Home > About
MAS

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Aaron & Kimi Johnson
Owners & Guides |
Mountain Adventure Seminars (MAS) is a year-round
mountaineering school and guide service based in Bear Valley, California. MAS is owned and operated
by Aaron & Kimi Johnson and is a reflection of their love
for the outdoors and enthusiasm for playing, sharing and educating
in "wild places". MAS has been operating since
1996 and is excited to be celebrating 15 years of fun and service.
MAS operates a wide range of programs in Northern
California. Rock climbing is the emphasis during the summer.
Winter storms signal the beginning of our telemark ski school,
avalanche education, and backcountry ski/snowboard and snowshoe
adventures. When the days start to get longer again, we begin
mountaineering programs which last from early spring to mid-summer
at which time the rock climbing programs are already in full
swing. Its a busy lifestyle with many changes, but somebody
has got to do it. We hope to see you out there.
- To provide exceptional mountaineering instruction
and finely crafted adventures which offer an opportunity for
retreat and renewal.
- To create a community where relationships
are based on integrity, cooperation and trust; where work is
sustainable, meaningful and rewarding and personal growth is
encouraged through learning and communication.
- To nurture an
appreciation for wild places and develop a sense of stewardship
for our surroundings.
- To lead by example.
MAS is committed to providing the highest level customer satisfaction. Through
training, certification, reviews and strict hiring guidelines,
MAS is able to offer a high level of professionalism on both the technical and educational levels. MAS prides itself in consistently exceeding
expectations and is proud to have a high rate of returning
customers.

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MAS is Accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) which is a voluntary means of quality assurance and peer evaluation focusing on international standards for guided climbing, mountaineering and skiing. Accreditation informs the general public and land managers that a program utilizes guides who are certified and that all guides in the program have received formal training appropriate to the terrain they guide. |
| All MAS guides and instructors
are Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certified by the Wilderness
Medicine Institute (WMI). This
intensive course includes 80 hours of "real-life"
scenarios, lectures and tests. WFR is that minimum
medical certification for MAS guides. |
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MAS avalanche programs
use the material and standards set by AIARE (American
Institute of Avalanche Research and Education). AIARE has
become the industry leader in avalanche education and is
recognized internationally. |
All MAS telemark instructors are certified
by the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA).
The PSIA is the leader in developing skills-based, student
centered ski instruction and is recognized internationally. In
addition MAS requires all telemark ski school staff to
attend and participate in regular trainings at the
ski resort and in backcountry.
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