About Us!

In September of 2006 a large group of women, many of them Squamish guides and friends of Aidan Oloman got together to discuss options for the Aidan Oloman Memorial Fund. Aidan was a Squamish resident, the third female ACMG full rock guide in Canada, an advocate for empowering women to pursue their dreams and an inspiration to many. In her spirit we came up with the idea of a week long outdoor adventure program for Squamish teen women, focusing on rock climbing, art, backcountry hiking and a night with the Squamish First Nations.

Squamish Girls Rock! provides the friends and colleagues of Aidan the opportunity to carry on her spirit while working with the youth of Squamish and building community. The program is completely volunteer run, including instruction by certified rock climbing guides and experienced outdoor educators. The numerous contributors to the Aidan Oloman Memorial Fund have made the program possible along with the Vancouver Foundation and the Adventure Studies Department of Thompson Rivers. Having this support has made it possible to deliver the program to participants at a nominal cost. Bursaries are also available for those for whom cost may still be a barrier.

To learn more about Aidan visit www.aidanoloman.com.

PROGRAM DIRECTORS

Sean Easton
Sean Easton is a full Alpine guide with the ACMG and has been the first person to climb many mountains around the world from Alaska to South America, although his home is in Squamish, BC. Sean loves to climb for the challenge, the sense of adventure, to experience the magnificence of nature and to share good times with good people. For Sean guiding allows him to introduce people to the wonder of journeying to amazing places they may not have ventured on their own. He is excited to be sharing his skills with the youth of Squamish and sharing adventures in their own backyard.

Rowan Oloman

Rowan has been working with youth in experiential education programs for over 8 years. Certified as an SKGABC Level II Sea Kayak Guide and a Top Rope Instructor with the ACMG, Rowan's guiding adventures have taken her to all parts of the world but she is happy to call Squamish home. When Rowan is not guiding she spends her time as a writer and researcher for green technologies and has a masters' degree in environmental management.

Being Aidan's sister means that Squamish Girls Rock has a special place in Rowan's heart. As such, Rowan fully enjoys sharing her time with the young women of Squamish and looks forward to the adventures ahead.

INSTRUCTOR PROFILES

Katherine Fraser

Katy Holm

Katy Holm brings a broad range of experience and passion for the outdoors. Katy has been instructing and guiding for 13 years. She is an ACMG assistant rock guide, a SKGABC certified lead kayaking guide, and has worked extensively with youth outdoor education programs teaching and guiding a wide variety of wilderness travel skills. She is also a professional teacher and a biologist with years of experience in wildlife and conservation biology. Katy’s enthusiasm for the outdoors has led her on many adventures, including climbing first ascents of peaks in the SE Himalaya, climbing first ascents of big walls in Greenland, weathering blizzards in the Patagonian Andes while attempting climbs, climbing the highest mountain in BC, and kayaking the entire West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Leigh Joseph

I have worked with youth in outdoor education for 10 years. I began working at a YMCA camp on Vancouver Island and then went on to attend Thompson Rivers University in the Adventure Travel Guide program. I have worked in Switzerland coordinating an outdoor adventure program for an international school, and I have worked for Outward Bound leading hiking, sea kayaking, introduction to mountaineering and rock climbing courses.
I am a member of the Squamish Nation and I have worked with youth programs for First Nations as well. I love spending time outdoors and especially around the Squamish area. The natural beauty and the family I have there makes it a very special place.

Lydia Marmont
Lydia is a part time Squamish resident, with hiking and climbing guiding work keeping her occupied all over BC. She has worked with a wide range of people in the outdoors over the past five years and particularly enjoys being able to share her experience and love for the mountains and the adventures they offer, especially with youth. Lydia is a certified assistant rock guide and hiking guide and is working her way towards becoming an internationally certified mountain guide. She is looking forward to teaching and learning from the special young Squamish women in this program.