[Photo] Bert Severin collection
Bert Severin is an AMGA-certified climbing instructor based in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where he directs Sunrise Adventure Sports, a rock- and ice-climbing school and guide service. Bert is also the senior instructor at the Army’s Mountain Warfare School, where he teaches mountaineering techniques to every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as some foreign militaries. He has spent a good part of the past 17 years climbing, skiing and adventure racing all over the world. Notable timed events include four Vermont 50 endurance runs, various 36-hour adventure races and the Ukatak, a 300-mile winter expedition contest in Quebec. Bert enjoys climbing everything from easy fifth class in the Colorado sun to Grade IV epics in Vermont’s deep winter. He spends close to 100 days a year guiding ice or alpine climbing and spends the rest of the year rock climbing, technical rescue training and waiting for winter.