Born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1965 and raised in the little town of Stalden outside of Zermatt, Martin did not realize at the time the imprint the extremely rugged landscape of the Swiss Alps would leave on him. In his early adult years, he was fascinated with the concept of Wilderness, which is mostly a thing of the past in Central Europe. His early travels eventually brought him to the US and the Outdoor Leadership School of NOLS.
After having saved the necessary funds with window washing and gutter cleaning, Martin enrolled in a NOLS semester in 1991 where it became clear that some sort of Outdoor Profession would be in his future. Extended stints in the remote landscapes of Wyoming, Utah, and South Dakota made a strong impression and he enrolled in the Mountain Instructor Course the next year. Realizing that feeding a family on a NOLS salary was more of a romantic notion than a reality, the idea of becoming a Swiss Mountain Guide seemed like an obvious option.
Martin was married to a hottie named Gina during this time and they had a daughter. Money was snug, so he opened up a small ski shop (also in 1991) in a funky part of Seattle. The store was closed during the off season, so they spent summers in Switzerland, where in 1993 he enrolled in Swiss Mountain Guiding Courses. The very technical and physical courses were a rude awakening and training was on big time to make it all happen.
Martin received his IFMGA certification in 1996 and has been roaming the hills ever since. He is still enthralled by true wilderness, but will always be a Swiss boy, which may be the reason why he ultimately ended up calling the North Cascades his home range. Martin lives in North Bend, WA, where he owns a guiding service and shop, has authored several backcountry skiing books, and pioneered ski tours and descents. He is still married to the same hottie and is the father of the two teenagers Andrea and Christina.
Loading ...Declaration of Mountain Travel: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
I have been in the guiding business for just about 20 years now. I would be lying if I said that I became a mountain guide to interact with a large diversity of people. I simply wanted to go to the mountains and needed some [...]
Loading ...This glimpse into the rigors guides go through to become certified by the AMGA makes it incredibly apparent how skilled and talented they are. Martin Volken – IFMGA guide, instructor/examiner for the AMGA ski mountaineering program, and owner of ProGuiding Service based in North Bend, WA – shot this video during a recent AMGA Alpine Exam in the North Cascades.
Loading ...When the mountains close one door of adventure, they open another for an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend …
