Instructor Bio

(970) 275-2745

Billy Rankin has been an outdoor professional since 1992 when he arrived in Crested Butte with his focus on guiding and education. He began with Outward Bound in 1994 and has lead mountaineering, river, sea kayaking, and canyon courses in Colorado, Utah, Mexico, and Alaska. Billy was a forecaster for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center for 10 years. He worked for 10-years on the Crested Butte Professional Ski Patrol and previously worked as a Snowcat ski guide for Irwin Lodge. He is a certified Pro 1 Avalanche Practitioner, a certified A3 & AIARE Avalanche Instructor and teaches avalanche courses for Irwin Guides and AIARE. Billy is a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician and teaches wilderness medicine for Desert Mountain Medicine. During the off seasons Billy may be found playing in the Elk Mountains with his wife and two kids Revi & Vasey, boating through the Grand Canyon, or wandering the slickrock desert.