About Us
SSCW was founded in 1993 by Doug and Emily Coombs. Doug was a 2-time World Extreme Skiing Champion and pioneer of steep adventure skiing both in the Chugach Range of Alaska and in the European Alps. Doug’s incredible energy and passion for steep skiing remains the inspiration behind the Camps.
Miles and Liz Smart worked along side Doug for many years and were Doug’s chosen successors for the Camps. We continue the camps with the same vision Doug had when we worked along side him. Our approach to the camps is to ski as much adventurous steep terrain as possible while educating you about the big mountain environment and steep skiing technique.
Here is a bit more about us from an article in Backcountry Magazine: https://backcountrymagazine.com/stories/mr-mrs-smart/
Miles Smart
UIAGM/IFMGA Guide
Miles is an AMGA Certified Rock, Alpine and Ski Guide and works as an instructor for the AMGA guide training and certification program. He is the 2004 recipient of the AMGA Guide of the Year award. Over the past ten years Miles has guided full time around the globe working equally with climbing, mountaineering and skiing. Miles has brought many clients from beginner to expert, and has guided many professional film projects. Outside of Miles' professional guiding career his accomplishments include numerous speed climbing ascents and ski mountaineering descents. His climbing exploits include climbing on the Trango Towers in Pakistan, winter ascents in Chamonix and speed records on El Capitan and Half Dome. One such speed record, the North America Wall on El Capitan, took just over 9 and 1/2 hours. He has climbed El Capitan in Yosemite 22 times via 16 different routes. He established one of the most difficult routes on El Capitan, Disorderly Conduct. His skiing exploits include lines such as the Gervasutti Couloir and the North Face of the Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix, and 2 different lines on the Grand Teton in Wyoming.
Liz Oakes Smart
UIAGM/IFMGA Guide
Liz grew up in Aspen, Colorado and has since traveled the world for climbing and skiing spending time in places such as the European Alps, the Tetons, the Himalaya and Alaska. She has made many ski mountaineering descents including the West Face of the Eiger in Switzerland, the Glacier Rond and the Couloir du Cosmiques in Chamonix; the Pan de Rideau and the Polichinele in La Grave, France; the Fuhrer Finger on Mt. Rainier; and various descents in Alaska's Chugach range. Liz has also skied from 7,200 meters on Shishapangma in Tibet. She has been featured in various magazine articles. Along with her skiing accomplishments, Liz has done long free climbs in Yosemite and Squamish, British Columbia and has completed a one-day ascent of the Cathedral Traverse in the Tetons. She has also taken expeditions to the Himalaya including an ascent of Ama Dablam in Nepal and an attempt of Jupono in Sikkim, India. Liz is the 8th woman to become a fully certified IFGMA mountain guide through the AMGA.