Join us on Google Meet for the 2026 PMC Mountain Fitness Spring Speaker Series, where top experts share their knowledge on training smarter, climbing stronger, and performing better. Whether you’re a weekend hiker, backcountry skier, rock climber, or preparing for a major mountain expedition, this series is designed for you! *Attendees will receive the Google Meet link after registering.

Title: Managing Uncertainty: The URMAP Framework and Why Every Climber Needs It!

Topic: The URMAP framework, developed by IFMGA guide Sila Rossi, is a practical decision-making tool designed to help climbers and guides manage risk in complex mountain environments. URMAP stands for Understand, Recognize, Manage, Act, and Perform, guiding users through a structured process that begins with building situational awareness, identifying objective and subjective hazards, and implementing appropriate strategies to mitigate them. It emphasizes continuous assessment and adaptability, encouraging climbers to make informed, proactive decisions before and during an ascent. Widely used in professional guiding, URMAP offers a clear, repeatable framework that enhances safety while supporting efficient movement in the mountains.

Non-Profit: The Gunks Climbers’ Coalition 

Speaker: Silas is an IFMGA Guide and founder of Alpine Logic, a mentoring and educational program for experienced and aspiring climbers. Based in New Paltz, NY, home of the Gunks, Silas appreciates the diversity and easy access of the climbing and skiing found in the Northeast. The many cliffs and crags serve as a year round office and playground, as well as an excellent training ground for regular expeditions to bigger ranges around the world. Mountain guiding has become a way of life for Silas and allows him to share his passion for the hills and his love for teaching with hundreds of people each year. Summers find him guiding alpine peaks in the Alps, and rock climbing in the Italian Dolomites. His winters are spent in the Catskills, Adirondacks and White Mountains where he guides ice climbing and ski mountaineering, and teaches avalanche education courses. Fall and spring are a blend of destination trips ranging from Alaska to Papua. Katahdin, Maine’s highest point, and Acadia National Park, keeps Silas returning home to Maine each year. While most of his time is spent climbing, skiing or en route to one of the two, Silas does manage to find time for a few miles on his motorcycle and to listen to each and every one of his rock star wife’s latest hits.