Alumni Who Live By The Code: Will Gordon

Will Gordon - Warrior Spirit

At Falling Creek the FCC Code shapes our daily actions, as we strive to consistently live with Warrior Spirit, Servant’s Heart, Positive Attitude, and Moral Compass. The Code is a set of enduring traditional values that provides the framework for everything at camp, but its importance goes far beyond the summer months. In this blog series, we’ll highlight some of the amazing Falling Creek alumni who continue to “Live by the Code,” modeling these values in their daily lives.

In addition to discussing the camp history of these alumni, we’ll also share what they’ve been up to since being camp counselors. They give valuable advice for current counselors wanting to join their same career fields, and describe the impact that Falling Creek had on their personal and professional careers.

Next in this blog series, we’ll highlight Will Gordon, an AMGA Certified Rock & Alpine Guide, and Assistant Ski Guide across the United States and Canada. Will models Warrior Spirit when guiding expeditions: he perseveres through difficult conditions, uses courage to tackle challenging routes, and strengthens his mind, body, and spirit to reach the summits safely.

Will was a camper for 12 summers, from 1993-1996 and 1998-2005. He was then a counselor in 2008-2010, and joined a climbing expedition in Idaho and Utah during the 2016 summer.

Those who embrace the Warrior Spirit part of the Code live with courage, always do their best, persevere, and have a strong body, mind, and spirit - all things that are true of Will! But how does he practice these values, and how did he get to be in the role that he holds today?

Will, what made you want to work as a counselor at Falling Creek? What made you return for multiple summers?

I initially came to camp to work on the paddling staff but switched to rock climbing during my first summer and remained there for subsequent seasons. I came back to lead the climbing staff training during 2011 and joined a climbing expedition in Idaho/Utah in 2016, but didn’t work at camp for the normal sessions during those years. As a camper, the counselors (especially those from the climbing and paddling programs) were my heroes and I always wanted to do what they did. I found leading climbing trips to be really rewarding, but at the end of the day the thing that kept me coming back was just how much fun it was.

What have you been doing since working at camp?

I have been guiding rock and alpine climbing since 2012 throughout the US and Canada. I have had the opportunity to guide in a lot of really cool places, such as Red Rocks, the North Cascades, Bugaboos, and the Alaska Range. I currently “live” in Breckenridge, CO and work as an avalanche technician during the winter, but I end up traveling seasonally for guide work and am gone for most of the summer and fall.

What’s the hardest part about Alpine Guiding? What about the most rewarding part?

Perhaps the lack of stability and time away from home is the most challenging part. The best parts are the amazing places I get to go to and share with people. I have worked with some of the same guests for many years and it has been awesome watching them develop as climbers.

Did your experience at FCC influence your professional career in any way?

Working at camp undoubtedly had a huge impact on my life trajectory and reinforced my desire to work with people in the outdoors. The communication, teaching, and risk management skills from leading trips in North Carolina became the foundation of my career. These days I don’t spend a ton of time teaching introductory rock climbing, but I still do on occasion, and the technical skills are in many ways the exact same things that I was doing 12+ years ago with campers.

Do you still keep in touch with any FCC friends/counselors?

There are a handful of friends I worked with that I keep in touch with and run into every now and then. I had a fantastic ski with Ben Williams in Alta a couple winters ago. Seth Pettit (climbing staff ’09 and owner of Mojave Guides) just passed through here a few days ago on his way back towards Joshua Tree for the fall season.

What advice would you give to current camp counselors who are looking for careers after the summer? Or, what might you recommend to someone interested in going into your same career field?

I have known quite a few guides with similar career trajectories as myself, cutting their teeth at summer camps or other outdoor education programs (NOLS, Outward Bound, etc.), so I think that Falling Creek is a really good place to start. In the past 10-15 years, the guide certification process has exploded in the US and some degree of training is essentially becoming a prerequisite to getting a job with a guide service. I think it would be very hard to find a job without a SPI certification or completing a rock guide course. The overall process is expensive, rigorous, time consuming, and expensive. I do feel like the training process has allowed me to be safer, more efficient, and deliver a better product to my guests. Did I mention it is expensive? Guiding can be an incredibly rewarding and fun way to make a living, but even after getting established in the industry my finances can be tight…it is certainly not a place to get rich.

My first recommendation to aspiring guides has been to get a bare minimum level of training to work some so that they can decide if they like the job before jumping all the way into the certification process. My second recommendation is to climb (and/or ski) a lot and maintain a passion for doing those things in the mountains. I do this stuff because I love it and it is fun…and I strive to keep it that way.

Do you know a member of the Falling Creek community who “Lives by the Code”? Nominate them so we can feature their stories and advice! Email with your suggestions.