she received the AMGA Lifetime Achievement in Guiding Award. She’s a POW Alliance Team Member and leads the IFMGA’s efforts in developing resources for mountain guides to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Previously, Angela worked as a heli-ski guide and avalanche forecaster for many seasons where she developed a passion for throwing bombs out of helicopters. Realizing her exposure to risk and carbon footprint were far too excessive, she transitioned to human powered skiing and teaching avalanche education to professionals. Angela’s home is in Ridgway, Colorado with her pup Grommet aka “Super G”. Her newest adventure is taking up skateboarding again.
