| CERTIFICATION |
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ASEGUIM
[Asociacion Ecuatoriana de Guias de Montaña]
We are members of ASEGUIM, the Ecuadorian Association
of Mountain Guides. Back in 1990, when the demand for
guides was growing, the need to improve the standards
of local mountaineers became clear. As a result a group
of climbers created the Association of Mountain Guides.
The first courses were given by Instructors of the local
Climbing Federation, an amateur institution. Nowadays
they are given by professional instructors. ASEGUIM works
together with the National School of Guides in France
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WFR
[Wilderness First Responder]
Wilderness Medical Training is important for professionals,
active in the outdoor industry. WFR is a widely recognised
outdoor medical training qualification. Most of our guides
have followed the Wilderness First Responder course, which
is given in co-operation with SOLO from the US. |
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ENSA
[Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme]
Since 1994 the National School of Guides ENSA from Chamonix
in France has been providing training courses to Ecuadorian
guides. This has helped enormously to improve standards
of safety in the mountains of Ecuador.
Since 1995 ten Ecuadorian guides have been trained in
Chamonix to become Instructors of the local School of
Guides. Some of these instructors are currently guiding
for Andeanface. Nowadays our School of Guides qualifies
a group of new guides every 4 years. |
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| LEAVE
NO TRACE OUTDOOR ETHICS |
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With
the rise in popularity of trekking and climbing, the
mountains in the Ecuadorian Andes are being visited
by ever increasing numbers of people. We are drawn to
the mountains for their beauty, purity, remoteness,
and the unique challenges they present. The mountains
are our home, and it can sometimes be challenging to
leave no trace and maintain the natural beauty of the
wilderness areas we explore. At Andeanface we take Leave
No Trace ethics and practices very seriously. The mountains
are our home and we are unwilling to sacrifice their
preservation for human objectives.
We believe that given the proper information most people
will do all they can to help protect and maintain the
environment. There is nothing more beautiful than working
hard to get high into the mountains, come upon a pristine
campsite, witness incredible views and have the feeling
that no one has been there before. And there is nothing
more disheartening than working hard to climb a mountain,
reaching a site and encountering trash, food waste and/or
toilet paper.
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| Who
Are We? |
Andeanface
is an Ecuadorian-Dutch climbing and trekking
company. As direct operators we specialise in
mountaineering & trekking in Ecuador. We
also provide logistic support for expeditions
in Ecuador. And we co-ordinate voluntary work
programs in order to help the street children
of our country.
Our name refers not only to the mountain faces,
but also to the faces of the children of the
Andes. Andeanface combines two meaningful realities
which are the driving forces of our lives: the
mountains and kids of the Andes.
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Our
Mission
To
provide reliable outdoor services to people
who love nature and to provide logistic support
for international outdoor organisations, while
making a contribution towards the development
of the local communities where we operate. We
strongly believe that tourism can help children
living in poverty in Ecuador. Therefore we support
the Daniëlle Children’s Fund and
develop voluntary work programs together.
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Our
commitment is to assure our clients satisfaction
in every aspect of their experience in Ecuador.
We achieve this by putting all our experience
and knowledge to serve our customers in the
way they expect from us.
As mountaineers and guides, we love to share
with our clients our love for the mountains
and what we have learned from them through the
years: freedom, camaraderie and teamwork. After
10 years organising expeditions to the Andes
of Ecuador, we know what makes a climbing and
trekking expedition different: maximum attention
to every detail, so none of the aspects we can
control are left to improvisation.
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| Our
Philosophy |
We
want to make climbing in Ecuador more accessible
to people of different ages and gender. In the
ideal setting of Ecuador, our guests can have
a safe and exhilarating first high altitude experience.
For us, mountaineering
is not a sport in which the ideas of fearlessness
determine who you are as a person. Records and
competitiveness are irrelevant and "the
fastest or the first ascents" are not always
the most spectacular. The mountains help us
to find other values that are more fulfilling.
Our philosophy of mountaineering
is based on the ability to share our experiences
and expertise with other people, who share the
same passion for life and nature that we do.
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| The
Directors |
Javier
Herrera
The Director and Head Guide of Andeanface,
Javier has been climbing in Ecuador
for more than 17 years and organising
expeditions for ten. As a mountaineer
he has led many ascents in the Andes,
the Alps, the Karakorum and the Himalayas,
with seven expeditions to Nepal including
two eight thousand meter peaks.
He is one of the Instructors of the
Ecuadorian Association of Mountain
guides (ASEGUIM), and has completed
several courses with ENSA, the French
National School of Guides.
During his cycling career he won both
gold and silver medals in the Pan-American
games of 1990, for which he was awarded
the Presidential Medal of Honour for
the highest merit in sports. |
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Helma
van der Hoeven
Helma is the Director of the voluntary work
programs of Andeanface. She was born in
Holland and worked a few years in London
as a stockbroker, but decided to leave her
job in order to achieve her dream of helping
children in need. She left to Nepal to work
as a volunteer in a children's hospital
where she personally felt the reality of
life of poor kids in a Third World country.
She decided to create the Daniëlle
Children's Fund to provide assistance and
better opportunities for poor children of
Nepal, and later of Ecuador, her husband's
country of birth, and the place where both
actually live. |
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| The
Guides
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As
guides we are the pioneers of the new guiding
tradition that began in 1980, when the first
local guides started leading climbers to
the summits of Cotopaxi and Chimborazo.
Since then we have made many ascents in
the Andes, we have brought our professional
careers to a higher level by following training
courses in the European Alps and we have
led expeditions in other continents including
to some of the 8.000 m / 26,000 ft peaks
in Asia.
We have guided and instructed clients of
all ability levels to greater heights of
self-discovery within the Andes and worldwide,
to far away challenges as Everest, Ama Dablam,
Cho Oyu, Gasherbrun II, Aconcagua, Huascaran
and many others.
We all share a common enthusiasm for
guiding, thorough knowledge of the places
we work in and a willingness to show our
clients all the things we have learned
about our Andean environment.
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Jose
Luis Peralvo
Jose Luis, besides climbing in Ecuador,
has guided in every country of the Andes
including five expeditions to Aconcagua.
He has led expeditions to Peru, Bolivia,
Argentina and to Nepal, where in 2002 he
became the first Ecuadorian guide to lead
clients to the summit of Everest,
and repeated this endeavour in 2005. He
has completed training courses at the French
School of Guides in Chamonix and at DAV,
the German Alpine Club in Munich. From 1998
till 2002 he was Director of the Mountain
Guiding School ASEGUIM (Ecuadorian Association
of Mountain Guides). Jose Luis is a very
pleasant person to be with, a fluent English
speaker and one of our senior guides. Holds
a WFR wilderness medicine certificate. |
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Jaime
Avila
Jaime Avila has successfully guided expeditions
in every country of the Andes for International
Mountain Guiding organizations including
ascents of Aconcahua through the polish
glacier route, several expedition in Bolivia,
successful ascents of Alpamayo and Huscaran
in Peru and several other less known peaks
in the Andes as well many expeditions in
Ecuador.
In 2003 he was the assistant leader of a
commercial expedition to Denali in Alaska
and after that he managed to develop his
professional career further afield out of
the Americas.
In 2004 he led a successful expedition to
Amadablam and to Island Peak located in
the heart of the Himalayas.
Being married to Joann, a British teacher,
resident in Quito, has helped him to cross
cultural boundaries and to develop relationships
with people from different nationalities.
Holds a WFR wilderness medicine certificate
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Benno
Schlauri
A Swiss guide
living in Ecuador since 1994 happily married
to Mariana a Ecuadorian National. Benno
started skiing at the early age of 4, since
he was 14 he was a member of the Swiss Alpine
Club where he did a extensive climbing career
in the Alps. He is one of the few ASEGUIM
guides who is qualified to lead ski descents
in Ecuador.
Since his arrival to South America he has
continuously been guiding in most
of the Andean countries of South Americas
specially in Ecuador. At the moment is one
of the Instructors of the Ecuadorian Association
of Mountain Guides. |
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Felipe Jacome
An experienced high altitude climber and
a cheerful fellow, Felipe has been an instructor
of the local Mountaineering Federation (EPAM)
and a driving force of the Mountaineering
Club of the Catholic University of Quito.
His extensive climbing background include
most of the mountains of Ecuador with some
technical routes, several 6.000 meter peaks
in the rest of South America including some
expeditions to the highest peaks of Peru
and Bolivia, has also led a few ascents
in the European Alps. Felipe has completed
courses in Europe with the Spanish School
of Mountaineering and the French School
of Guides ENSA. Felipe holds a university
degree in Eco-tourism as well as a Wilderness
Emergency Medical qualification as a technician
given by WMI of NOLS (Wilderness Medicine
Institute of NOLS) from the US. At the moment
Felipe is the Director of Mingai
www.mingai.org
a center for medical outdoor training
Felipe is one of the six Ecuadorian guides
who have passed the IFMGA aspirant
guide course and hopes to get his full certification
by September 2008. |
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Nacho Espinosa
Has completed his studies of Anthropology
at the Catholic University of Quito and
has a good level of Kichwa, the
native language of the Incas. In 2005
took part in a guiding course given by
the French School of Guides ENSA in Bolivia.
Nacho has taken part in many expeditions
to the southern Andes such as Alpamayo,
Artesunaraju, Cayesh and Chopicalqui en
Peru, the West face of Huayna Potosi, Sajama
and Hallomen in Bolivia. In Ecuador has
led many commercial expeditions to the main
peaks. Nacho has also attempted the mysterious
north face of Obispo “the hardest
climb in Ecuador” Holds a WFR
certification given by WMI of NOLS (Wilderness
Medicine Institute of NOLS) from he USA.
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Edison
Oña
A keen Marathon runner
and a qualified mountain guide. Edison balances
his love for climbing in Ecuador with a
strong commitment to developing his photographic
skills. Has been guiding in Ecuador since
1994 with more than 100 successfu ascents
of Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Among his accomplishemts
he led the first traverse of all the summits
of Altar, the hardest peaks in Ecuador.
Edison for the last 10 years has also been
leading expeditions to the southern Andes
of Peru, Bolivia and Argentina where he
has climbed several times Aconcahua, the
highest mountain of the Americas. He has
an outstanding reputation as a leader
and guide. He accomplished one of his dreams
of climbing in Nepal by being the driving
force of the 1st Ecuadorian expedition that
suceeded on Everest in 2006. Edison is a
fluent english speaker. |
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Gaspar
Navarrete
Gaspar is one of the most technically skilled
guides of Ecuador. Besides climbing in Ecuador
he has led trips to other Andean countries
and climbed many interesting routes in the
European Alps including the Eiger North
Wall. He has attended several training courses
with the French School of guides ENSA. He
is currently the Director of the School
of Mountain Guides in Ecuador. His enthusiasm
for new routes in the mountains of Ecuador
is contagious and he enjoys sharing it with
others who have a similar love of wild,
remote places. Holds a WFR wilderness medicine
certificate. |
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Freddy
Tipan
Freddy
Tipan is a UIAGM aspirant guide who is completing
his guide's training at ENSA l´ Ecole
National de Ski et d´ Alpinisme de
France. Freddy was born at the foothills
of Antisana volcano, since his childhood
he started hiking and climbing around Antisana
region.
During his
climbing career he has led many expeditions
in Ecuador and later to the southern Andes
of Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. By
July 2008 Freddy hopes to get his full IFMGA
license as a International Mountain Guide.
Freddy has been climbing in Ecuador for
more that 15 years |
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Alejandro
Lazzati
Alejandro is a very talented mountaineer
and rock climber. He has extensive climbing
experience in all the mountains of Ecuador.
He is an instructor of the Association of
Guides ASEGUIM. In 2001 he led a successful
expedition to the highest mountain of Peru
and in 2008 was the leader of an american
expedition that succeeded on Aconcahua (the
highest peak of the Americas). He holds
a Wilderness Emergency Medical qualification
as a technician given by WMI of NOLS (Wilderness
Medicine Institute of NOLS) from the US.
He is the first Ecuadorian guide to become
fully IFMGA certified (www.ivbv.info).
Alejandro has a deep feeling for nature
and his passion for the mountains is truly
joyful. His attention to detail, sensitivity
to guest needs, and extensive knowledge
of the mountains and history of the Andes
of Ecuador is unrivalled. |
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Jose
Landazuri
Jose has been climbing in Ecuador and guiding
for more than 16 years with more than 200
ascents of Cotopaxi and around 50 of Chimborazo.
His hyperactive personality and his love
for the Ecuadorian mountains makes him one
of our most popular guides. He has completed
his training in the Oberland Section of
the DAV (German Alpine Club). Jose has done
sevaral dificult climbs in the European
Alps. He is one of the Instructors of our
School of Guides. Jose has been senior climbing
guide for many British expeditions which
have come to Ecuador during the last 10
years. We know his never-ceasing enthusiasm
and cheerful personality will always add
immeasurably to the enjoyment of the trips
he leads. His love for the mountains, his
capacity to share that with clients, and
his friendly rapport with all the people
along the trails, make him one of our best
known guides. Holds a WFR wilderness medicine
certificate. |
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Oswaldo
Freire
Oswaldo is a very experienced climber.
He has made many notable climbs, among
them the first traverse of all the summits
of El Altar, two expeditions to the South
Face of Aconcagua, the Eastern Face of
Huayna Potosi in Bolivia and a difficult
route up Peak Lenin. He has led many commercial
expeditions to the Andes of Bolivia, Peru
and Argentina.
"Ossy" as we call him, is well
informed about his country's culture,
history, and spectacular natural places,
and loves sharing his knowledge with our
guests. His spirit, enthusiasm, and knowledge
extend well beyond the borders of Ecuador.
Besides guiding he is running a unique
restaurant and lodge overlooking the city
of Quito. Take a look at www.rumilomalodge.com.
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Ramiro
Garrido
Ramiro Garrido is a former President of
the San Gabriel climbing club of Quito
.He has been mountaineering in Ecuador
since the age of 11, intensively climbed
almost all the mountains of Ecuador. During
the summer months July and August, he
has often spent time climbing in the southern
Andes of Peru and Bolivia. Among his notable
ascents he has climbed Aconcahua by the
Polish Glacier Route. He loves to share
with people his two main passions of life:
mountaineering and outdoor video filming.
He holds a WFR (Wilderness First Responder
certification) and he is an active member
of ASEGUIM.
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Sebastián
Carrasco
Sebastián
Carrasco, an Italian National resident
in Quito, has completed his studies at
the Thompson Rivers University of Canada.
He is a certified rock guide by the Canadian
Association of Mountain guides. Like most
of our guides his climbing experience
is in the southern Andes of South America.
In August 2007, he was the leader of the
first Ecuadorian ascent of East Chacraraju
(6001m) in Peru. Sebastian has done several
technical ascents in the Canadian rocky
mountains as well as in the European alps.
He has worked in the past in Argentina
monitoring avalanche conditions.
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Javier
Mora
Javier has beenclimbing in Ecuador since
1999. A freelance outdoor photographer with
a university degree in business, he is a
member of our Association of Mountain Guides
and a very talented climber, who spends
part of the year leading expeditions in
Ecuador and Peru. He is also a fluent German
speaker. In addition to being multilingual,
he is extremely knowledgeable about the
flora, fauna, history, and customs of the
Andes. Holds a WFR wilderness medicine certificate. |
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Daniel
Romagosa
Daniel is our head trekking guide. He combines
his job as a graphic designer with his interest
in nature. He currently leads most of our
treks and enthusiastically shares his open
personality with people of all ages, being
a naturalist with a deep appreciation and
extensive comprehension of Ecuadorian culture
as well. His passionate love of his country
and its people, and his knowledge of all
that is Ecuadorian make him a wonderful
trip leader. |
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Pablo
Montalvo
His love and respect for his country is
conveyed with great enthusiasm. His knowledge
of Ecuadorian culture and history is prodigious,
combined with his love of the outdoors,
make him a great leader for this diverse
and fascinating country. Pablo is well versed
in the rich culture of Ecuador as well as
the classic trekking routes. His knowledge
of the country, its people, and traditions
will add immensely to your appreciation
of the trip, and he has a gift for instilling
confidence in every trekker. Pablo lived,
studied and worked in the United States
for 4 years. His ability to cross cultural
boundaries and forge relationships with
people from all over the world is his trademark. |
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Pablo
Herrera
Pablo is our logistics manager. Before every
group of clients arrives he spends several
hours in front of his computer doing all
the logistic arrangements. He deals with
the organisation of all matters related
to planning menus, purchase of foods, and
camping facilities. He is a familiar and
friendly face in our camps that you will
always be glad to see after a long day of
adventures. |
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