Mentorship, Fear, and Reflection – Lessons from a Life in the Mountains
With the new year upon us and many members of the OSI Community deeply immersed in a North American winter, we’re excited to provide more opportunities to help you learn remotely.
We’re kicking things off in late January with our Winter Outdoor Leadership Series, hosted by professional mountain guide, Richard Chasse.
Dick has been guiding since 1998 and is currently the head guide at Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, in Bar Harbor, Maine. As a lifelong Mainer, Dick’s accumulated time spent in the remote areas of the world is stunning. He has a laundry list of credentials and courses to his name, which you can check out here.
But what can the experiences of a professional mountain guide teach the rest of us about getting outdoors? That’s what we’ll be exploring with Dick in our upcoming OSI Community Interview. Make sure you sign up so you don’t miss out.
FROM EPIC TO EVERYDAY
The Winter Outdoor Leadership Series is a three-part online course where Dick will translate his years of experience into digestible, actionable ideas to help take the intimidation and uncertainty out of winter trip planning. Specific topics include food planning, navigation, equipment, and mindset - all basics that make any outdoor planning experience a bit smoother.
Even though Dick regularly leads epic mountain experiences, his goal is to help break down the everyday challenges of getting outside. We caught up with Dick in late December to find out more about what a life spent teaching and guiding in the mountains has shown him to be most important for aspiring outdoor leaders.
MENTORSHIP
We ask Dick after years of guiding in amazing landscapes, what gets him excited? He says, “mentorship.” He’s recently started long-term mentorship of aspiring guides and outdoor leaders at every level of community. Building relationships is an integral part of Dick’s participant-centered guiding approach. Helping others to hone their craft also helps him constantly explore and refine his own best practices.
Mentorship is also a way of paying it forward. Dick had a mentor early in high school that sparked his love of the mountains. He was lucky enough to work with another mentor when he went off to college who continues to offer “philosophical gems” today. In addition, he is fortunate to have peers (and friends) in the guiding industry that “do their craft justice.” He believes everyone needs people who inspire them, question them, advise them.
REFLECTION
Dick Chasse is quiet and thoughtful both on the phone and in his guiding work. He is not loud, splashy, or boastful – and this comes through as one of his main strengths. To become skilled, Dick says it’s not only the amount of time spent in the field, “but also the reflection on that experience.” For Dick, it’s a process of guiding, reflecting, practicing, and refining his craft. He combines a high level of personal care with leadership, planning, and guiding. He believes we can all learn from this practice of reflection, as it is an excellent way to grow as a leader.
As a lifelong educator, Dick has learned many ingredients go into a successful day. You have to consider the “complete package,” as he puts it. It’s not just about knowing the ropes, so to speak, but also knowing what participants need in the moment. Maybe it’s something to eat, a bit of encouragement, adjusting a goal, a well-timed joke, or simply a new technique to try. What each person needs changes every day, and every day guiding in the great outdoors is new – presenting fresh challenges that Dick enjoys tackling. And when a trip is over what does he do? He goes home and reflects on what could have made it better.
FEAR
A professional mountain guide is still human. We ask Dick what he is afraid of and his answers are honest “I’m afraid of success, getting hurt, and not belonging.” In truth, we all face these fears and challenges. He believes being acquainted with, and thoughtful about your own fears helps you to better understand and empathize with the people you lead, whether it’s their first time on skis, in a kayak, or rock climbing on the side of a mountain.
In the Winter Outdoor Leadership Series, as Dick covers tips for how best to tackle common winter outdoor challenges, he also hopes to get leaders to think critically about their role in mentorship, their practices of reflection, and their awareness of the fears they and their participants’ face. To learn more about Dick’s tips, techniques, trip planning, and leadership advice, sign up for our upcoming Winter Outdoors Leadership Series. You can also tune in to learn more about Dick Chasse in our next OSI Community Interview on Thursday, January 14th.