Big wall climber, river guide, mountaineer, Nordic-alpine skier, instructor, consultant, and entrepreneur. Dale Stewart has done it all and lived to tell to the tales and share the lessons learned.

A native of Arizona, Dale grew up riding horses and hiking the backcountry. He was a talented high school athlete then discovered the new sport of rock climbing. Instantly, he was rapt by the challenge and the total effort it demanded. Climbing the crags around Phoenix became a passion and he soon began to look for longer and tougher routes throughout the state and around the Western U.S. After high school and into his early twenty?s he was so focused on climbing that he would work the winters in the high-end outdoor and mountaineering shops just so he could spend the summers climbing the big walls of Zion and Yosemite Valley. Those years spent as a serious climbing bum served as the foundation for a life long love affair with the wilderness and a legitimate career opportunity.

In 1978, Dale was asked by the Sunrise Ski Resort to devise an emergency ski lift evacuation plan. His relationship with Sunrise continues today and it was the beginning of a long string of successful consulting and training projects for government agencies, climbing clubs, guide companies, rescue teams and law enforcement. In 1987 the Phoenix Fire Department contracted with him to develop and teach a basic climbing and high angle course so firefighters could perform mountain rescues on Camelback Mountain and Squaw Peak. From that beginning, Phoenix?s Technical Rescue Team has become one of the best and busiest in the country and a prominent component of the FEMA USAR system. Dale is very proud to have played a role in their development and continues to instruct and assist them in finding equipment and techniques to effectively and safely perform their rescue work.

Dale took over management of the Arizona Hiking Shack, aka ?The Shack,? in 1989 and bought it two years later. With Dale working the floor and wife, Irene, running the office, The Shack became Arizona?s premiere outdoors boutique specializing in hiking, backpacking, climbing, mountaineering and rafting complete with a full service rental department for serious recreational enthusiasts.

He also brought his experience and knowledge to the Maricopa County Sheriff?s Office Mountain Rescue Team where he participated in many SAR missions. He also helped implement new rescue techniques learned from his many classes with Reed Thorne of Ropes That Rescue in Sedona.

Dales relationships with a number of public safety agencies and their progressive, visionary leaders, who early on recognized the need to make an investment in technical rescue, made him a natural source for other departments and agencies around the country that wanted to do the same but needed advice on equipment and training. As more groups got into the rescue business, the demands required to meet their needs grew exponentially. In 2002, the Stewarts created AHS RESCUE, LLC and a dedicated staff to deliver the customer service that the municipal fire and police departments, park service, SAR Teams, military and commercial/industrial companies deserve.

Dale and Irene live in Phoenix on the edge of the Mountain Preserve with their two children. After all these years, he still loves to get out and teach or climb or run the white water but most days he can be found in the field with our customers, manufacturers or training partners working on new techniques and testing equipment. He is committed to making AHS RESCUE.com the source for professionals to get the most up-to-date information and the best equipment available for the job. His contributions to the safety and rescue business have not gone unnoticed by those that he has served. His office is covered with plaques, certificates and pictures and patches from the groups he has worked with from all over North America.

If you need equipment and training that lives depend on, whether you are a Fire Fighter, Park Ranger or high-rise Window Washer, Dale Stewart is a guy you need to get to know.