Some of my best days have been climbing with Peter. He has been my climbing guide since 2004 and we've had many outstanding adventures on both rock & ice. I would never have achieved the level of climbing I have without his skills, patience, and passion. Other words that come to mind when climbing with Peter are safety and confidence. He is a consummate guide and I look forward to climbing with Peter for another decade or more.
Christopher “Kit” Kuntze
I met Peter amongst the frozen waterfalls near North Conway, NH in January 2009. In the years that have since passed, I’ve been lucky enough to climb with him countless times all across these United States. As a husband, father, and adventurer, pushing my limits and growing my skill base are as equally important as mitigating risks and returning home safe to my family. Peter provides a professional yet personable atmosphere that always meets and often exceeds my own goals.
Jeff Bergstedt
Peter is committed to being the best guide he can be, and it shows in his dedication to his client's well-being. From planning, through execution, to post trip celebration, Peter provides expertise, guidance and friendship. His safety and technical skills allowed me to pursue and attain goals I would not have considered possible. From Alpine to ice or rock or anywhere in between , Peter is the best!
Jim Wismer
Climbing is an activity that, for me, evokes strong emotion: anticipation, awe, fear, awe, joy, gratefulness, awe, more fear, and relief. Each of my adventures with Peter has been full of these and many more emotions. As we have worked our way up and through various ranges, peaks, crags, and ice flows, there is always a myriad of emotional territory that we work through as well. Through it all, Peter remains stoked for the big picture, yet profoundly focused on the minutia of the task at hand. He is also really, really calm and collected. He takes what he is given and gently “works the climb” to maximize opportunities for success and growth. In many ways, climbing is full of intense metaphors for life. At the end of each adventure, I leave profoundly grateful for the experience, humbled by the mountains, encouraged by Peter’s friendship and expertise, and desperately craving more. From the moment an adventure with Peter ends, my mind is already reeling with possibilities for our next excursion.
Peter has a unique ability to take you to the edge of your comfort level, challenge it, and push it further than you thought possible. I think this is one of my favorite things about climbing with Peter – the growth that occurs when I leave my comfort zone. I am challenged mentally, physically, and emotionally with each and every adventure. It is these moments that make me feel truly alive in a wonderful way. Climbing with Peter not only makes me a better climber, it makes me a better and richer person.
“Aren’t you afraid of falling?” I live at the mouth of the Mississippi Delta, a very flat land, and this is often the question that I hear from friends when describing my climbing adventures with Peter. Peter’s commitment to safety is paramount. Knots are checked and re-checked, protection is bomber, and anchors are redundant. His movements are symphonic. I have not only entrusted Peter with my own life, but last summer I had the great pleasure of bringing my 10 year-old son climbing with Peter. He is now hooked! (He made a series of prusik knots with an auxiliary cord last night… He will tie a figure of eight with a follow through in anything that he can…) The answer to the question is, “yes,” I AM afraid of falling, but not for the reasons they might think.
“Why don’t we stop and re-assess after three more pitches.” Those words are what started it all for me. I had just told Peter that I was stoked to be as high as I was on the Grand Teton (my first alpine climb), and that I wasn’t “feeling it” – I was worked! Long story short, six or seven (or eight or nine or ten) pitches later, we were standing on top of the Grand. This is the type of subtlety, skill, and wisdom that Peter embodies. He knew (somehow) that I would be able to make it to the top. Keeping me focused on each step, each breath, each move, each pitch of climbing, he sublimely taught me that each moment matters. Peter is patient, direct, conscientious, and, above all, kind. His skills are superb, and his commitment to safety is paramount. I have been a psychologist for 14 years, and this was, perhaps, one of the greatest interventions that I have ever been a part of.
The trust that I have for Peter is indescribable, and it is something that I have felt since I first met him. His wisdom in the alpine – his “mountain sense” – is inspiring. Peter has both tangible and intangible gifts that create an atmosphere of trust and hopefulness. He works me through my weaknesses, builds on my strengths, and always adds to my “life rack” with each adventure.
Bufkin Moore
"Most impressive to me was Majka’s amazing ability to both encourage and push a person to climb at their highest potential, a combination of skills she seemed to weave effortlessly as she would teach fundamentals and help work through emotional blocks throughout both days. In my work, I’m a clinical psychologist and consultant, and I was frequently impressed during our time at how naturally Majka is able to facilitate and encourage personal performance with a mix of support and guidance."
Andy Keller, 2 days rock climbing in Colorado
Thanks again for making my first Ice Climbing experience a phenomenal one. You were an awesome guide to us and I am inspired to come back again this year.
Bishal Mainali, Introduction to Ice Climbing in New Hampshire
As I return to my desk job in Ohio, just this quick note to tell you again how much I enjoyed climbing Hallet’s with you last Monday. I was pretty awestruck by the mountain, and by your obvious expertise! I would surely enjoy climbing with you again and will take your suggestion to ask for you next time I’m climbing in Colorado – which I hope will be next summer, if not before. Thanks so much, wish I were still in RMNP!
Jane Perry, alpine rock climbing in Rocky Mountain Nation Park