A true local, Ben grew up in the hills surrounding Ithaca, but it wasn't until his senior year at Cornell, 1997, that he became involved with COE. Ben quickly resolved to make up for lost time and started by being a teaching assistant for basic rock climbing. He now teaches climbing, mountain biking, trail running, backpacking, sea kayaking, caving, and cross-country skiing. As Outfitting Manager, Ben manages course issue, and student and public rentals.  Ben is also in charge of COE's Wilderness Medicine program.