Episode Intro:

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast,

Happy Wednesday, and Happy Lunar New Year of the Snake! This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today, we have Izzy Lazarus as our guest. I’ve known Izzy for a while, but it wasn’t until last fall that I finally got to meet her in person when she came to Red Rock for her AMGA Rock Guide Exam. I knew I had to have her on the show.

Izzy grew up in NYC, playing hockey, skateboarding, and finding a connection with the ocean. Her mountain pursuits began with a pre-orientation backpacking trip in the thick Vermont woods, and she’s been hooked ever since. Courses in rock and ice climbing and outdoor leadership led her to work at the Colorado Outward Bound School after college. Izzy spent several years working multi-week climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, and backcountry skiing courses, both domestically and abroad. In 2017, she moved to the Tetons to work as an alpine and backcountry ski guide. Between Teton seasons, she traveled and worked in the Southwest desert region and various peaks in the Northwest and Cascades.

Several years later, life took her back to Vermont to work for the UVM Outdoor Programs Dept and guide on the side. Izzy has a passion for adventure that is only surpassed by her love of education, teaching, building connections with people from around the world, and cooking!

Izzy is a Certified Rock Guide, Assistant Splitboard Guide, and Apprentice Alpine Guide.

We talked about Izzy’s different transitions in life, from a big city to the great outdoors, from seasonal guiding to a full-time job. We discussed what ignited these transitions, how she managed the changes, and what she learned from her experiences. Izzy always seems to have a positive outlook on life and genuinely cares about the people around her, wanting to learn from them. Izzy’s energy and positive attitude towards life are truly radiant. I had so much fun chatting with her, and I bet you’ll enjoy our conversation too.

Izzy’s Links:

Izzy’s profile on AMGA website Setting the Track

Things We Talked about:

From a big city to the mountains The power of metaphors What guiding is about for Izzy Izzy’s first mountain experience From 13 years of hockey to finding identity in the outdoors The UVM outdoor programs West versus East for example Tetons versus Vermont Outward Bound years Nudged and mentored by other amazing female guides in the Teton Valley Female representation in the guiding / climbing community Seasonal guiding versus a full time job Sustainability Information gathering Izzy loves planning but also loves spontaneity Burn outs? Next phase? Best guide tool