Brian Rajdl

Professional  Resume

 

906.483.4032

brianrajdl@gmail.com

www.linkedin.com/in/brian-rajdl-05622225a

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Certifications & Affiliations

 

• Apprentice Alpine Guide  (AMGA)                      

• Apprentice Rock Guide (AMGA)

• Certified SPI  (AMGA)                         

• Certified CWI (AMGA) Provider

• Superior High Angle Rescue Professionals team member

• Certified level III Sea Kayak Guide (American Canoe Assoc.)

• Wilderness First Responder (WMA)

• AIARE  Level II  

• Middle School / High School Teaching Certificate (Michigan)

• Member United States Deep Caving Team

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Experience

 

Michigan Ice Fest – Lead Guide

Sept 2015 - PRESENT, Marquette MI

Guiding day and multi-day trips of single pitch ice and single and multi-pitch rock climbs throughout the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Conduct training for MIF guides.  Organized and developed curriculum for week-long youth climbing camps for National Forest Service and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.  Teach adaptive climbing for amputees, learning disabled, blind, deaf,  and plus size climbers.  Teach clinics at Michigan Ice Fest ice climbing festival and Nipigon Ice Fest.

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ProGuiding Service - Guide

June 2024 - PRESENT, North Bend WA

Guiding day and multi-day trips in Alpine terrain, including Baker,  Glacier Peak, Boston Basin.  Guiding day trips in single and multi-pitch rock terrain including Index, Vantage, Liberty Bell Group.   Teaching multi day youth rock climbing programs.  

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Kaf Adventures - Guide

June 2024 - PRESENT, Seattle WA

Guiding day and multi-day trips in Alpine Terrain including Mt. Baker, Rainier, Hood, Boston Basin.  Single and multi day, single and multi pitch rock including Index, Vantage, Liberty Bell Group.   Taught in the mentorship program teaching  multi pitch trad techniques.  

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Public Schools of Calumet, Laurium and Keweenaw – Director

Sept 2013 - PRESENT,  Calumet,  MI

Direct operations of the Keweenaw Family Discovery Center, an alternative education center for 300 school students and 15 instructors and staff.  Lead instructor of the school’s climbing program with 65 students, climbing 3 days a week for the duration of the school year, both indoor, and outdoor rock and ice. Supervise two SPI co-instructors. 

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Superior High Angle Rescue Professionals – Team Member

January 2019 - PRESENT, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising MI

Work in conjunction with National Park Service rangers conducting high angle rescue operations for summer and winter incidents involving tourists and ice climbers.  

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Sistema Chevé Expedition – Expedition member

April  2023 - PRESENT  Sierra Juárez Mountains, Oaxaca, Mexico

US Deep Caving Team  member for multi-nation deep cave exploration in Sistema Cheve, an alpine cave with the deepest depth potential in the world.   Vertical ropework, extended multi-day underground exploration,  survey, and expedition  logistics. 

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Dragon’s Breath Cave Expedition – Field Assistant

August 2019 Dragon’s Breath and Harasib Caves, Tsumeb Region, Namibia

Cave access and on-rope photography assistant on a National Geographic Society-sponsored expedition to use an autonomous underwater robot to explore and map the world’s largest underground lake.   

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Keweenaw Adventure Company / Sea Kayak Guide

June 2013 - PRESENT,  Copper Harbor MI

Guide full-day and multi-day sea kayak and camping excursions on lake Superior and Isle Royale National Park. Responsible for natural history interpretation, menu planning and food preparation, and coordinating National Park staff and research scientists.

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Michigan Technological University / Ecology Instructor

June 1999- Sept 2005, Houghton MI

Taught 3-credit graduate-level ecology curriculum in Isle Royale National Park in week-long backpacking, canoeing, and sea kayaking trips for certified working teachers and graduate students.

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Earthwatch /  Trip leader

August 1999 - September 2005 Isle Royale National Park, MI

Trip leader for 10-person, 10-day, off-trail, backcountry research trips to locate specimens and collect data for the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Study.

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Environmental Adventure Company / Lead Lake Superior Guide

August 1999 - September 2006 Isle Royale National Park, MI

Trip leader for an Ecotourism company running 6 day Isle Royale trips for the National Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon Society, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the International Wolf Center.

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Elderhostel  (now Road Scholar) / Isle Royale Guide

June 1998 - August 2004, Isle Royale National Park, MI

Lead guide for lodge-based ecotourism trips for the very active elderly.  Trips included, canoeing and hiking.  

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Hancock Public Schools / Science Teacher

Sept. 2002 - May 2013,  Hancock,  MI

High School environmental studies, science, and math  teacher.