Link Neimark is a master at instilling confidence in people trying an outdoor activity that at first may seem beyond their ability or appetite for adventure. During fair-weather seasons, the Wisconsin native operates Rock Climb Montana and coaches water sports on Whitefish Lake. In the winter, he is one of the most requested ski and snowboard instructors at Whitefish Mountain Resort.
The unique combination has worked for the Whitefish resident, who earned bachelor’s degrees in both psychology and zoology and a master’s degree in oceanography. Neimark worked as a biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, but his desk job made him beeline for a career in outdoor education instead. “Outdoor physical activities is where I’m in my environment and get to work with people, helping them learn things and have more fun,” Neimark explains.
Skiing or boarding seems an easier sell than rock climbing in terms of scare factor, but Neimark is quick to dispel that myth. “If you can hike, you can climb,” he says, likening it to vertical hiking or walking up a staircase.
With Rock Climb Montana, the experience is not like an amusement park ride but instead a chance to learn the sport. First, clients learn how to fit and put on climbing gear, tie knots and belay (controlling the safety line). The next few hours of a half-day trip are spent climbing, with a variety of ropes available so people can improve skills as they get comfortable with the process and safety of the equipment.
Neimark takes climbers to Kila and Stryker, each approximately 30 minutes from Whitefish for half-day outings, while Koocanusa, near Eureka and the Canadian border, works well for full-day trips. All three locations allow groups with various skill levels and athletic ambition to climb near one another.
Rock climbing can be the ultimate teambuilding exercise for groups, he says: “There is a lot of analogy between climbing and what people are doing in the corporate world such as how to manage challenges and climbing one step at a time but making progress and suddenly reaching the summit.”
Not only does Neimark get to interact almost daily with Mother Nature’s gifts of snow, rocks and water, he relishes seeing clients achieve goals, conquer mountains and win.
