Meet Our Team

Cristin Knowlton

Position: Owner & Manager

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Single Pitch Instructor (2012-15)

Other Certifications Held: Wilderness First Responder, AIARE Level 1

A lawyer by trade, Cristin has been an avid climber since being introduced to the sport by her son. Obsession with climbing took hold immediately, leading her from her first climbs in North Carolina across the United States in pursuit of bigger objectives. Having climbed in most major climbing destinations in the United States, Cristin decided to expand her skill set abroad in places like Spain, France, and Switzerland. Among her achievements are several alpine summits, including the Matterhorn.

Cristin is the Manager and longest owner in the history of Fox Mountain Guides. When not in the office, you can likely find her climbing on the spectacular granite cliffs in North Carolina or the overhanging sandstone in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky.

Cristin has a B.S. in Business Management, summa cum laude, from the University of Central Florida, a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida.

Anthony Dercole

Position: Guide, Head of Military Training Programs

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Apprentice Rock Guide, Single Pitch Instructor

Other Certifications Held: Wilderness First Responder, AIARE Level 1, Paramedic, NC Emergency Management SAR Technician, Wilderness EMT, NC Rope Rescue Technician, NC Emergency Management Advanced Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Boat Operator

Anthony found the mountains early in life hunting in southern Colorado. After serving in the military, he discovered climbing and decided to pursue a career in guiding. He ran and maintained a climbing wall for a gym for three years and then took his first American Mountain Guides Association course. After gaining Single Pitch Instructor certification, Anthony honed his rock craft in the Southeast at crags in Virginia and West Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina before venturing west and becoming an Apprentice Rock Guide and then taking his Ice Instructor Course, all while putting countless hours into rescue training.

Anthony serves as a Mountain Rescue Technician on call for the North Carolina Emergency Management Mountain Rescue teams and is a boarded EMT and a Firefighter/Paramedic. When he is not working, Anthony enjoys spending time climbing and mountain biking with his wife and two daughters. In the winter, you can find him in the mountains on ski patrol and ice climbing.

Joel Fluty

Position: Guide

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Rock Guide

Other Certifications Held: Wilderness First Responder

Joel started climbing in 2001 as a senior in high school. While getting a degree in photojournalism from Gardner-Webb University, Joel cut his teeth on the rock of Western North Carolina and started making trips to the West at every opportunity. During college Joel organized and lead climbing trips around the Southeast for the outdoor recreation department.

After graduating, Joel took a job guiding backpacking in Yosemite National Park where he spent the next five years climbing Yosemite’s splitter granite and traveling/climbing around the Western US. Joel has climbed extensively across the United States from grade VI big walls in Yosemite to the sandstone of the Southeast. Joel now lives full time in North Carolina where he and his wife are raising their two boys.

Forrest Stavish

Position: Guide

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Assistant Rock Guide, Single Pitch Instructor

Other Certifications Held: WEMT-B, AIARE Level 1

Forrest started climbing in 2004 after being introduced to bouldering at Rumbling Bald, NC. Not long after that bouldering trip, he got his first taste of exposure on Table Rock in the Linville Gorge. Since then, Forrest has climbed extensively in North Carolina and Tennessee and has traveled to places like Red Rock and Joshua Tree as well as the alpine of the North Cascades.

Forrest successfully completed his AMGA Single Pitch Instructor exam in 2015 and is currently pursuing higher certification through the AMGA. Forrest has volunteered with his local fire department for the past six years, serving as Lieutenant, Captain and Assistant Chief. He’s currently a member of the Appalachian Mountain Rescue Team as well as a Mountain Rescue Technician for NC Emergency Management. Other than rock climbing, Forrest also enjoys ice climbing and has recently picked up skiing as well.

Dan Riethmuller

Position: Guide

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Apprentice Rock Guide, Apprentice Alpine Guide, Single Pitch Instructor, Ice Instructor

Other Certifications Held: AIARE Levels 1 & 2, Wilderness First Responder

Introduced to the outdoors at a young age, it wasn’t until college that Dan found climbing. A fall trip to Seneca Rocks, West Virginia was all it took to get him hooked on the sport.  After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Adventure Education, Dan has pursued climbing as both a career and a hobby across the country, spending winters in North Conway, New Hampshire climbing steep ice and working several in the North Cascades.  He has guided major several major alpine peaks including Rainier and Denali. Not much compares to the exposure of North Carolina rock though and that good old southern sunshine, so Dan finds himself drawn back time and time again.

Climbing and climbing education have always been a priority;  Dan has completed his AMGA Rock and Alpine Guide Courses and is one of only a handful of AMGA Certified Ice Instructors in the country.  When not climbing, you can find Dan trail running with his wife or working on his truck.

Austin Stroker

Position: Guide

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Apprentice Rock Guide, Single Pitch Instructor

Other Certifications Held: Wilderness First Responder

Austin began climbing after moving to Boone, NC to pursue a degree in Outdoor Recreation Management. Throughout his time at Appalachian State University, Austin’s love for climbing grew exponentially as he made trips throughout the Southeast and out West during school breaks. He has worked as a climbing guide and activity specialist for various camps in Western North Carolina, Wyoming, and Switzerland. Combining his love of travel and climbing, Austin has gone as far as Utah, Wyoming, Squamish, and even Thailand in search of climbing adventures.

Following his graduation from Appalachian State University, Austin decided to pursue a career in guiding. He is both an American Mountain Guides Association Apprentice Rock Guide and Single Pitch Instructor.

Will Payne

Position: Guide

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Single Pitch Instructor

Other Certifications Held: Wilderness First Responder

Doug Lutz

Position: Part Time Guide, CWI Program Manager

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Rock Instructor

Other Certifications Held: Wilderness First Responder

Doug’s climbing career began in a gym in Florida, working at the University of Central Florida’s climbing tower.  While studying Business Administration, Doug took weekend climbing trips across the Southeast and eventually moved to Kentucky’s Red River Gorge for a season to climb and train.

After working at a climbing gym and placing 4th in Collegiate Climbing Nationals, Doug decided to pursue his climbing education, quickly gaining both AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor and Single Pitch Instructor certifications. While guiding for FMG, he went on to become a Certified Rock Instructor and CWI provider.

While Doug spends most of his time guiding and climbing in North Carolina, his favorite place to be is the Red, where he has a long list of impressive ticks, including “God’s Own Stone” (5.14a).

Neil Chugh

Position: Guide

AMGA Training and Certifications Held: Single Pitch Instructor

Other Certifications Held: Wilderness First Responder

Neil discovered climbing on a fall afternoon in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. He topped out his first route and thought, “I could do this everyday for the rest of my life.” Years later, climbing has continued to be a central part of his life. He has extensively explored crags across the southeast, from obscure remote outcroppings in Jackson County, NC to lazy afternoons at Muir Valley and everything in between. 

Before he knew it, friends started seeking out Neil as a mentor and ambassador to the sport. He realized a newfound dedication to instruction and mentorship after facilitating the development of newer climbers. He has since worked to obtain his AMGA Single Pitch Instructor certification and Wilderness First Responder training. When he’s not in the mountains climbing, or skiing in the off season, you can find him in Charlotte. He is currently teaching at Inner Peaks and seeking to inspire the next generation of climbers to break out of the gym and find confidence on the rock.