Evan was born and raised right next door to Boone in the neighboring Avery Country, where he was taught to rock climb at the young age of 12 by his father Al Snipes who instilled “old school” traditional NC ethics in him. It was not until after high school that he realized his true passion for the outdoors and rock climbing, and began to indulge extensively in the sport. Evan practically made Grandfather Mountain his home for a few years, climbing almost exclusively around the Blue Ridge Parkway at Ship Rock and all over the 221 circuit. Then he branched out and discovered other places in North Carolina such as Rumbling Bald, as well as his soon to be favorite place the New River Gorge in Fayetteville, WV where he visits as often as possible. Evan graduated from Appalachian State University’s Recreation Management program in May 2008 with a concentration in Outdoor Experiential Education and a minor in Psychology. At ASU he has been a part of classes concentrating on ropes course and climbing site facilitation, as well as Wilderness First Aid and CPR/AED certification. In May 2008 Evan earned certification through the Professional Climbing Instructors Association (PCIA) as a Top Managed Climbing Instructor, and added Single Pitch/Lead Instructor to his certification in October 2008. Evan is primarily a traditional climber who will occasionally indulge in some sport climbing or bouldering. His accomplishments include traditional routes up to 5.11a, sport routes 5.11c, and V6 bouldering.