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CERTIFICATION

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 (ENSA).
 
 
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.
 
 
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.
 
 
LEAVE NO TRACE OUTDOOR ETHICS

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.

 
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.

 
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.
 
Our Commitment
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.

 
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.

 
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.
 
The Guides
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.

 

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.
   

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.

   

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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LEGAL NOTICE-
 
© 2008 Andeanface. All rights Reserved
E-mail. info@andeanface.com • Tel. (593-2) 243-8699 • Fax. (593-2) 244-1411

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