About Us
PROFESSIONAL PERUVIAN ANDES ADVENTURES TREKKING, HIKING & CLIMBING GUIDES AND SUPPORT STAFF
Peruvian Andes Adventures was founded in 2003 by brothers Hisao & Eli Morales of Huaraz, together with business partner Anne Thomson of New Zealand. Hisao and Eli are from the well known Huaraz Morales Family who were among the pioneers of organising climbing and trekking expeditions in the Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash when foreign climbers and explorers first starting arriving in the area in the early 60’s. Anne comes from a background of outdoor adventuring in New Zealand & several years of hiking / climbing around the Cordilleras Blanca & Huayhuash.
We are a family operated and oriented business with a background of many years experience working with trekking and climbing groups, with an ethos of having a strong family involvement in all aspects of the business as well as employing a strong staff of experienced, dedicated and trusted employees.
We respect & value all the staff who work with us & who contribute to ensuring that our clients have a wonderful holiday, trekking, hiking or climbing experience in the Peruvian Andes.
We choose to work with people who are not just “in it for the job” but who have genuine interest and enjoyment in providing quality service with a helpful & friendly attitude.
“….. The staff were always helpful & Courteous. They all enjoyed themselves which made for an enjoyable and happy trip for us: (Prue from Australia)
Sharon from Canada said: “I am a repeat customer with great reason. My first trip with Peruvian Andes I found the service to be not only professional but pleasant. Peruvian Andes has found workers who love what they do and this transfers into the way they deliver their service”
Our trek & climb staff are qualified & licensed members of the respective associations that control their various professions & all staff participate in & contribute to our annual Peruvian Andes Adventures “In House Training & Quality Assurance Courses”.
We have a strong team of support staff at the office and trek base, taking care of client reservations, tickets, hotels bookings, trek equipment and helping clients with anything they need while in Huaraz.
Peruvian Andes Adventures staff “Go The Extra Mile” to ensure a Superb Adventure Holiday!
Recent clients have said this about our staff:
Lily (USA) climbed Pisco & Yanapccha: …. guide & the crew were extremely helpful & friendly. I would not have made the summits without them. Peruvian Andes is a FIRST CLASS COMPANY.
Mike (USA) Santa Cruz Trek: I was very impressed with the entire crew. Their demeanour and efforts were outstanding.
Cheryl (USA) Cordillera Huayhuash Trek: The guides, cooks and all other crew members were OUTSTANDING – always professional, very helpful and responsive, clearly knowledgeable.
Andreas & Petra (Germany) Cordillera Huayhuash Trek: we’d like to thank you very much …… in particular your brilliant staff was responsible for the wonderful atmosphere during the trip.
OUR TEAM AT PERUVIAN ANDES ADVENTURES
Our staff are not just employees to us, but are part of the PERUVIAN ANDES ADVENTURES FAMILY
HISAO MORALES
General Manager & Co-Owner
Professional climbing & trekking guide
*UIAGM – Member of International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations
*Member – Mountain Guides Association of Perú
*Participated on Wilderness First Responder course
Birthdate: 18 September 1971
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua, German
Hisao began working with trekking and climbing groups with his father’s and uncles trekking company from a young age while still at school. He soon developed a passion for climbing and climbed extensively with porters & guides while receiving ongoing instruction from Peruvian and international guide instructors at the House of Guides in Huaraz.
Hisao took a break from guiding to attend university in Lima and graduated with double degrees in psychology & philosophy, and in education. He then spent 3 months in New Zealand in 2003 on a working holiday and improving his English, before returning to Huaraz to found Peruvian Andes Adventures with brother Eli.
Hisao speaks fluent English and some German which he is continuing to study. Hisao has considerable experience in the education sector, business and in organising trekking & climbing groups and is our business general manager.
Marc from the USA said: ….. What a terrific adventure! Hisao and his dedicated team did a fantastic job covering all the details so that I was free to give myself entirely to the many beautiful mountains and lakes we encountered along the way.
Graham from Canada said: …” Hisao, To let you know I arrived home safely last night after a memorable and amazing time in Peru . The trek will be forever in my memory . I can’t say enough about the attention to detail by you and your staff which made for such a successful and safe time. The extra effort by yourself regarding the bus journey to Lima , arranging for Paul to meet me and obtain the airline ticket to Cusco Thank you again”
Hisao has participated in an intensive WFR – Wilderness First Responder certification course.
ELI MORALES
Operations Manager & Co-Owner
Professional climbing & trekking guide
*UIAGM – Member of International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations
*Member – Mountain Guides Association of Perú
*Certificate – Wilderness First Responder
Birthdate: 22 December 1965
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua
Eli is the eldest of the Morales brothers, and began his career as a trekking & climbing guide at the age of 16 when he started working with his father & uncles as a trekking assistant during school vacations, and later became a guide for trekking & climbing groups. Eli received ongoing training & instruction from the House of Guides with Peruvian & international guide instructors and in 1999 became a qualified Professional International Mountain Guide – UIAGM
Eli now has many years experience guiding trekking & climbing groups and has extensive knowledge of all the routes, local culture, history, plant and wildlife which he enjoys sharing with his clients. Eli has climbed extensively on 6000m and technical peaks, and successfully summited Huascaran & Alpamayo with clients a multitude of times.
In Huaraz Eli is our Operations Manager – in charge of client liaison, equipment & preparation for group departures but also gets out with groups trekking & climbing as often as possible.
Eli is the proud Dad of twin daughters Analie & Tatiana who keep him running when he is not away in the mountains.
Abby from the UK …..Eli our guide was excellent, kind and very supportive to those struggling on the tougher days. He was also flexible throughout the trek e.g. offering to take those that wanted to a view point.
Mike (Australia) Alpamayo Trek: ….. we appreciated Eli’s leadership and calm demeanour and his sense of humour.
ANNE THOMSON
Client Communication & Trip Planning
Business Associate – Peruvian Andes Adventures (New Zealand)
Qualified Accountant ACA & Diploma Business Management
Birthdate: 01 September 1958
Languages: English, Spanish
Our “KIWI” amiga & family friend Anne lives in New Zealand where she works from her home office, but travels to Huaraz regularly to work with us here. She has trekked extensively in the Cordilleras Blanca & Huayhuash as well as climbed some of the peaks and knows the routes and many of the local people very well. Anne has also travelled in Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Titicaca and Arequipa. She enjoys the New Zealand outdoors, particularly tramping, hiking and kayaking.
Anne is always happy to help you with your trekking, climbing or tours inquiries and can suggest suitable itineraries for you, give advice and help you with bookings
Austrian Client (Travel Agent): Anne… thank you too for all the details you gave us before we started our trip. As I already told you, because of my job here at home I really know what it means to give all those details and to reply every stupid question 😉 I know how much work it means and we really appreciate your support during our trip-preparations. We are looking forward to working with you in the future!!!
Edmund from Bavaria, leader of group of 12 ……My dear Anne, we want to say a very very big THANK YOU especially to you… You must have spent so much time about planning our tour, we are very impressed and very much obliged about that. Everything has worked perfect. Every bus connect, every mountainguide, cook, porter , driver and so on worked perfect.
You can contact Anne directly on: anne@peruvianandes.com
VANESSA PAGOLA HUERTA
Administration Manager & Tour Guide
Birth date: 25 January 1996
Languages: Spanish, Quechua and Basic English
In 2018 we were delighted to welcome Vanessa to the team. Vanessa has recently completed a degree in tourism and in 2017 she travelled with some of our trek groups as assistant guide so she knows the trekking routes well.
She has now joined with us full time as our administration manager and well be making sure that all your bookings are taken care of as well as helping you while you are in Huaraz and guiding some day hikes and treks.
Vanessa speaks basic English and is still studying, so she is looking forward to meeting you all and improving her English with you.
LANG
Huaraz Base Logistics & Trek Assistant
Birth date: 22 August 1973
Languages: Spanish, Quechua
Lang is the partner of our brother Rolando and joined our staff for the 2013 season. Lang is in charge of all our Huaraz base arrangements and preparations for group departures – from overseeing food purchase and packing, to tents, cooking & other equipment packing & maintenance. Lang also goes out with trek groups when possible as an assistant cook. In 2013 she made her first summits, climbing Urus & Ishinca with Rolando.
Lang with Rolando & Daughters Bridgette & Isabel
NESTOR MORALES
Trek Guide
Our uncle Nestor is one of the most experienced guides & operators in Huaraz and has an absolute wealth of knowledge about all the routes, mountains, history, plants, traditional medicine and much more.
Nestor has climbed almost all the peaks in the Cordillera Blanca and there is no part of the Cordillera Blanca or Cordillera Huayhuash that is unknown to Nestor.
Our clients appreciated very much Nestors patience, kindness, incredible knowledge, attention to detail and sense of humour.
Nestor speaks good English
Nancy said: Nestor guided us safely + happily on this trek. He provided so much information about the area, climbing + trekking information stories and the plant + animals at the cordillera. He was attentive to our health as well. His hiking pace was help in keeping us together as a group. I’m positive it helped us to adjust to the altitude properly as well.
William from the USA trekked the Santa Cruz Trail with Nestor ……” Nestor was amazing, both for the day hike & the trek. He was well-informed, had a great sense of humour, was patient yet insistent with us, and always making sure we were having a great time. A great storyteller too!”
MAYUMI MORALES
Trek guide and cook
Birthdate: 22 August 1973
Languages: Spanish, Quechua, some English
Mayumi is the only daughter in the family. She studied law two years at the University of Huaraz, then married and now has two teenage children.
Mayumi is a five star trek cook and many clients who trek with her complain that they put on weight while trekking!
She has a wicked sense of humour and everyone who treks with Mayumi is guaranteed to have a lot of fun. With her mother, Mayumi runs a busy Sunday market café in Huaraz, preparing and serving traditional Peruvian meals.
Some Trekking Clients With Mayumi Said: You are the best and funniest cook ever. Every day you surprised us with new delicious meals. Thank you for all the effort and a lot of fun! *Mayumi must be the world´s best trekking cook – the food was amazing
ROLANDO MORALES
Trekking & climbing guide
Birthdate: 10 June 1978
Languages: Spanish, Quechua, some English
Rolando is our youngest brother. Like all our family, he was brought up trekking, ice climbing and rock climbing and has a special passion for rock climbing. Rolando is an Aspirante UIAGM mountain guide, Member of the Peruvian Mountain Guides Association.
Stanley (New Zealand)did multiple treks & climbing with Rolando: … and thank you very much for a wonderful time and marvellous treks. Rolando was great and a first class guide. In comparison with other parts of the world that I visit there were no hitches at all and I expect at least some problems but with Peruvian Andes Adventures all went smoothly and your company was well above my expectations.
MARCO MILLA
Professional climbing & trekking guide
Date of Birth: 22 August 1971
*UIAGM International Mountain Guide
*Member Peruvian Mountain Guides Association
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua.
Marco is a UIAGM professional international mountain guide, having qualified in 1999 following an assessment by Swiss instructors. He is a very experienced climber, and has been leading climbing and trekking groups for us for several years. Marco speaks good English. Marco is a very caring guide, has a great sense of humour and enjoys making sure that clients have a wonderful experience trekking or climbing
David from the UK climbed Ishinca with Marco said: “ Marco was the perfect guide for me. I have never had before a perfect guide. Calm, reliable, often funny”
Mark from the USA said … “Marco, Jorge, and Liberato were all wonderful, and it was a bit sad to part company with them at the end. We had a great time with them — good conversation and some laughs… and I can’t imagine a better, more congenial guide than Marco
WALTER ALBINO
Professional climbing & trekking guide
Birth Date: 12 June 1983
*UIAGM – Member of International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations
*Member – Mountain Guides Association of Perú
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua
Walter is one of our most seasoned & experienced mountain guides. For him almost no mountain or route is impossible & technical climbing is his specialty. From an early age all he ever wanted to do was be climbing in the mountains, and he received good basic early training from his father Jorge who was one of the pioneering mountain porters in the Cordillera Blanca and who we are now fortunate to have working with us as a high mountain cook.
Walter is one of our guide experts for climbing big mountains such as Huascarán, Alpamayo and other technical peaks. Walter speaks good basic English.
David (USA) Climbed Pisco & Yanapaccha: I was exceptionally grateful for the professional service rendered by my guide Walter & his father Jorge who served as the cook. Walter maintained a slow steady pace and regularly inquired about my needs. On the mountains he provided expertise which made me feel very secure. A great team, could not have been better!
Luba from Russia who climbed with Walter, his dad Jorge & Iver said… “I was very pleased with the overall trip, especially with the level of professionalism, attention & attitude of my climbing crew – Walter, Jorge & Iber. They deserve the highest marks all around!”
WILDER ALVARADO
Professional climbing & trekking guide
Birth Date: 01 June 1978
*UIAGM – Member of International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations
*Member – Mountain Guides Association of Perú
*Certificate – Wilderness First Responder
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua
Wilder is another strong, competent & professional UIAGM mountain guide. He is vastly experienced, having guided climbing groups all the peaks in the Cordillera Blanca, including multiple climbs of Huascaran, Chopicalqui, Tocllaraju, Alpamayo, Artesonraju, Ranrapalca & Palcaraju. Wilder serves on the executive of the House of Guides in Huaraz and has been president – overseeing training and assessment of Peruvian mountain guides. Wilder speaks good English.
Check out the comment from Wilders client Trevor from the UK:
It was a real pleasure to be in the Cordillera in the company of such a group of professionals´s especially Wilder who was an excellent instructor and who´s patience and drive to push me really did ensure I got the most out of my course!!
Anne from Canada who climbed Artesonraju with Wilder said …. “The guide Wilder was absolutely FANTASTIC!”
Kyoko from Japan climbed Chopicalqui with Wilder: “ … The guide Wilder was very friendly and helped us so much… Wilder helped me when I felt very difficult to pass a large crevasse, & then I could pass it easily. Sunrise on the summit of Chopi was above my expectation – so nice! This trip will be my best memory
JORGE CLEMENTE
Professional climbing & trekking guide
*UIAGM International Mountain guide
*Member Peruvian Mountain Guides Association
*Certificate Wilderness First Responder
Birthdate: 14 April 1963
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua
Jorge has been working as a trek guide in the Cordillera Blanca & Cordillera Huayhuash, as well as in Cuzco for more than 20 years. He started climbing in 1990, trained at the House of Guides initially becoming an Aspirant mountain guide and then passed the intensive assessment course to become a full UIAGM international Qualified Guide. Jorge is a very experienced climber and guide, having climbed Alpamayo more times than he can remember, Huascaran, Quitaraju, Tocllaraju west face, Artesonraju & Chopicalqui with our clients.
He is super attentive to clients needs and always will make sure that clients have the best climbing and trekking experience possible.
Zuzana & Vit Vakubska from Chez Republic / Huayhuash Trek
The guide performance of Jorge was highly above standard operation, perfect professional! Thanks for this guide!!
The guide Jorge exceeded by far our expectations & made the trek perfectly suited to our needs.
JUAN CARLOS LLIUYA
Professional climbing & trekking guide
Birth Date: 06 March 1977
*UIAGM – Member of International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations
*Member – Mountain Guides Association of Perú
*Certificate – Wilderness First Responder
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua
We welcomed onto our permanent guide staff in 2009 Juan Carlos. For many years he worked as a porter, cook and assistant guide before studying with the House of Guides to become a mountain guide. In 2006 he was accredited as UIAGM international mountain guide. Juan has a keen sense of humour, always ready for a joke. He speaks English and continues with English studies to reach a more advanced level.
HEIMER GUILLEN CELESTINO
Qualified Trekking guide
Birthdate: 26 May 1984
Languages: Spanish, Quechua & English
Like most of our Trekking and Climbing Guides Heimer comes from a little village located at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca. He is among a number of new young trek guides in Huaraz who have studied English and undertaken full time study at the House of Guides to become qualified professional trek guides “CEAM”.
Heimer speaks good English and looks forward to sharing the beauty of the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash.
Mark (USA) Santa Cruz Trek: Everything was excellent! Our guide, Heimer, was especially knowledgeable about history, culture, biology & made our experience very enjoyable.
Len from the USA said …”Everything was great. Heimer was just terrific, we would love to meet him again.
ANA ROMERO
Assistant guide and Cook
Joining our great team of lady guides and cooks, we welcomed Ana in 2015. Ana works as an assistant trek cook but has also recently completed her professional trekking guide course and is looking forward to guiding with trek groups in the future when she has studied more English
Joe & Peggy from the USA trekked and climbed in the Cordillera Huayhuash ….”Crisaldo & Ana were delightful to work with, Cristalo in particular took on many extra duties (including carrying the climbers gear to the peaks & actually climbing & providing support for the Diablo Mudo ascent” Ana was always positive and we loved her laugh.
FREDY LLIUYA
Qualified Trekking guide
Birth date: 15 June 1986
Languages: Spanish, Quechua & English
We were very lucky to have Freddy join our guiding staff in 2012. Freddy is another local, growing up in the village of Llupa above Huaraz and not far from the Laguna Churup hiking area.
Freddy studied to become a licensed trek guide at the Casa de Guias in Huaraz CEAM (Centre for High Mountain Studies) and at the same time studied English to an advanced level. He is very focused and also in 2012 completed a university degree in education and is a qualified teacher. Freddy speaks good English and is very knowledgeable about local history, culture, plant life and geology and enjoys passing on his knowledge to clients.
James & Randy from Canada did a Cordiller Huayhuash Trek with Freddy:
…Had a GREAT time. The guide Freddy & cook Cesar were excellent, as well as the rest of the group….. Freddy was very good. Very conscientious always. Ready to answer questions always. Plus volunteered lots of information o plants, culture, mountains etc. *** five stars***
Lisa and Mike from the USA said: …… -Fredy was the best guide we have ever had! Knowledgeable always and observing our reactions to pace and altitude and careful about our safety. He answered our million questions about Peruvian culture and we could not have asked for a better more friendly & informed, experienced guide.
MARCO HUANE
Trainee Trekking guide
Birthdate: 12 October 1979
Languages: Spanish, Quechua, some English
Marco worked for several years as a trek assistant &climbing porter.
He has now commenced his studies at the House of Guides to become a professional trek guide and intends to follow up with studies and practical experience to become a mountain guide.
DAVID OROPEZA
Qualified Aspirant Mountain Guide &Trek Guide
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua.
David (nickname Condor) is the middle brother of our Orepeza brothers guiding trio. . He is Asprirant UIAGM mountain guide and a very experienced trek guide.
He has a wicked sense of humour and always goes “the extra mile” to make sure that his clients have a fantastic time, often taking clients out for a day fishing or for an extra tour or activity in his own time. The most exciting moment of his career was falling into a crevasse when a large snow bridge collapsed under his feet in 2007, leaving him swinging some 15m down on the end of his rope. With his typical humour he said “it was the first time & I am not sure if I want to do it again”
He says that his English is “So So” but his clients tell us that his English is not so bad, and he works with us as a Basic English speaking guide or assistant to a fluent English speaking guide.
Amy (UK) Santa Cruz trek said: “David was a great guide, relaxed and easy going, knowledgeable of the mountains, flexible in terms of our needs and fitness level (trekked at a good pace with plenty of short rests), felt we were in good hands”
Tom from the UK trekked the Huayhuash & said: David our guide is a walking encyclopaedia of flowers and mountains. His knowledge of mountain weather & trails kept us safe & prepared each day. His gentle pace allowed our bodies to adapt to the altitude & still arrive at lunch or campaments on schedule. He was extremely patient with our passion for photography (1114 photos on my camera) where stopping for flowers or landscape was very frequent. He waited & answered our many questions”
Wilfredo (Willie) Morales
Trek Guide & Aspirant Mountain Guide
Languages: English, Spanish, Quechua
We were pleased to welcome Willie to our team of trek guides for the 2015 season. Like most of our guides Willie grew up in a village in the hills above Huaraz. After finishing his high school education he studied full time to become a professional licensed trek guide, aspirant mountain guide & also studied English to an advanced level. Willie has already become a popular guide with our clients and all appreciate his in-depth local knowledge and happy nature.
Alan from Australia & Peggy from the USA did Huayhuash Trek 15 days & climbing Pumarinri & Diablo Mudo said ….
Willie, our guide, impressed us with his warmth, friendliness, expertise and his passion in sharing ‘his’ mountains with us.
At 25 years old Willi was a phenomenal guide – his maturity, positive attitude & ability to remain unflappable & calm under stressful situations (a landslide that blocked a road on the way to camp 1) was amazing. We’ll long remember his sense of humour, broad smiles and laughter.
YOVANA HUANE
Morales Guesthouse Manager
The delightful Yovana takes care of guests staying in Morales Guesthouse, preparing delicious breakfasts and attending to guests needs while they are staying in Huaraz.
Yovana is studying tourism and English and enjoys chatting with guests, practicing her English and answering clients questions – always with that beautiful smile!
Mark from USA California: “Yovana goes to great lengths to make sure her guests are taken care of. Yovana makes great breakfasts, and is so friendly with everyone. We had a beautiful time in Huaraz and recommend the Morales Guesthouse to anyone visiting Huaraz”.
CUSINGA FAMILY (Lima)
Patty & her Dad Julio are our trusted Lima colleagues who meet clients at the airport, make transfers to hotels, bus stations & airport and run clients around Lima. They also help out clients who may have problems while in Lima (lost luggage etc) and on request organise private guided Lima city tours.
Isabel & Carl from the USA said: We (especially Carl) enjoyed your man in Lima, Paul. He diligently waited for our delayed flight and had a sign at the arrival area. Carl enjoyed chatting with him about a variety of topics. We also enjoyed the Goldmuseum and wished we had more time to do so.
Parul from the USA said…. “Our transfer and tour contact in Lima were just wonderful. We had a great visit to Pachacamac – I could not say enough good things about them”
Esteban Cipriano
Trek Cook
Esteben is our most experienced trek cook, having been with us since the commencement of our company. Not only does he prepare delicious meals for trekking & mountaineering groups, he also is a tutor at the Huaraz cookery school, teaching high altitude cooking.
Esteben is also an accomplished mountaineer and has been high mountain cook for many climbing expeditions, although now that he is more senior he prefers to stay lower and cook for trek groups.
William from the USA trekked the Santa Cruz with Esteben ”… The meals on the trek were fantastic! The morning snack bags were a perfect mix on nuts, fruits & sweets. I really enjoyed tea time, especially the jam. Having tea many times throughout the day was nice too
YOVANI GLORIA
Trekking & Expedition Climbing Cook
Yovani is aged in his late 30’s and originally worked as a climbing porter.
In the last few years he attended chef school and he now enjoys preparing delicious trekking meals and climbing with our groups in the mountains. With his mountaineering skills, he is very adaptable and a valued staff member for high mountain expeditions.
Len (USA) Huayhuash Trek .. Yovani can be a cook in the best NY restaurant.!
Evan from the USA…” Jovani the cook made such great breakfasts, lunches and dinners. How did you find this person? He was outstanding”
Peggy from the USA trekked the Cordillera Huayhuash said: …”Yovanni (our cook) was exceptional. He created wonderful & gourmet meals throughout our 15 day trek with very limited resources. His dishes could easily compete with the best restaurants in Huaraz”
JORGE ALBINO
Trekking Cook
Jorge is the father of Walter, one of our top climbing guides. Jorge is another great cook and is a specialist in cooking for the high mountain.
In his earlier days he was known to be the strongest porter in the whole of Huaraz & has climbed several times Huascaran, Alpamayo, Chopicalqui, Tocllaraju & has also climbed in Bolivia but now he has “matured” a little and prefers to make great food for hiking groups rather than scaling huge mountains
He was lucky enough to be invited to be part of a Peruvian team that climbed in the Himalaya and it is said that the Sherpas were absolutely amazed at how strong & capable he was on the climb.
We are now very lucky to have Jorge working with our climbing & trekking groups.
Anne from Canada .. “Jorge the cook is AWESOME!, the best cook in town, he takes care of my food intolerance”
Marc from the USA …. “ Chef George (Jorge) prepared delicious meals which included pancakes for breakfast, fresh soups for dinner, fried yucca at tea and many other delights. Everyone’s dietary requests were handled on an individualized basis”
THOÑO TAFUR
Trekking Cook
Thoño is our youngest cook we have in our company. He prefers to cook for our climbing expeditons groups. He start at young age as a porter, then assistant cook. He studied for 3 years to become a chef at CEFOTUR institute.
Lisa & Mike from the USA did a trek with Thono….. “Tonio was an excellent cook and a great addition to the team! His fresh trout cerviche was some of the best we have tasted around the world and his soups were fantastic. He was friendly and always willing to help”
BER SOLANO
Porter, Assistant Guide
Keeping it in the family, Iber is the son of our regular trek cook Alfonzo.
Iver is multi talented, being one of our strongest climbing porters & assistant trek guide and also assisting with administration at our base . Iver is married with two children
ROGER NIETO
Porter & Assistant Cook
Roger is Eli’s son in law. He operates his own small business selling cooking gas to households, but in his spare time also works with us as a porter and assistant to the trek cooks.
Amanda from the UK trekked Santa Cruz & Climbed Pisco: Roger (porter) was very pleasant, hardworking and a joy to have around.
MAXIMO HUANE
Trekking & Climbing Porter, High Altitude Cook
Maximo is the Dad of our two young staff members Yovana and Marco, and he has worked in our family trekking business for many years. He is extremely courteous and very warm hearted. He has vast experience as a climbingporter and also cooks at high altitude camps.
He has climbed Huascran, Alpamayo, Tocllaraju and many other mountains in the Cordillera Blanca. He has also been in Cusco and Arequipa working as a porter for a glacier research company.
GRISALDO RAMIREZ
Grisaldo has been working as a porter since 2005 and is very experienced, having climbed all the big peaks in the Cordillera Blanca including among them Huascaran Sur, Artesonraju Alpamayo, Caraz Norte and Palcaraju.
Grisaldo is married with two children.
JOHN OBREGON
Porter
John is a very young, fast, strong, and friendly porter and he is always willing to do what is needed.
When he is not working as a porter he can be found working on a small farm and playing soccer at his village above Huaraz.
RODOLFO QUEZADA
Porter & Trainee Cook
Nickname “Ashcash” Rodolfo is one of our most experienced climbing porters, having climbed Huascaran, Chopicalqui, Tocllaraju and Pisco several times.
He also has a passion for cooking and has often worked with our groups as an assistant cook.
He has just commenced a training course to become a trek cook – look out for Rodolfo cooking up special treats out on trek in the future.
When he is not working with us, Rodolfo is a builder and a farmer, and is also busy looking after his three children.
JOSUE
Porter & Trainee Cook
Previous clients will remember the delightful young Josue meeting them at the bus station or out on day hikes.
He is now a qualified joiner / carpenter and produces beautiful handcrafted wooden furniture. In the season when time allows he enjoys working with us as a trek & climb porter.
CLIMBING PORTERS
We have a valued team of experienced, highly trained and strong climbing porters to assist you with your climbing adventures.
All have accreditation and are licensed by the Association of Climbing Porters, and are well equipped with good quality climbing equipment and mountain clothing.
VICTOR
Arriero or Donkey Driver
Victor is just one of our trusted arrieros (donkey drivers). He lives two days hike away from Huaraz in the mountain village of Colcabamba and works with us in the Cordillera Blanca.
Victor is a farmer, but works with us in the trek season to earn extra income which he uses to pay board and school fees for his two daughters who are studying at High School & University in Huaraz.
Victor is always happy and smiling, and works hard to make your holiday special.
Matt & Jolene from Canada said: Donkey driver. – We´ll take Victor anytime!. He´s great.
Michael from Switzerland said about the Cordillera Blanca donkey drivers … “*The effort of the donkey drivers (Jaime & Victor) was outstanding & for us extremely impressive.The donkey drivers treated their animals with respect !!!!!
SEGUNDINO
Arriero or Donkey Driver
Segundino is another of our many trusted and hard working donkey drivers.
He lives in Llamac and accompanies us on Cordillera Huayhuash treks. He is also our local expert trout fisherman!
Andrew & Leah from the USA did a Huayhuash Trek & said … “We liked the use of local resources (donkey drivers, food), appreciated that the donkey drivers ate with us at night & not on their own. Overall thought it was a well run trek through a beautiful area. Cesar is a great cook!”
Tom from the UK said about his donkey drivers “… “Jimmy & Roger” – not being able to become more acquainted with these two respectful, even deferrable young men was largely due to my poor Spanish. Nevertheless, I am very pleased with their expertise with the animals, all of which appeared very healthy and cared for, and their support of camp selection and tent pitching. Their water collection, fishing expertise and just being the silent/quiet organisation behind the scenes every day for our comfort & enjoyment.”
And where would we be without the support and encouragement of our parents?
Pablo, Anne, Noel, Rosemary & Señora Isabella
2010 our parents enjoyed a tour to Cusco & Machu Picchu
Pablo & señora Isabella Morales from Huaraz, Noel & Rosemary (Anne parentss) from New Zealand – relaxing in Machu Picchu with Anne