Our Guides

Aconcagua Express Expeditions Guide Staff

Aconcagua Express Expeditions Guide Staff included Professional Mountain Guides, all of them bilingual mostly coming from Argentina, Austria, Australia, Germany, Switzerland & USA. The majorities of these Guides are certified at different levels and have tons of experience guiding in the high mountains. Some of them are great well known climbers as well. Either on the mountain or trekking you will also share will local guides that has assist many departure on each destination most of them bilingual.

Joaquin Oyarzun – Chile

Executive Director of Aconcagua Express, Joaquin is an ex Olympic skier, racing for 8 year at the World Cup speed skiing circuit and finish his carrier at Winter Olympic Games at Albertville France. He has become a Professional Ski Instructor at the French School, ENSA, Chamonix in 1985. His mountain experience count 7 Aconcagua successful ascent, many Central Andes peaks and several expedition at the Himalayas; Shishapangma (Central Summit), Cho Oyu (Camp 2), Manaslu (Camp 3). He speaks fluent Spanish, German, French and English.

Tom Torkelson – USA

Year-round and around the world, Tom is busy organizing and leading mountaineering expeditions and wilderness treks. His guiding work and adventuring have taken him to Alaska, the Himalaya, Antarctica, New Zealand, The Alps, Mexico, and South America. His area of specialty is the Andes, from Ecuador to Patagonia, where he’s led over 40 expeditions to 6,000 meter peaks, including 13 Aconcagua ascents! Tom puts this experience to work in the USA guiding multi-day wilderness trips to the Wind Rivers, Beartooths, and the Tetons for Jackson Hole Mountain Guides. Tom is also a professional videographer, and he’ll be taking his craft to new heights, filming expeditions to Cho Oyu this fall and Everest in spring 2005. Tom speaks Spanish and English.

Jean Pavillard – Switzerland

Jean Pavillard has been a professional mountain guide for twenty-two years. Born and raised in Switzerland, Jean developed his mountaineering

skills through the tradition of Swiss mountain guiding by apprenticing and attending national courses. Jean has been the technical director for the American Mountain Guide Association and was instrumental in helping the AMGA become a part of the international association. He is certified by the Swiss and American associations and is a member of the International Association of Mountain Guides. He has guided all over the world teaching courses on all aspects of mountaineering for several national organizations. He has worked as an examiner during the national testing for the American and British mountain guide associations. By soliciting the best minds in the business, Jean has designed and developed, a curriculum for Adventures to the Edge’s Guides Training Center and a 3 level (introductory level through professional) avalanche course of study. Jean has been featured in a number of industry publications: Couloir, Ski, Sports Illustrated. These articles clearly define Jean as a leader in the industry dedicated to the development of education for safe mountain travel.

Ivan Fuenzalida – Chile

Ivan (Piolo) is a part of our local guide staff. He is a Professional Ski Instructor and owns his adventure summer camp organization, Club Aventura. His skiing teaching include as alpine ski coach of Sport Club Universidad Catolica of Santiago and former Instructor of Valle Nevado Ski School. Ivan has also taught in Europe, USA and Canada. Ivan has a degree in Marketing Sports from Diego Portales University, Ski Coach Level 2 Canadian Association and National Ski Instructor of the Chilean Ski Instructor Association. He has joined KL Adventure since year 2001 and has successfully guided in Ojos Del Salado, Aconcagua & Torres del Paine. You will hardly see some one happier than Ivan; he is the one that give everyone’s the big smile.

Sebastian Grau – Chile-USA

Sebastian is a local guide and professional geographer who has done numerous treks throughout Chile and USA as El Capitan and Half Dome in

California. He joined Aconcagua Express in 2001 leading groups up El Plomo and guiding 7 successful ascents of Aconcagua along different routes. He is hard working and always willing to help those around him with a good spirit. His biggest passion is rock climbing and has climbed extensively in Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Morocco and the USA for over thirteen years. He trained in self-rescue courses and in climbing technic in International Mountain Climbing School (IMCS), New Hampshire, USA and Catholic University of Chile. He has experience in kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, ocean sailing, and scuba diving. He speaks fluent Spanish and English.

Gerardo Castillo – Argentina

Gerardo is a former guide of the Argentinean Guide Association, full certified degree. Has climb extensible Mt. Aconcagua seventeen times through the Polish & Normal route. In India he had successfully climbed Kamet (7,756m) and Rock Peak (4,550m), in Nepal Gokyo Peak (5,485m) and took part of the first Argentinean ascent of Broad Peak (8,047m). Gerardo climb intensively in the entire Argentinean Mountains beside Aconcagua. In Patagonia he did traverse the Southern Ice Cap from Marconi Pass to Hinquen Glacier & Estancia Cristina.

Andrew Lock – Australia

KL Adventure & Aconcagua Express are proud for founding Andrew as one of their Lead Guides. Andrew is part of the great mountaineering history, with almost all 14th eight thousands meter peaks, currently trying Kanchenzunga and Anapurna in one season push, Andrew has

successfully guide since 1992 extensively in Mt Lobuche Nepal, Baltoro glacier trek and crossing of high altitude pass, Gondogoro La, Karakorum mountains in Pakistan, Central Asia exploratory trek and mountain traverse in Pamir and Tien Shan ranges in Kazakstan and Tadjikistan, Leader of successful commercial expedition to Mt Everest 7 clients, leader trekking groups in Peru, to Ausangante and Huayhuash mountain ranges, leader, mountaineering team to Cordillera Real and Cordillera Blanca mountain ranges in Peru and Bolivia.

His climbing achievement counts on: 1987 Mt McKinley, Alaska, first Australian ascent of the West Rib. 1988 Pumori, Australian expedition, Nepal Himalaya. 1989 Pik Korchenevskaja, Pamir Ranges, first Australian ascent. 1990 Polish glacier Aconcagua, Argentina, ascent and solo traverse of mountain. 1993 K2 1st Australian ascent from the Pakistan side, 2nd highest peak in the world. 1997 Dhaulagiri, Nepal 1st Australian ascent 7th highest peak in the world. 1997 Broad Peak, solo ascent 12th highest peak in the world. 1998 Nanga Parbat 1st Australian ascent 9th highest in the world peak. 1999 Hidden Peak 1st Australian ascent 11th highest peak in the world. 1999 Gasherbrum 2 Alpine style ascent 13th highest peak in the world. 2002 Manaslu leader and 1st Australian ascent 8th highest peak in the world. 2002 Lhotse solo ascent. 4th highest peak in the world. These last two peak was done in same a single climbing pre monsoon season!

Rob Gowler – USA

Is a resident of Jackson, Wyoming. He has been a full time climber since 1989, a very competent skier since 1975 and a professional Mountain Guide since 1995. Rob has had successful expeditions, both skiing and climbing, to areas such as Alaska, including having guided several groups to the top of Denali, Patagonia, he climbed Cerro Fitzroy in 2001, Ecuador, Peru and lots of other interesting areas. Rob is also a lead guide for Jackson Hole Mountain Guides and The Alaska Mountaineering School, and does snow safety/avalanche forecasting/high angle rescue for the World Free Skiing Championships in Valdez, Alaska. Rob has a B.A. in “Wilderness Leadership with an emphasis on Mountaineering”. Somehow he also seems to know just about everybody everywhere he goes.

Tatiana Niveyro – Argentina

Tatiana Niveyro is an energetic mountaineer, climber and skier. Her climbing and working experience in the Cordillera Real, Bolivia, in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru, Chilean and Argentinean Patagonia and in the USA led her to specialize and become a professional Mountain guide. She has climbed more than 15 peaks over 6,000m (19,700 ft). Among them Ojos del Salado (6,893m), the 3 highest summits on Pissis (6,795m), Huascaran (6,762m) and already summited Mt. Aconcagua five times. She guides, does logistics, organization and assistance for mountaineering expeditions. She is a Forestry Engineer and a Trekking Guide AAGM. She speaks Spanish, English and French.

Martin Molina – Argentina

Martin is one of our local guide full certified as a guide (and previously as a sport teacher and Andinism teacher), he has done 23 Aconcagua summits through the different routes, climb more than 55 summits in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina between 4,000 and 6,000m.

He had successfully climb Kamet (7,756m) in 1998 and participate in numerous international climbing competition. He has been working as a guide in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Spain and climbed a lot in South America, USA, Europe and India.

Fernando Guanzini – Argentina

Well know as Oso, Fernado is a full certified local guide that loves to share his passion of climbing (on rock or on ice) and going ski touring. He climbed Aconcagua since 2003 through the different routes and many peak in Argentina, Peru, Chile, Spain and Italy.

Cristina Badías – Argentina

Cristina is one of our full certified local guide. She has 6 years of experience at the Aconcagua, got 11 success summit through different roads. Cristina is a very strong climber, what is more she is a lovely person. She has done more than 90 summits until 4,200m and more than 30 summit up to 5,000m in Argentina (La Ramada Mt., La Majadita Mt., Ansilta, etc.) and in Bolivia (Pequeño Alpamayo, Piramide Blanca). She speaks fluently Spanish and English.

Gabriel Rocamora – Argentina

Gabriel is full certified as a guide (and previously as a sport teacher), he has guided for 8 years in Aconcagua Park, what represents 32 Aconcagua expedition through the different routes, climb 44 summits in Peru and Argentina between 4,000 and 6,000m (Cerro Huascaran, Cerro Alpmayo, and Cerro Plata, Cerro Negro, Cerro Cuerno for different route each time). He loves to go rock and ice climbing and speaks fluently Spanish and English.

Leonardo Tarditti – Argentina

Leo is full certified as a guide, he has guided for 6 years in Aconcagua Park and done 8 summits through the different routes. He reached many summits in Argentina (Cerro Plata, Cerro Pircas and many mounts around Aconcagua: Bonete, Brazil, Horcones, etc.) and in Bolivia (Illimani, Huyana Potosi, Pequeño Alpamayo, etc.). He is a strong rock climber too and speaks fluently Spanish and English.