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About Aspire Mountain Journeys

Aspire Mountain Journeys was developed so that we could bring you into some of our favourite mountain destinations.  Let us share with you how we love to hike, climb, ski and explore some of the most magical places on the planet with style.   

 

While most trips are guided by Cece, all guides at AMJ are certified by the ACMG / AMGA or other IFMGA country.  

 

 

"By the end of the trip, the once-shy girls bounded down the snow, unsure steps replaced with balanced stances reminiscent of gun-slinging cowboys and surrounded by gales of laughter. By the end, I not only summited a mountain, but found a reservoir of confidence and strength I didn’t know I had. And, perhaps most importantly, I found a mentor whose presence would continue to be a guide both on and off the mountain."
 
Clair Giordano - Girls On Ice Participant

Cecelia Mortenson

IFMGA / ACMG Mountain Guide

 

CAA Level 2 Avalanche Certification

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MA Geography / Bs Environmental Science

 

Cecelia has been climbing mountains for 20 years and guiding for the past 15. She guides in Canada, Antarctica, Alaska, Europe, South America and in the Cascades - which is the range where she learned to climb.

 

Cece has guided or climbed on six continents, including Antarctica, where she was the lead field mountaineer for the US Antarctic Program. Over the years, Cece has guided expeditions to Aconcagua, Denali, multi-summit tours to Bolivia, classic tours in the European Alps, traverses of the Northern Patagonia ice-cap, climbs of the volcanoes of Mexico and led numerous climbs up Rainier, Baker and other more technical peaks of the Cascades.

 

She is currently one of twenty women in North America with her full Mountain Guide certification and is now a certified IFMGA guide. Cece lives the life of a migratory bird: passing spring in Alaska or the deserts of the SW, summer in Squamish and the mountains of Canada and the Cascades, fall is the season for travel to Europe or Asia and winter will bring Cece back to the mountains of Canada and her home town of Revelstoke where she works as a ski guide.

 

In her free time, Cece loves to search out perfect crack climbing in Squamish or Zion, explore and appreciate wild nature in all it's glory, or seek out fabulous powder skiing in the Columbia Mountains of Canada. In those rare moments when it's time to rest and take a break from the mountains, Cece enjoys cultural travel, yoga, a good book and hanging with friends from around the world. When journeying into the mountains with Cecelia, you will immediately sense her passion for climbing, guiding and ultimately, for inspiring others to live life to its fullest.

 Media, Trip Reports and Publicity

 

  • 2019-20: Field Mountaineer for the Thwaites & Dottson Research as part of the ITGC Thwaites Glacier Research.  

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  • Blog written by former student Claire Giordano - who is now a professional artist and climber.  

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  • Research at Blood Falls, in the Dry Valley's of Antarctica with Dr. Erin Pettit and field team.  

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  • 2012 - Ski Mountaineering in the remote Whakan Corridor, Afganistan

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  • 2011 - 2nd author to Publication on Adversarial Science: Conflict Resolution and Scientific Review in BC's Central Coast, by Dr. Alex Clapp.  Based on Ma Thesis.

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  • Traverse of the Northern Patagonia Ice Cap in Chile 2011.

  • Historic Boat trip down the Colorado River of the Grand Canyon

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2005 - Senior Project: Effectiveness of using GIS mapping to assess Grizzly Bear Habitat in the Central Coast.

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2001 - Attempted climb of Makalu's challenging SW Buttress.  Dispatches from KT News.  

"By the end of the trip, the once-shy girls bounded down the snow, unsure steps replaced with balanced stances reminiscent of gun-slinging cowboys and surrounded by gales of laughter. By the end, I not only summited a mountain, but found a reservoir of confidence and strength I didn’t know I had. And, perhaps most importantly, I found a mentor whose presence would continue to be a guide both on and off the mountain."
 
Clair Giordano - Girls On Ice Participant

Cecelia Mortenson

IFMGA / ACMG Mountain Guide

 

CAA Level 2 Avalanche Certification

​

MA Geography / Bs Environmental Science

 

Cecelia has been climbing mountains for 20 years and guiding for the past 15. She guides in Canada, Antarctica, Alaska, Europe, South America and in the Cascades - which is the range where she learned to climb.

 

Cece has guided or climbed on six continents, including Antarctica, where she was the lead field mountaineer for the US Antarctic Program. Over the years, Cece has guided expeditions to Aconcagua, Denali, multi-summit tours to Bolivia, classic tours in the European Alps, traverses of the Northern Patagonia ice-cap, climbs of the volcanoes of Mexico and led numerous climbs up Rainier, Baker and other more technical peaks of the Cascades.

 

She is currently one of twenty women in North America with her full Mountain Guide certification and is now a certified IFMGA guide. Cece lives the life of a migratory bird: passing spring in Alaska or the deserts of the SW, summer in Squamish and the mountains of Canada and the Cascades, fall is the season for travel to Europe or Asia and winter will bring Cece back to the mountains of Canada and her home town of Revelstoke where she works as a ski guide.

 

In her free time, Cece loves to search out perfect crack climbing in Squamish or Zion, explore and appreciate wild nature in all it's glory, or seek out fabulous powder skiing in the Columbia Mountains of Canada. In those rare moments when it's time to rest and take a break from the mountains, Cece enjoys cultural travel, yoga, a good book and hanging with friends from around the world. When journeying into the mountains with Cecelia, you will immediately sense her passion for climbing, guiding and ultimately, for inspiring others to live life to its fullest.

 Media, Trip Reports and Publicity

 

  • 2019-20: Field Mountaineer for the Thwaites & Dottson Research as part of the ITGC Thwaites Glacier Research.  

​

  • Blog written by former student Claire Giordano - who is now a professional artist and climber.  

​

  • 2018 - Getting Girls on Ice so They Can Change the World: What Happens when Glaciologists Take Teens to the Mountains of BC?

  • ​

  • Research at Blood Falls, in the Dry Valley's of Antarctica with Dr. Erin Pettit and field team.  

​

  • 2012 - Ski Mountaineering in the remote Whakan Corridor, Afganistan

​

  • 2011 - 2nd author to Publication on Adversarial Science: Conflict Resolution and Scientific Review in BC's Central Coast, by Dr. Alex Clapp.  Based on Ma Thesis.

​

  • Traverse of the Northern Patagonia Ice Cap in Chile 2011.

  • Historic Boat trip down the Colorado River of the Grand Canyon

​

2005 - Senior Project: Effectiveness of using GIS mapping to assess Grizzly Bear Habitat in the Central Coast.

​

2001 - Attempted climb of Makalu's challenging SW Buttress.  Dispatches from KT News.  

"By the end of the trip, the once-shy girls bounded down the snow, unsure steps replaced with balanced stances reminiscent of gun-slinging cowboys and surrounded by gales of laughter. By the end, I not only summited a mountain, but found a reservoir of confidence and strength I didn’t know I had. And, perhaps most importantly, I found a mentor whose presence would continue to be a guide both on and off the mountain."
 
Clair Giordano - Girls On Ice Participant

Cecelia Mortenson

IFMGA / ACMG Mountain Guide

 

CAA Level 2 Avalanche Certification

​

MA Geography / Bs Environmental Science

 

Cecelia has been climbing mountains for 20 years and guiding for the past 15. She guides in Canada, Antarctica, Alaska, Europe, South America and in the Cascades - which is the range where she learned to climb.

 

Cece has guided or climbed on six continents, including Antarctica, where she was the lead field mountaineer for the US Antarctic Program. Over the years, Cece has guided expeditions to Aconcagua, Denali, multi-summit tours to Bolivia, classic tours in the European Alps, traverses of the Northern Patagonia ice-cap, climbs of the volcanoes of Mexico and led numerous climbs up Rainier, Baker and other more technical peaks of the Cascades.

 

She is currently one of twenty women in North America with her full Mountain Guide certification and is now a certified IFMGA guide. Cece lives the life of a migratory bird: passing spring in Alaska or the deserts of the SW, summer in Squamish and the mountains of Canada and the Cascades, fall is the season for travel to Europe or Asia and winter will bring Cece back to the mountains of Canada and her home town of Revelstoke where she works as a ski guide.

 

In her free time, Cece loves to search out perfect crack climbing in Squamish or Zion, explore and appreciate wild nature in all it's glory, or seek out fabulous powder skiing in the Columbia Mountains of Canada. In those rare moments when it's time to rest and take a break from the mountains, Cece enjoys cultural travel, yoga, a good book and hanging with friends from around the world. When journeying into the mountains with Cecelia, you will immediately sense her passion for climbing, guiding and ultimately, for inspiring others to live life to its fullest.

 Media, Trip Reports and Publicity

 

  • 2019-20: Field Mountaineer for the Thwaites & Dottson Research as part of the ITGC Thwaites Glacier Research.  

​

  • Blog written by former student Claire Giordano - who is now a professional artist and climber.  

​

  • 2018 - Getting Girls on Ice so They Can Change the World: What Happens when Glaciologists Take Teens to the Mountains of BC?

  • ​

  • Research at Blood Falls, in the Dry Valley's of Antarctica with Dr. Erin Pettit and field team.  

​

  • 2012 - Ski Mountaineering in the remote Whakan Corridor, Afganistan

​

  • 2011 - 2nd author to Publication on Adversarial Science: Conflict Resolution and Scientific Review in BC's Central Coast, by Dr. Alex Clapp.  Based on Ma Thesis.

​

  • Traverse of the Northern Patagonia Ice Cap in Chile 2011.

  • Historic Boat trip down the Colorado River of the Grand Canyon

​

2005 - Senior Project: Effectiveness of using GIS mapping to assess Grizzly Bear Habitat in the Central Coast.

​

2001 - Attempted climb of Makalu's challenging SW Buttress.  Dispatches from KT News.  

"By the end, I not only summited a mountain, but found a reservoir of confidence and strength I didn’t know I had. And, perhaps most importantly, I found a mentor whose presence would continue to be a guide both on and off the mountain."
 
Clair Giordano - Girls On Ice Participant

Cecelia Mortenson
​
IFMGA / ACMG Mountain Guide
 
CAA Level 2 Avalanche Certification
​
MA Geography / Bs Environmental Science
​

 

Cecelia has been climbing mountains for 25 years and guiding for the past 20. She guides in Canada, Antarctica, Alaska, Europe, South America and in the Cascades - which is the range where she first fell in love with the mountains.

 

Cece has guided or climbed on six continents, including Antarctica, where she was the lead field mountaineer for the US Antarctic Program. Over the years, Cece has guided expeditions to Aconcagua, Denali, multi-summit tours to Bolivia, classic tours in the European Alps, traverses of the Northern Patagonia ice-cap, climbs of the volcanoes of Mexico and led numerous climbs up Rainier, Baker and other more technical peaks of the Cascades.  

​

In Canada, she devotes much of her winter to heli-ski guiding and ski touring the mountains of the Selkriks and Monashees.  Summer climbing and guiding brings her to the Canadian Rockies, Coast Mountains, Squamish and closer to home in Revelstoke and Glacier National Park. 

 

She is currently one of twenty women in North America with her full Mountain Guide certification and is now a certified IFMGA guide, having completed all of her exams via the Canadian ACMG. 

 

In her free time, Cece loves to search out perfect crack climbing in Squamish or Zion, explore and appreciate wild nature in all it's glory, or seek out fabulous powder skiing in the Columbia Mountains of Canada. When it's time to rest and take a break from the mountains, Cece enjoys cultural travel, yoga, a good book and hanging with friends from around the world. When journeying into the mountains with Cecelia, you will immediately sense her passion for climbing, guiding and ultimately, for inspiring others to live life to its fullest.

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Articles, Trip Reports and Publicity
 

 

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  • She Came Before Me - Written by former student Claire Giordano - who is now a professional artist and climber.  

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  • Historic Boat trip down the Grand Canyon, where I rowed a replica of my grandfather's hand made wooden Dory from the 1950's.  It was the first time a Riley boat ran Lava.

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  • 2006 - Smithsonian article on Girls on Ice: Glaciologist puts her girls on ice.  

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  • 2001 - The Fine White Line.  I joined Guy Edwards, John Kim, Lena Rowat & Vance Culbert for the final 500km of their epic 2000 km ski travers up the BC's Coast Mountains.  

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