Sean Isaac is a fully certified Alpine Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. He has been ice climbing for 30 years and instructing ice for the past 20 years. During that time, he has taught more than a thousand people the art of moving safely over frozen waterfalls. Based in Canmore, Alberta in the Canadian Rockies, Sean was a key member of the modern mixed climbing movement in late 90s and early 2000s establishing classics like Caveman, Cryophobia, The Asylum, Mixed Monster, Uniform Queen and The Real Big Drip to name a few and repeating test pieces like Musashi (M12). He has travelled all over the world in search of new routes to the remote ranges of Alaska, Patagonia, Peru, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan. Sean is also author of several ice and mixed books including Mixed Climbing in the Canadian Rockies by Rocky Mountain Books, Mixed Climbing by Falcon Guides, Ice Climbing Leader Field Handbook by the Alpine Club of Canada and most recently How to Ice Climb by Falcon Guides. In addition, he has been the editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal for the past 14 years. He has appeared with featured segments in a number of climbing films including Beyond Gravity (2000) and Higher Ground (2008).
Alpine Ice
- The North Face (TD M6 A0). First winter ascent of Pigeon Spire in the Bugaboos, BC (with Marc Piche, 2006)
- The Voice of Unreason (ED2 M7 A1 WI5, 700m). New route (to north ridge; not to summit) on the northwest face of Kichatna Spire in the Kichatna range, Alaska (with Rob Owens and Roger Strong, 2005).
- Amy Coulior (D+ M5 WI3, 450m). Winter ascent of Guillaumet in the Fitz Roy range of Patagonia, Argentina (with Will Mayo, 2004)
- Maxim (ED1 M4 WI5, 1000m). New route on the south face (to the west ridge; not to summit) of Thunder Mountain on the Tokositna Glacier, Alaska Range (with Shawn Huisman, 2004)
- Canadian Bacon (ED1 M5 WI4, 900m). New route on the east face of Royal Tower in Little Switzerland, Alaska Range (with Shawn Huisman, 2004)
- Spinstone Gully (TD+ M7 R, 400m) and Perma Grin (D+ M5 WI4, 350m). Two new mixed routes on the Howser Towers in the Bugaboos, BC (with Scott Semple and Brian Webster, 2002)
- Royale with Cheese (V M6 WI5, 700m). New route on the southeast buttress of Pik Unmarked Soldier in the West Kokshaal-Tau range of Krygyzstan, plus two other new alpine mixed routes (with Scott Decapio, 2001)
- North Face (IV 5.9 WI4, 500m). First ascent of an unclimbed mountain (Pik Ljosha) in the West Kokshaal-tau range of Kyrgyzstan (with Guy Edwards, 1998)
Alpine Rock
Wild Fire (V 5.12-, 360m). First ascent of the northwest face of Wide Awake Tower in the Bugaboos, BC (with Matt Maddaloni, 2003)
- Azad Kashmir (V 5.10+ R, 700m). First ascent of an unclimbed 5200m granite tower in the Kharidas Valley, Karakoram, Pakistan (with Todd Offenbacher and Nils Davis, 2000)
- The Magic Carpet Ride (VI 5.10 A3+, 800m). First ascent of the east face of Cerro Mascara (The Mummer) in Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile (with Conny Amelunxen, 1999)
- Chocolate Fudge Brownie (VI 5.9 A2, 500m). Second ascent of the west face of Central Howser Tower in the Bugaboos via a new route (with Brian Webster, 1999)
- South Face (V 5.10+, 750m). One day ascent of the south face of Pik 4810 in the Ak-su Valley, Kyrgyzstan (with Guy Edwards, 1998)
- Duraznos para Don Quijote (IV 5.10+ A1, 500m). New route on Peineta in Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile (with Guy Edwards, 1997)
- Trout Fishing in America (V 5.10+ A3, 350m). First ascent of the east face of Block Tower in the Leaning Tower group of the Purcell Mountain, BC (with Guy Edwards, 1997)
Mixed Climbing
- Musashi (M12) at The Cineplex in the Canadian Rockies (2004)
- More than 70 mixed first acsents in the Canadian Rockies (1998-2006)
- 16 new ice and mixed routes on the Stanley Headwall in Kootenay National Park, Canadian Rockies, including Fiasco (V M8 WI5+), Uniform Queen (V M7 WI5), Thriller (IV M9- WI5), French Toast (V M7 WI5) and Dawn of the Dead (V M8+ WI6) (with Dave Thomson, 1997-2005)
- First ascent of Cryophobia (V M8+ WI5+) in the Ghost, Canadian Rockies, with its 7 pitches going at M4, M7+, M8+, M7, M8, M6+ and WI5+ (with Shawn Huisman, 2001)
- First place in Canmore Speed Climbing Competition (2000)
- Third place in Ouray Invitational Competition (2005)
- Fourth place in Festiglace du Quebec Competition (2004)
Big Wall and Aid Climbing
- Dion's Dihedral (VI 5.9 A3, 600m). New route on the east face of La Esfinge in Peru's Cordillera Blanca (with Larry Dolecki, 1999)
- Club International (V 5.10+ A2, 600m). New route on the southeast face of Bustle Tower in the Cirque of the Unclimbables (with Andreas Taylor, 1997)
- Skull F$&% (VI 5.7 A4). New aid route on the Sheriff's Badge in Squamish (with Sean Easton, 1996)
- Nose-in-a-Day (VI 5.11 A2, 900m). A one-day, onsight ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite (with Adam Donahue and Sean Smith, 1996)
- Halfdome-in-a-Day (VI 5.10 A1, 600m). A one day, onsight ascent of the Regular Northwest Face route on Half Dome in Yosemite (with Andreas Taylor, 1996)
- Cats Ass (V 5.9 A3, 250m). New route in Zion (with Claus Shock, 1995)
