Skip to Content

Elite experts. Unforgettable journeys.

Ice Axe guides are specialists in polar travel, ski mountaineering, and remote expedition leadership. Each guide brings deep experience in Antarctica and other demanding environments, along with a proven record of critical decision making and guest support. Browse their backgrounds and meet the Ice Axe guide team.

Our Guiding Difference

Adventure this bold demands guides this good.

Ice Axe’s guide team is truly world-class, the kind of crew that doesn’t just lead trips — they lead journeys to the edge of the planet with serious pedigree. Our roster includes guides whose backgrounds span decades of polar travel, high-altitude ski mountaineering, and expedition leadership across the most extreme environments. These are people who’ve skied the highest peaks, pioneered first descents on multiple continents, and logged dozens of voyages to remote polar regions — even the South Pole.

What really sets the team apart is how they combine that technical expertise with a deep commitment to safety, client care, and turning a trip into an unforgettable experience. For all of our expeditions groups are kept small with a maximum guide-to-client ratio of 4:1 — often skiing in groups fewer than eight with two guides. And beyond managing logistics and hazards, these guides share stories, guide with heart, and help guests connect with wild landscapes, wildlife, and personal breakthroughs. In short: they don’t just show you the world — they show you a version of adventure you’ll remember forever.

Our Guides

Meet your guides.

Doug Stoup
Doug Stoup
Ice Axe Founder
Andrew McLean
Andrew McLean
Park City, Utah
Chris Davenport
Aspen, Colorado
MARK SEDON
Mark Sedon
Wanaka, New Zealand
Erin Laine
Ridgway, Colorado
TODD OFFENBACHER
Todd Offenbacher
South Lake Tahoe, California
GLEN POULSEN
Glen Poulsen
Tahoe City, California
ODE SIIVONEN
Ode Siivonen
Chamonix, France
SARAH HALAS
Sarah Halas
Tahoe City, California
  • Andrew Eisenstark
  • Brian Babbitt
  • Rich Meyer
  • Per As
  • Joe St. Onge
  • Bill Barker
  • Miles Clark
  • Kim Havell
  • Jorge Kozulj
  • Chipie Windross
  • Sergio Garcia Gomez
  • Stein Retzlaff
  • Josh Kling
  • Shane Robinson
  • Syndey Paez
  • Paolo Tassi
  • Hans Solmssen
  • Jessica Baker
  • Elias Holt
  • Kai Girard
  • Madeleine Martin-Preney
  • Michael Wachs
  • Dean Staples
  • David Bumgarner
  • Lel Tone
  • Hermann Berie
  • Cameron Spies
  • Jessa Gilbert
Email Newsletter

Stay up to date.

Sign up for our newsletter to hear about new adventures, events, and updates from the field.

Doug Stoup

Ice Axe Founder
Tahoe City, California

At the helm of Ice Axe Expeditions is one of the world’s leading polar explorers, Douglas Stoup. Doug has numerous firsts to his name and has skied to both the North and South Poles more than anyone on the planet. He continues to push the limits of human endurance while raising funds for charities, collecting scientific data for climate change scientists, and leading disabled adventurers to the polar environments.

A visionary, Stoup continues to push the limits in global expeditions, advocacy of protecting polar environments, and educating today’s youth on the importance of protecting the planet.

Andrew McLean

Park City, Utah

This marks Andrew’s 16th journey to Antarctica and his third as the Lead Guide for Ice Axe Expeditions. He has led expeditions across all seven continents, achieving over 150 first descents along the way. Since 2008, Andrew has guided trips to Morocco, China, Greenland, and Svalbard with Ice Axe Expeditions, in addition to guiding locally in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. During the 2003/04 season, he served as an Avalanche Forecaster at the Utah Avalanche Center and holds an AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guide Course certificate.

Andrew’s passion for skiing extends to writing for numerous magazines and websites, as well as publishing photos. He authored “The Chuting Gallery – A Guide to Steep Skiing in the Wasatch Mountains” and was featured in the Sony Pictures Classics documentary “Steep.” In addition to his skiing endeavors, Andrew holds a BFA degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a Senior Product Designer for Black Diamond Equipment for 13 years. During his tenure, he designed the first wire gate carabiner for climbing, the HotWire, as well as Single Stem Camalots, Peckers, Talons, and his favorite skiing product, the Whippet Self Arrest ski pole. He holds three patents.

An eighth-generation Utahan, Andrew lives in Park City, Utah with his wife Polly, their two teenage daughters, and two old dogs.

Chris Davenport

Aspen, Colorado

Two-time World Champion skier Chris Davenport is widely regarded as one of the premier big mountain skiers and ski guides in the world today. Among his many ski mountaineering achievements, in 2007 Chris became the first person to ski all fifty-four of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks in less than one year. He has numerous first descents of peaks around the globe under his belt, and recently guided and skied on Mt. Everest Chris has been featured in more than thirty ski films by Warren Miller and Matchstick Productions.

Chris is the author of two beautiful coffee-table books that celebrate North America’s mountains, Ski The 14ers and Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America. He was recently named one of ESPN’s “10 Greatest American Freeskiers of all Time”. Chris is an honored member of the USA Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame. Chris serves as a Director of non-profits Protect Our Winters, the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) the Aspen Valley Ski Club, and New Hampshire’s Holderness School. When not traveling the globe Chris resides in Aspen, Colorado with his wife and three boys.

Mark Sedon

Wanaka, New Zealand

Mark is a Kiwi IFMGA climbing and ski guide with 25 years of experience based in the alpine village of Wanaka, New Zealand. He has many decades of experience heli-skiing for Harris Mountains Heli-ski in NZ and ski touring for Bill’s Trips in Gulmarg, India. He has climbed the world’s Seven Summits, skied the Seven Continents and was the first person to climb the Queenstown Lakes District’s 18 mountains over 2,500m. Mark has guided 21 ski and climbing expeditions to Antarctica and 20 expeditions to the Himalaya, including summiting Mt Everest.

In 2018 Mark joined a groundbreaking kite skiing expedition to climb one of the most remote mountains on Earth; Mt Spectre in the Gothic Range of the Transantarctic Mountains. They spent 60 days in Antarctica, travelling over 2,000km with loads nearing 200kgs (440 pounds) each! He’s is fresh off living on his yacht in Fiji.

Erin Laine

Ridgway, Colorado

Raised in the potato fields of Southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley, Erin always had a connection to the wild windy places. Cutting her teeth as a ski patroller at Wolf Creek ski area Erin learned there’s nothing better than a day spent high in the mountains with friends.  Her love of travel, food, and sharing the joy of skiing have taken her around the world, from the Tian Shan of Kyrgyzstan to the glaciers of Svalbard.

Erin is an AMGA certified ski guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, mountain rescuer, and teaches professional level avalanche courses. She received the Citizens Award for Bravery from the Department of Interior for the 15 hour crevasse rescue of a fallen climber in Denali National Park. When she’s not outside she loves a good game of canasta, a snuggle with her sweet pup Willie and cooking yummy dinners for loved ones.

Todd Offenbacher

South Lake Tahoe, California

1980 – Graduated Wooten High school with GPA of 2.7. Potomac, MD.
1981 – Runner up Teenage Mr. America. Atlanta, GA (blue Speedo-thanks for asking.)
1990 – I was introduced to “rock”. I began giving up everything I had chasing it.
1996 – Moved to Tahoe and spent the summer rock climbing in Yosemite with over 20 days total spent hanging in portaledges on El Captain. I learned “how do you go to the bathroom up there?”
2002 – Married Tara Bosch Offenbacher a super hot 28 year old. Then added over twenty new decorative pillows to our bed.
2007 – Sweated like the guy in Midnight Express while climbing in Thailand. First year Tahoe Adventure Film Festival sold out largest showroom in Tahoe.
2011 – Froze, flew, climbed, and skied in the Arctic. Beer bonged through Mexico. Sport climbed Turkey.
Snowblade mountaineered with penguins in Antarctica. Oh yeah…Olive Dakota Offenbacher was born
December 14th to conclude the BEST YEAR EVER!
2012 – Changed over a thousand diapers and climbed 100 less days.
2014 – Started a non-profit to ship polar bears to Antarctic. PenguinsTasteLikeChickentoPolarBears.org
2015- Developed over 150 moderate climbing routes around the Tahoe area
2021- Celebrated 20 years of marriage! Feels like 40 years with the wind chill
Today – I have been clean-shaven for 7 years. I live with my wife and daughter in South Lake Tahoe, CA.

Glen Poulsen

Tahoe City, California

A member of Squaw Valley’s pioneering founding family, Glen first ventured into the side and backcountry terrain surrounding Squaw Valley at the age of ten and has never looked back. His forays into more remote parts of the Sierra Nevada led to numerous first descents and pioneering ski traverses throughout the range.

After exploring mountains from Antarctica to the North Pole, Greenland and Spitsbergen, Africa, to the Andes, The Alps to Scandinavia, Russia and China, The Himalaya, Central Asia and Oceania, Glen always returns with a greater appreciation for his home in the “Range of Light”. Whether its descents on skis or climbing alpine rock Glen has an intimate knowledge of the entire range. Whether it’s a local side country jaunt, a Sierra East side adventure, a hut tour in the alps or exploring new first descents in Greenland or Antarctica, Africa, or the Andes, he can take you there.

Glen has been trained by the American Mountain Guides Association and by the Canadian Ski Guide Association as a ski guide and ski mountaineering guide. He has an AIARE Level 3 Avalanche and Nols Wilderness First Responder certifications and has been an active Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team member.

Ode Siivonen

Chamonix, France

Ode Siivonen was born in Lahti, Finland in 1976 and started skiing at the age of four. Snowboards, climbing gear and many other outdoor tools have since become familiar. Outdoor sports started out as a passion, and 10 years ago this passion grew into a profession when Ode started to guide ski tours and heli skiing in Lapland. Since then guiding work has taken him to bigger mountains in the Alps, Norway, Kashmir India, Alaska, Annapurna Nepal, Argentina, Antarctica, Svalbard, Caucasus and Kamchatka Russia. Ode lives in Chamonix, France. Over the past two decades, Ode has concentrated on mountain sports year round. He climbs rock, ice and alpine terrain, enjoys the mountains on both a snowboard and skis, as well as paragliding and sometimes base jumps from the nearby cliffs.

Sarah Halas

Tahoe City, California

Sarah Halas grew up skiing in Vermont, where she fell in love with skiing untouched snow on secret trails off the back side of her home mountain. She has gone on to ski 6 continents, forever in search of places less visited and untracked snow. She has guided around the world, including in Svalbard, Alaska, and across the western US. This is her third Antarctic Peninsula Adventure Cruise. During the warmer months Sarah is an independent airplane flight instructor specializing in mountain flying. She lives in Tahoe City, California where she loves to ride her cruiser bike to the dock and jump in the lake.

Andrew Eisenstark

Tahoe City, California

Guiding professionally since 2008; from Alaska to Antarctica, California to Kamchatka, Japan to Pakistan; via skin-track, helicopter, snowcat and expedition boat. Along with the annual Antarctic Adventure Cruise, Andrew has led multiple expeditions for Ice Axe Expeditions, including Svalbard and Iceland. Originally from New York, Andrew graduated from McGill University in Montreal, spent his formative “ski-bumming years” in Chamonix, and has called Tahoe City and the Sierra Nevada home for nearly fifteen years.

When not chasing snow around the globe, Andrew likes good music, good food and a good time. Credentials with the American Mountain Guides Association and Heli Ski US. Kept in-line by Kendra.

Brian Babbitt

Salt Lake City, Utah

Brian “Babbs” Babbitt is a dedicated mountain guide based in Alta, Utah, where he enjoys life with his wife and two adventurous daughters. With experience guiding expeditions near and far-from the western U.S. to Antarctica, Svalbard, Peru and more–Babbs is driven by a true passion for the outdoors and a love of sharing his expertise with others. His infectious enthusiasm and contagious laughter create an uplifting atmosphere on every trip. When he’s not guiding, you might find him moonlighting as a model for IceAxe Expeditions—because who says you can’t look good while traveling in the mountains? Whether navigating rugged terrain or sharing his love for the vertical world, Babbs strives to inspire everyone around him to embrace adventure with a smile.

Rich Meyer

Berkley, California

Rich Meyer is an AMGA Certified Ski Guide and the fall of 2025 will be Rich’s 10th adventure to the Antarctic Peninsula guiding for Ice Axe Expeditions. Rich has been a professional ski guide, avalanche instructor, and mountaineering guide for over 25 years. His work has varied from single day backcountry ski tours in Tahoe, to international ski expeditions.  Rich has been lucky enough to guide, travel, ski, and summit peaks in places such as: Canada, France, Italy, Switzerland, Tanzania, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Alaska, Svalbard and Antarctica. As well as scores of Sierra Nevada summits. When Rich isn’t out skiing and guiding snowy peaks, he is teaching courses in avalanche safety, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, and ski mountaineering.  Rich is constantly striving to expand his skills with extensive education from: the AMGA, AIARE, NOLS, WMI, PSIA, and many other organizations.

Rich is also the Co-Founder of the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, a nonprofit organization that serves as the voice for the Tahoe winter backcountry community. Promoting the human powered outdoor experience is a big part of Rich’s passion and work, both locally and nationally.  He feels strongly that protecting our natural environment and educating skiers and climbers about our winter wild places must be a priority.

Per As

La Grave, France

Per left school in Gothenburg, Sweden, for Chamonix and a first full ski season at the age of 18. That’s 32 years ago and he never went back. Per moved to La Grave, also in the French Alps, in the early nineties and has been living there ever since. Per has been guiding skiing and climbing all over the world for over 25 years.

”The ocean like the mountains has a lot of energy and power. I love skiing with a sea view. I have been fortunate to travel to ski some good sea view spots over the years, like Norway, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Antartica, Southern Argentina, Japan, Corsica, the Abruzzos, Kamchatka and Mercantour in the southern Alps…This will be my 5th trip with Ice Axe to Antartica and I am humbled and excited to go back way down south”

Joe St. Onge

Hailey, Idaho

Joe has dedicated his life to exploring wild country and sharing the joys of the backcountry through guiding. Joe holds a BA in Outdoor Education, a Master’s Degree in Geography, and a Ski Mountaineering Guide Certification from the American Mountain Guides Association.

Joe is a founding member of the United States Hut Alliance and a professional member of the American Avalanche Association. Joe guides throughout the great ranges of the world, leading climbing, trekking and ski expeditions in Idaho, Utah, Alaska, South America, Antarctica, Japan, Norway, Canada and the Himalaya. In addition to guiding, Joe has built 6 ski huts the in the wild mountains of Central Idaho and has run the Sun Valley Mountain Huts since 2000.

Bill Barker

Ulladulla, NSW, Australia

A surfer from the south coast of NSW, Bill went to one of Australia’s best ski resorts for a one week skiing holiday in 1987, scored a job washing dishes, got hooked on back-country skiing, and has been there ever since.

After many years of back to back winters exploring the mountains across the globe, he now still spreads his year between the northern and southern hemispheres. During the northern winters he runs a very well respected back-country guiding operation in Gulmarg, Kashmir (Bill’s Trips), and is the Ski Patrol Director at his beloved Mt. Hotham during the southern seasons. Between winters you will find him either hanging off a rock somewhere, or surfing his home breaks of Ulladulla.

Miles Clark

Park City, Utah

Miles Clark grew up in Northern California and became horribly enchanted by the Sierra Nevada mountains at a young age.  After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular Cell Biology, Miles traded his medical school aspirations for the allure of Lake Tahoe’s snow-plastered peaks. Miles is now a professional freeskier, mountain guide, Alaska heli-ski guide, and founder/CEO of SnowBrains – a leading snowsports media company.  Miles has been a mountain guide since 2006, successfully & safely guiding clients through some of Earth’s most challenging and breathtaking terrain in North America, South America, Antarctica, Svalbard, Japan, and more.  Anytime Miles isn’t in the mountains, he heads straight for the beach, where he revels in being a permanent intermediate and ocean merrymaker (Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, this year). His commitment to safety, coupled with a frighteningly infectious enthusiasm for the mountains, make him a damn fun human to be in the mountains with.

Kim Havell

Jackson, Wyoming

Combining a passion for adventure and a love of exploration, Kim has spent her career seeking out remote and exciting objectives. She has skied on all 7 continents, with first descents on 4, including in the Arctic and Antarctic, and adventured in over 50 countries. During her travels, she has climbed and skied big peaks in the Himalaya, Andes, and the Karakorum, and has carved lines on peaks across the globe from Morocco to Bolivia, Greenland, Norway, Argentina, Tibet, Japan, and New Zealand. She has numerous first female descents in Southwest Colorado and has completed many ascents and ski descents of 13ers & 14ers. In 2013, Kim completed 65 different routes in the Tetons, including the first female descent of the notorious Otter Body on the Grand Teton, and, in 2014, she went on to be the first woman to ski-guide the Grand Teton.

With a home base in the incredible Teton Range, she guides for EXUM Mountain Guides and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Alpine Guides, and for Ice Axe Expeditions internationally. She has been an instructor and/or guide for numerous companies and ski camps, as well as being a 12-year past member of the San Miguel County Search and Rescue Team (and Advisory Board member), with medical, avalanche, and rescue certifications.

Jorge Kozulj

Bariloche, Argentina

Jorge is the owner, founder, and head guide for Andescross. He has been guiding in Patagonia Since 1999 and he holds a UIAGM-IFMGA Mountain Guide accreditation since 2005, which is the highest international recognition in the guiding profession. His particular areas of interest are Ski Mountaineering and International Backcountry Ski guiding.

Jorge climbed Saint Exupery when he was only 21 years old. He has guided the Guillaumet Spire in Patagonia via the three main routes, numerous expeditions to the Patagonian Ice Cap, included one to Mariano Moreno. Jorge has climbed Fitz Roy via the Cassarotto Pilar, climbed Half Dome in Yosemite twice and several other classics of the Yosemite valley such as Herbert-Chounaird on Sentinel. He’s climbed Mont Blanc with clients numerous times and skied some steeps in Chamonix such as the Col de Cristaux, Gervasutti on Tour Ronde, and the Cosmique. He’s also guided classic climbs in the French Alps as Grand Capuccin and the Frendo Spur.

Jorge has guided ski mountaineering trips to the Chugach and Wrangells-St Elias ranges in Alaska, as well as several guided ski trips to Lofoten and Tromso in Norway, Iceland and Troll Peninsula, and the Berner Oberland in Switzerland.

Since 2009, Jorge has been guiding annual ski trips to the Antarctic Peninsula, and has helped several professional ski athletes set up movies and photo shoots in Patagonia, including Seth Morrison, Eric Hjorleifson, Mark Abma, Chris Rubens, Xavier de le Rue and others.

Chipie Windross

Lyngen, Norway

Steve ‘Chipie’ Windross, originally from U.K., made his way to the French Alps in mid 90s working as a chef/restaurateur. Now calls Northern Norway home, guiding expeditions around the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic. When not on a mountain, he is likely to be found fishing for salmon or in the sea looking to surf a mellow left.

Association of Canadian Mountain Guides Ski Guide, International Mountain Leader, CAA Professional level 2 avalanche forecaster, Wilderness First Responder.

Sergio Garcia Gomez

Chamonix, France

Born in Colombia, he grew up in the city of Medellín. He’s been passionate about nature, climbing mountains and especially rock climbing since a very young age. In 2000, he arrived in the Spanish Pyrenees, where he trained to become a mountain guide. He finished his qualification in 2008 and in 2012 he moved to Chamonix to live out his dream of working in the mecca of mountaineering.

He is a great lover of rock climbing, mountain skiing and salsa dancing. His expeditions have taken him all over the world: the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Patagonia in Argentina and Chile, Nepal, Norway, and climbing trips in the US, Morocco, and Jordan. He is passionate about his work as a Guide and trainer. He participates in the training of guides in Spain and in the tutoring of ENSA students.

Stein Retzlaff

Truckee, California

Stein’s first expedition to the Arctic was when he was 22 years old. He was sent by his mentor and polar explorer, Douglas Stoup, to be the expedition leader for Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary, ‘Ice on Fire’ on the remote Arctic island of Svalbard. That 3-week expedition throughout the interior of Svalbard opened his eyes to a new world. 

Since then, he has been involved in 34 projects in either the Arctic or Antarctic on film productions and/or ski expeditions. He was born and raised in the outdoor mecca of Lake Tahoe, CA and loves creating and sharing world-class experiences.

Some projects include guiding and filming two adaptive athletes complete the first disabled ski descent from the summit of Denali (6,190m), leading a ski expedition to Atomfjella, battling the jungles of Patagonia, skiing 6000m peaks in Peru, joining explorers, Mike Horn & Børge Ousland, on the first mission of their North Pole Crossing as an expedition cameraman, and learning how to film underwater with hammerhead sharks in Cocos Island. He has produced stories for media networks including BBC, National Geographic, Outside TV, Warren Miller Entertainment, Red Bulletin, Sea Legacy, Snapchat, Instagram, Vogue Travel, Departures, and more.

He is the co-owner of Mosaic Studios and is happy to have supported 8 international non-profits in the process and is also the co-founder of the non-profit, Do Good Shit. He is honored to be trained under the mentorship of the Ice Axe community, explorers, visual artists, conservation heroes, and entrepreneurs.

Josh Kling

Durango, Colorado

Josh Kling an IFMGA Licensed Mountain Guide. He is the Director of the Outdoor Pursuits Program at Fort Lewis College and founder of Kling Mountain Guides (now San Juan Expeditions). Kling is an AIARE Course leader and teaches professional avalanche courses for both AIARE and the American Avalanche Institute. In addition, Kling leads wilderness medical and rescue programs for Wilderness Medical Associates.

Josh is the author of the Silverton Backcountry Skiing guide book (now on the 4th edition). He has been working and playing in the San Juan Mountains for over 25 years.

Shane Robinson

Seattle, Washington

Shane is based in Seattle, WA, but he stays on the move to keep any moss from growing.  He runs his own ski guide business, Graybird Guiding, running trips in Canada, Japan, and Norway, but most of the winter you can find him in the Pacific Northwest in his renovated Airstream trailer camped out at a backcountry trailhead eager to show his guests a great day in the snow.  Shane’s passion for ski guiding is apparent as it’s hard to catch him without an ear-to-ear grin, especially when he’s breaking trail in deep snow.  With more than 20+ years of guiding and ski patrol experience, plus a background in education, Shane loves teaching as much as he loves showing you his favorite powder stash.  Whether you are on a ski trip with Shane, signed up for one of his mentorship programs, or just following his tech tips on Instagram @graybirdguiding, Shane is always trying to teach and empower backcountry travelers along the way.

Shane enjoys any new adventure, which is one reason he loves these trips to Antarctica so much as they are always different.  Along the way to becoming an AMGA-certified ski guide and business owner, he took many detours along the way.  He’s built custom treehouses around the US, completed kayaking first descents in Russia, Peru, and Canada, written a guidebook to The Swimming Holes of Washington, and has passed the Washington State Bar.  Like he said, always on the move, and always on the lookout for the next adventure.

Syndey Paez

Truckee, California

Sydney grew up on the Front Range of Colorado in Denver, spending every winter weekend skiing the Colorado Rockies with her dad. Her love of the outdoors expanded early—at 15, she rafted the Grand Canyon with family friends, a pivotal experience that set her on the path to becoming a guide. By 17, she was certified as a raft guide and began spending her college summers guiding on Clear Creek, while dedicating her winters to chasing snow in the mountains.

Over the years, Sydney has transformed her passion for sliding on water—frozen or otherwise—into a dynamic year-round guiding career. In the winters, she leads ski adventures across the globe, with recent expeditions in Japan, Chile, and the high peaks of the Andes and Africa. During the summer months, she can be found in the Pacific Northwest, alpine guiding in the rugged terrain of the Cascades.

Her dedication to professional development culminated in earning her AMGA Ski Guide Certification, and she is proud to be a certified American Ski Guide. While she loves all forms of mountain travel, skiing remains her truest passion—and her compass as she continues to explore the world’s most remote and beautiful snow-covered landscapes.

Paolo Tassi

Cortina, Italy

Paolo was born in Bologna but has lived in Cortina d’Ampezzo since 1992. He started skiing at the age of 3 and rock climbing at 14 eventually becoming a UIAGM guide in 1995 and hasn’t stopped exploring the world with skis on his feet since. His first job was renting a fishing boat to ski in the fjords of Norway in 1998, a trip that he repeats every year.

He has skied in Kashmir, New Zealand, Iran and has crossed the mountains of Lebanon. He has climbed and descended more than thirty volcanoes including Vilyuchinsky in Kamchatka, Etna in Sicily, Villarica in Chile, Cotopaxi in Ecuador and Ivaki in Japan. He has skied in the valleys of the Altai Mountains between Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan eternally in search of the best snow.
Fascinated by the great north, he has crossed the Svalbard Islands with the pulka and explored the fjords of Greenland and Iceland. He is part of the Alpine Guides of Cortina group, the oldest society in Italy, of which he serves as Vice President. Paolo lives in Cortina with his wife and two children.

Hans Solmssen

Verbier, Switzerland

Hans, a Swiss UAIGM/IFMGA mountain guide, has lived and guided around Verbier, Switzerland for more than 40 years. Hans was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii. Riding horses and swimming in the streams above his house in Waimea were his passions. This love of the outdoors brought him to Northern Vermont University where he learned to ski. After graduating, going to Switzerland seemed like a good idea to ski and get back to his family roots.

He’s been in Verbier since 1983, guiding full time since 1990. Guiding adventurous ski clients all over the world, is his primary occupation. To Greenland or Antarctica, or India or Greece. If there’s snow, he’ll take you there.

Jessica Baker

Jackson, Wyoming

Jessica grew up skiing in the Selkirk Mountains of North Idaho and British Columbia. She went on to become a successful ski racer, Big Mountain Freeskiing Champion, Founder/Owner of Ski Divas LLC (skidivas.com), and a full-time professional mountain guide. Jessica has guided and explored mountains all over the world and is known for her exploratory missions, adventurous spirit, and smooth fluid style. She has tagged first descents in the Tetons, Alps, Greenland, Svalbard, Patagonia, Canada, and Alaska. She is one of the first female helicopter ski guides in Alaska’s Chugach range and has been guiding for over 22 years. Jessica is an AMGA certified ski guide, an AMGA certified Alpine Guide and an aspirant IFMGA guide and works year-round for Exum Mountain Guides, Jackson Hole Alpine Guides, Ski Divas LLC, Pulseline Adventures, and the American Avalanche Institute.

In addition, Jessica is a PSIA Level III alpine ski instructor and a Divisional Examiner/Clinic Leader (DECL) for PSIA, and a lead trainer for the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Mountain Sports School. When not traveling the globe for skiing and mountain guiding, Jessica lives in Jackson, WY with her two young daughters and husband (also an IFMGA certified guide).

Elias Holt

Talkeetna, Alaska

Born and raised in Talkeetna and in a log home, with a bush pilot/hunting guide for a father and a strong independent mother, Elias was given a great opportunity and perspective of the world and doesn’t want to waste it. Elias still calls Alaska his home, living in Anchorage. Elias started guiding at the age of 19 and has never looked back. Now with years of experience and many certifications he guides all over the globe. Ski trips in the famous deep powder of Japan, month long expeditions in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, incredible views from high altitude expeditions on Denali and skiing incredible corn on the Antarctic peninsula.

He now runs his small successful ski guide business, Red Raven Guides, running private ski guide trips primarily in Alaska and Japan. Elias is a certified AMGA ski guide and also carries certifications in avalanche rescue, forecasting, rescue rope work, glacier rescue, ski instructing, rope access work, and wilderness first responder. He is currently continuing his route through the AMGA with hopes to complete and achieve his IFMGA pin certification. When Elias is not guiding, he enjoys watching late 80’s sci-fi movies, IPA’s and has a recent fascination with cribbage.

Kai Girard

Jackson, Wyoming

Kai Girard is an IFMGA Mountain Guide, with over 18 years of experience leading expeditions across the world. He lives with his wife in Jackson, Wyoming where he works as a backcountry ski guide in the Tetons. After some early mentors introduced him to the outdoors, he has reveled in the experiences of sharing wild places with good people. He recently had the best croissant of his life while working in the Dolomites, and the Home of the Blizzard is his favorite book about Antarctic exploration.

Madeleine Martin-Preney

Revelstoke, BC, Canada

Madeleine started skiing at the age of 2 and hasn’t stopped since. She started guiding over a decade ago, becoming a Ski Guide, Hiking Guide and Apprentice Rock Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and pursuing her passion of working with people and having amazing experiences in wild places around the world.

She was part of the first team to complete the full traverse of the Canadian Selkirk Range, over 540km (336miles) and 43000m (141076ft) of vertical gain in 36 days. In the winter Madeleine mostly guides ski touring in remote Canadian Backcountry lodges, and works with organizations like Girls Do Ski to support those seeking to gain skills and experience in backcountry and avalanche training.

She lives in Revelstoke BC with her partner (also a guide) and their sweet kitty, Thunder.

Michael Wachs

Jackson, Wyoming

Michael is an IFMGA/UIAGM Licensed Mountain Guide. He is based out of Jackson Hole and is the winter lead guide for JHMG where he hires, staffs, and trains guides. Michael has also ski guided in Switzerland, France, Norway, Canada, Argentina and Antarctica. He as on-sited guided the Matterhorn in Switzerland as well as guided Denali in Alaska.

When he’s not skiing or climbing he spends his time with his wife Frances and his dog Jax.

Dean Staples

Wanaka, New Zealand

Dean Staples is an IFMGA Mountain and Ski Guide with over 30 years of climbing and ski guiding experience both within New Zealand and internationally. He has climbed half of the world’s 8000m Mountains, including successfully guiding Mt. Everest nine times, becoming the first New Zealander to summit Everest from both North and South sides.

Dean has guided eight expeditions to Antarctica and over 20 more to other peaks around the world. He was the Chief Guide for Harris Mountains Heli-skiing in New Zealand for 11 years (25 seasons overall), and has been ski guiding in India and Canada for the past 11 seasons. Dean passes on his extensive knowledge of the mountains as an assessor for the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association on both the climbing and ski guides courses.

Dean lives in Wanaka, NZ, with his partner Lydia Bradey, the first woman to climb Everest without oxygen, and still the only New Zealander to do so.

David Bumgarner

Crested Butte, Colorado

Dave has been guiding all over the American west, Japan and throughout Europe since 2000. He has directed well-established outdoor programs in Colorado and Germany. He is a certified AMGA ski guide and a certified AIARE and ACA instructor trainer. He has a masters degree in Higher Administrative Education and loves sharing the outdoors with his clients.

Lel Tone

Tahoe City, California

Lel is a licensed blaster in the state of California and is an Avalanche control route leader at Squaw. She has her Level 1, 2, and 3 avalanche certifications and is an AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) Level 1 and 2 avalanche instructor.

Since 2004, Lel has been teaching avalanche courses in the Lake Tahoe area and far beyond in South America. Lel feels passionately about teaching people about the miracle of snow science and how to travel safely in the mountains. She has been an EMT since 1989 and a professional member of the American Avalanche Association since 2000. Currently she holds the Ethics Chair position for the American Avalanche Association and is a Guide member of Heli Ski US.

Hermann Berie

Switzerland

Hermann has worked for a long time as an expedition mountain guide for major organizers in the industry. Among other things, he successfully climbed Mount Everest (8850 m) as a guide with 7 participants. From this experience, he creates unique adventure trips in the mountains worldwide with private guests with his company SWISS ALPINE SCHOOL, not just in Zermatt and Arolla, which is now his second home.

Hermann was born and raised in the mountains of southern Germany and is living in Switzerland now for over 20 years. Hermann thinks it’s not just about the success at the summit or the achievement of a goal that is important – the path to get there and the feeling of being on the move with friends.

He enjoys every free minute with his teenage girls on the coast of Italy with swimming and rock climbing.

Cameron Spies

Breckenridge, Colorado

Cam’s career in skiing started at the ripe age of three and involved a fair amount of tears and tantrums. These days he’s found the joy of snowboarding: guiding for Colorado’s North Shore SIlverton Mountain, in the Chugach of Alaska and the Andes of South America. He’s always keen to find the weirdest food and the best snow. Cam is a former downhill mountain bike racer, aspiring rock climber, skydiver, and dog dad to Ullr the husky.

Jessa Gilbert

Squamish, BC, Canada

Originally from New York State, Jessa Gilbert calls Squamish and the backcountry of British Columbia, Canada home. She grew up a park rat and freestyle rider, but in 2013 officially “retired to the backcountry” where a wiser version of herself could thrive. She is drawn to the mountains for adventurous and creative pursuits, whether on her split board, mountain bike, or with an overnight bag outweighing her frame. While actively adding to her guiding skillset, she is focused on curating a shared experience outside for others so they may foster a love of the outdoors… and in turn work to protect these special places. In addition to her guiding pursuits, Jessa is a world renowned Artist and Muralist, creating artwork that celebrates wilderness, adventure, and the joy of spending time outside. Curious to the core, you can find her studying terrain in search of a new painting or a playful experience in nature – the only thing changing is the medium.