Aconcagua Express Guide Staff

Aconcagua Express 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 know climbers as well. Eider 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 fluids 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 6000 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. 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 taught also in Europe, USA and Canada. Ivan is 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)

Sebastian is a local guide and geography student who has done numerous treks throughout Chile. He joined Aconcagua Express in 2001 leading groups up El Plomo and guiding several successful ascents of Aconcagua. 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 and the USA for over seven years, with training in self-rescue courses. He has experience in kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, ocean sailing, and skin 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 climb Kamet 7756 mts and Rock Peak 4550 mts, in Nepal Gokyo Peak 5485 mts and took part of the first Argentinean ascent of Broad Peak 8047. 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 mts 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.