Nicholas "Nickel" Wood — I'm an AMGA Certified Multi-Pitch Instructor and
professional climbing guide with nearly two decades of experience leading clients through rock, ice, and high-altitude terrain across mountain ranges from the Arctic to the Antarctic. As the founder of Five Cent Fitness (@five.cent.fitness), and a certified StrongFirst Kettlebell Instructor (SFG1), RYT500 Yoga Teacher, and strength coach, I work to bridge the gap between elite alpine performance and everyday fitness, coaching clients to build the strength, endurance, and mental resilience needed to pursue their biggest mountain objectives. Follow my adventures on Instagram at @biffswitters.

I've stood on the summit of Denali six times across eight trips — with a ninth expedition on the horizon. My record on Aconcagua spans ten trips with seven guided summits, while Kilimanjaro holds a perfect seven-for-seven streak. In Antarctica, I’ve guided three ascents of Vinson Massif— completing all three — and added a ranger patrol and a summit of Mt. Shinn for good measure. Closer to home, I’ve accumulated roughly 100 summits on Mt. Rainier, more than 20 on the Grand Teton, and over 30 on Mt. Washington. Add to that more than 200 field days as a Wilderness Therapy guide —

some of my most formative time in the mountains — and you start to get a picture of an education that no classroom could have provided. The school of hard knocks has been my most important alma mater.

“It’s hard telling, not knowing”_ — a phrase passed down from my early mentor and Alaska guide Sean Gaffney during my first years guiding in Skagway and Haines — captures something essential about how I approach both the mountains and the people I coach. At the intersection of mountaineering, fitness, and adventure, my perspective has been forged at altitude and refined in the gym. My mission is to help people move better, go farther, and stand on summits they once only dreamed of.