Gerard is a lifelong teacher whose passions are sharing the magic of the wilderness and helping others discover their unknown potential. He believes that nature is the ultimate transformative space and his career is defined by his ability to inspire a sense of belonging, confidence, and curiosity in those he guides. With over thirty years of professional experience in the outdoors, including fifteen years working in therapeutic backcountry settings, Gerard brings wisdom, warmth, and charisma to Outer Spaces. Whether he is navigating complex canyon logistics, rigging ropes, or telling stories around the campfire, his belief in others empowers them to achieve more than they thought possible. His extensive background spans high-stakes expedition leadership, advanced technical guiding, and deep therapeutic fieldwork, including years guiding the sandstone slot canyons of the American Southwest.
Gerard grew up in Michigan and discovered his passion for the outdoors through attending summer camp in Ohio from age eight to 22. He credits his mentor, Crazy Joe, for instilling in him a respect for the wilderness and teaching him backcountry hard skills. Gerard’s personal adventures include mapping untouched subterranean networks on cave expeditions across North, Central, and South America with National Geographic and helping NOLS launch their cave rescue program. Gerard has spent large chunks of time focused on rock climbing, ice climbing, caving, and canyoneering. He has traveled the United States on four self-supported bicycle tours, sailed the open waters of the Great Lakes and the Sea of Cortez, and worked as a rock-climbing extra in the film The Postman. Based in southwest Utah, Gerard’s front-country interests include reading Western novels, listening to reggae, eating pepperoni pizza, and talking about outdoor gear.
GERARD BELLI
The natural world is Kate’s touchstone and the place where she feels most present and at peace. She values how moving through challenges in the outdoors helps her be both resilient and vulnerable, an empowering experience she works to extend to others. With twenty years of outdoor industry experience, Kate brings authenticity, confidence, and a sense of humor to her work. Kate has led hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering trips for schools, outdoor programs, and summer camps. She has also facilitated team-building and high and low ropes course initiatives for youth and adults in California, Maine, Virginia, and the Bahamas. Her background in overseeing risk management for both backcountry and front-country programs helps her think about how to support physical and emotional safety at Outer Spaces while also incorporating mindfulness and fun.
Kate is from Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she grew up swimming in the Chesapeake Bay and hiking in the swamps. She attended James Madison University, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in corporate communication and guided trips in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Kate's personal adventures have included bicycle touring cross-country from Utah to Maine, exploring the Southwest’s slot canyons, and backpacking in many places including two island National Parks. When she’s at home in southwest Utah, Kate loves to snuggle her cat, read library books, and look forward to the next time she can be in or near a body of water.