Diane Calamar Okonek

Diane co-founded Alaska Denali Guiding (ADG) in 1983, directing the company until 2001 and overseeing more than 60 expeditions and hundreds of climbers to Denali and the Alaska Range. Her responsibilities ranged from managing the busy office to purchasing provisions to guiding yearly Denali expeditions and backpacking trips into the remote Brooks Range. Diane and Brian sold the company in 2001 to Colby Coombs and Caitlin Palmer, who had started Alaska Mountaineering School. The two companies merged, eventually becoming Alaska Mountaineering School, LLC. Diane’s love of Alaska’s wilderness and wildlife, combined with her background in natural history, makes her an asset on any backcountry expedition. She is also known for her annual Brooks Range dog sled explorations. After mountain guiding life Diane has spent summers working for Alaska Fish and Game, contributing data for scientific research on walruses on Round Island in northern Bristol Bay and hiking extensively in Europe. She lives in Talkeetna, and continues to be a source of inspiration to AMS mountain guides and instructors for her knowledge of client care, wilderness travel, and remote Alaskan locations.