Emilie Drinkwater

pastathletes
currentathletes

In 2001, after graduating from St. Lawrence University with a degree in Anthropology and 4 years of NCAA Nordic skiing, Emilie snagged her first rock climbing guide job in NY’s Adirondack Mountains. At the time she had few credentials and little experience but was determined to be a guide, to be outside, and to share her passion for climbing, skiing, and adventuring with others.

Today, she is the 9th American woman and 100th American Mountain Guide to be certified at the highest level of training and credential attainable by a professional mountain guide — IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations) — an achievement recognized in more than 20 member countries.

In 2019, Emilie partnered with the non-profit Ascend Athletics. Emilie was the lead guide on the historic expedition with Hanifa Yousoufi on 24,580 ft., Mount Noshaq in Afghanistan. Hanifa Yousoufi is the first female Afghan climber to summit the country’s tallest peak. 

Emilie and her husband own and operate Cloudsplitter Mountain Guides.