Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 1983

Kevin is a director of Alpine Guides. He began working as a professional mountain guide in 1983 and became a full IFMGA/UIAGM guide in 1985.

Kevin's international experience regularly takes him around the world. He works as a lead guide for CMH Heliskiing and has been with them since 1989. He is actively guiding heliskiing operations in Greenland, Alaska, Canada, and Russia, as well as acting as an examiner and instructor for the IFMGA - in NZ, Japan (he speaks Japanese), Canada, and Russia....

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: Venezuelan
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2017

Alpine Guide’s Expedition Leader Pablo was born in Caracas, Venezuela. Since his childhood, he has been passionate about mountains.

Pablo holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Diploma in Adventure Guiding, from the Thompson Rivers University in Canada.

He was a founding member of the Venezuelan Association of Instructors and Mountain Guides (AVIGM). He was a member of the first expedition of “Project Summit” from Venezuela, which successfully climbed Ama Dablam (6.856 m) in 1993.

Of course, he speaks Spanish, and his English is better than many Kiwi’s.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 1994

Sam has been seen doing 'things' in the mountains since 1989, but he comes from a family tradition in the outdoors. His Swiss father put in some notable first ascents in the Southern Alps long before Sam was but a twinkle...

Sam was a late starter to skiing - really seriously beginning only after beginning his training as a guide.

He enjoys getting on to quality rock, on long routes, especially in locations like the Darran Mountains (Fiordland)... and any day ski touring in good snow.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 1991

Gary Dickson (Gaz) is a man of acerbic wit and considerable talent. His father Elgar was a ski plane pilot during the 1960s, so Gary had a familial introduction to the Southern Alps at a very young age.

Like many guides, back in the day Gaz earned a Diploma in Parks and Recreation Management from (then) Lincoln College. His first foray into mountain guiding began as a glacier guide at Fox Glacier.

Gaz was President of the NZ Mountain Guides Association for 6 years. During that time he developed and refined many of the NZMGA qualifications and standards, and went on to assist the Icelandic Mountain Guides to establish their association and standards.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2018

Never short on humor and enthusiasm, Mark is a great ambassador for alpinism in NZ.

He got into the mountains after an addiction to skiing. There was nothing better than a steep slope on a bluebird day.

His skiing naturally progressed to mountaineering, as he pushed to access more technical terrain and more exciting ski descents.

A drive for challenge and some warmer weather had him leave the skis behind and switch to rock climbing and alpine rock objectives.

For Mark, guiding is an opportunity to share his love and excitement for the hills, get mentoring and mentor others, plus travel the world to places not often visited.

As he says, It's not always about the ascent or descent, but time in a special place with good people.

Qualification: NZMGA Assistant Climbing Guide
Nationality: Australia
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2024

Originally from Melbourne, Jules learned how to climb in Australia’s Mt Arapiles and Grampian mountains. He holds a degree in Environmental Science and has done the yards as a glacier guide and ski patroller.

He currently resides in Aoraki Mount Cook. His main role is on the Aoraki Search and Rescue team. When he isn’t dangling under helicopters helping those in need, Jules comes in to guide for us. His intimate knowledge of the local area makes him a valued asset.

In their spare time, Jules and his partner love heading out on alpine missions in New Zealand’s Southern Alps and overseas.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2007

Mal lives in sunny Wanaka and has a diverse background, with a degree in electrical engineering, and time in the Australian Army.

Mal also taught outdoor education and rock climbing for 10 years in Australia and New Zealand. This led to his eventual qualification as a mountain guide in 2004.

Mal moonlights as a safety auditor and running his own international expeditions, mainly in the Nepalese Himalayas.

One of his passions is jumping off mountains - under a canopy, but never during a guiding mission!

Qualification: NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide
Nationality: Australian
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2017

John is our resident exotic snack expert (find him on YouTube) and an NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide.

He has earned turns in New Zealand, Japan, Canada, France, Austria, and the US.

John has spent most of his recent NZ winters with us working on Ski The Tasman, Mount Cook Heliski, and guiding ski touring groups.

He alternates his guiding seasons between here and Japan. He freely admits that his Japanese is pretty terrible for the amount of time he’s spent there.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2001

Having the same last name as a very famous mountain has burdened Dave with a nickname that his demeanor doesn't live up to...

As far as guides go you'll be hard-pushed to find a more enthusiastic and charming chap, or a more popular one. This is no doubt helped by Dave's service/hospitality training in his previous (tortured) incarnation as a fully qualified (award-winning) chef.

Dave escaped the kitchen and began guiding in the late ’90s around the Queenstown area. He has climbed and/or worked all over; including NZ, Australia, Switzerland, France, Alaska, Tibet, and South America.

These days he lives and plays out of Twizel with his lovely wife (formerly an AGL guide), three kids, and 2 dogs.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: Japanese
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2015

Tai grew up skiing in Hokkaido, the island of ‘Japow’ in Japan.

He moved to NZ in 2001 hoping to become an outdoor instructor or guide. Soon after he discovered unique club fields in Canterbury and the Craigieburn/Arthur’s Pass area - which became his backcountry playground.

While working as a glacier guide on the South Island's West Coast, he explored the endless glaciers and peaks of the Southern Alps skiing and climbing as much as time would allow.

Tai never has a dull moment being a passionate skier, climber, whitewater kayaker, hunter, fisherman, and mountain biker… Balanced out with some daddy day-care.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2000

Our Chief Guide Jamie still thinks of himself as more of a ski bum than a climber, even after entering his 3rd decade as a mountain guide.

His organised, and decisive approach to mountaineering is balanced with many years of snow safety knowledge, gained from 10 winters working for (and eventually heading) the snow safety team at Mount Hutt (i.e. dropping bombs out of helicopters).

Jamie works as both a summer and winter guide for Alpine Guides. He spends most of spend most his winters lead guiding at Methven Heliskiing.

With family based in Methven, spare time is often spent day-tripping to Castle Hill with Kevin Boekholt for some local bouldering.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2023

Will started skiing from the age of 10 and considers it his “first love”. At 18 he did his first ski season in Canada and has now done 15 winters between NZ, Japan, North America and Europe. In his personal time, steep skiing and ski mountaineering are his passions.

Shortly after that first ski season at 18, Will began his first summer at Franz Josef Glacier Guides. It was there that he learnt how to climb and began his guiding journey.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2006

Roy was initially into rowing and rugby, but soon saw the light and became hooked on mountaineering. His first ascent of Mount Cook was a 13-hour Grand Traverse in his second climbing season.

He began training as a guide when the NZMGA was formed in 1979. However, few guiding opportunities in those days led him to spend a decade working in all sorts of roles.

Roy returned to full-time guiding in the late 80s. He claims to know The Haute Route Ski Tour so well that he could guide it blindfolded.

Mountain biking, rollerblading and surfing are what he enjoys in his spare time - he’s just as happy hanging out on multi-pitch limestone routes in the sunny Mediterranean (or is it the espresso and pastries?). Roy still reckons a good day in the NZ mountains takes some beating.

Qualification: IFMGA Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 1983

Mark has had a lifetime of living and working in the mountains. His heliski guiding seasons rack up over 25 here in NZ, and in Kashmir India for three.

He had 10 years of experience in high-altitude climbing/guiding with Himex on Everest and the surrounding peaks.

As “Woody” has been professionally ski guiding for over a quarter century, we allow his knees to dictate the work he does. You are likely to see him skiing more “mellow” lines these days.

Not one to boast, he also holds the record number of Everest ascents for a New Zealander. Ten times!

Qualification: NZMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2022

Jim grew up in the mountains of Arthurs Pass, first learning to ski at Temple Basin at age 3. Being exposed to the Southern Alps at such an age created a passion for living and working in the wild outdoors.

This led Jim to a career of working in the mountain industry around the world in a variety of industries; ski patrol, mountain guiding, and professional alpine rescue, in New Zealand, Japan, and Canada.

This range of work has given Jim a diverse skill set, and the ability to view the mountains through multiple lenses.

Jim is a keen surfer and mountain biker. A skier at heart, Jim’s happy place is fresh snow, no tracks, and blue skies (maybe a helicopter) on a beautiful winter’s day. He enjoys climbing rock in the shade on a scorching hot summer afternoon, and extended alpine rock routes too…

Qualification: NZMGA Hard Ice and Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide
Nationality: USA
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2020

Call Scott a romantic! He loves long walks in the mountains, alpine sunrises and sunsets, and candlelight dinners in mountain huts. And maybe sharing a dram of a Campbeltown malt too.

His life’s professional focus is to increase accessibility in the outdoors for people of all abilities. So it is easy for him to be genuinely enthusiastic when flying in a helicopter and then stepping out with guests from around the world to explore NZ’s largest glacier.

NZ’s mountains are truly a beautiful office. Guiding on Haupapa Tasman Glacier is a perfect way for him to introduce people to a disappearing marvel of the world—glacier ice!

Qualification: NZMGA Hard Ice Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2019

Originally from Christchurch, Andy made his guiding debut on the South Island’s west coast in 2016 when he joined Franz Josef Glacier Guides. This became his training playground, leading up to his Hard Ice Guide qualification in 2018.

He jumped over to the Mount Cook side in 2019 when he joined our team.

In his spare time, Andy enjoys fishing and hunting and is always up for a good chin wag about life and everything in between.

Qualification: NZMGA Hard Ice and Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2016

Chris’s passion for the mountains started when his father and grandfather took him tramping as a kid. At 15 he discovered rock climbing and Auckland’s Mt Eden Quarry quickly became a favourite climbing hang-out spot. A love of mountaineering soon followed.

Chris joined Alpine Guides in 2016 and has since become an Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide and a qualified Hard Ice Guide.

He is known around the office as Alpine Guide’s “Handy Man” being fluent in IT, vehicle maintenance, audiovisual, and radio technology. If something is broken, he can usually fix it!

Qualification: LANDSAR Avalanche Rescue Dog
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: Since birth

Stellar is our local Avalanche Search and Rescue dog. Being a 3rd generation avalanche dog, she is the only local pooch allowed in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

When she’s not busy digging in the snow, Stellar enjoys dog treats and scratches behind the ears. You’ll often find her curled up next to the heater in the office during the cold winter months.

Qualification: AGL Glacier Guide
Nationality: Australian
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2023

Maddie’s love affair with the mountains began when she learned how to ski at just 4 years old. She started her career as a ski patroller in Australia, which allowed her to travel to Canada and the US to further develop her skills.

Maddie decided to expand her personal skill set in 2023 when she joined our glacier guiding team.

Being a busy bee, she is a clinical naturopath with a background in nursing and paramedicine. You are always in safe hands when she guides you on the ice!

Qualification: NZMGA Hard Ice Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2019

Growing up on a farm in the North Island, Sam has always been used to hard work in the outdoors. His diverse background includes vehicle maintenance and 4-wheel driving, farm work, and ski patrolling in both NZ and Canada.

Sam joined Alpine Guides in 2019 as a junior glacier guide and became a certified NZMGA Hard Ice Guide in early 2023. When he’s not carving steps on the Tasman Glacier, you’ll catch Sam linking turns and ski patrolling, at one of the local Mackenzie ski areas.

Qualification: AGL Glacier Guide
Nationality: NZ
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2023

Emma has an extensive background in biodiversity, including a postgraduate diploma in Ecology from the Victoria University of Wellington.

However, all that time spent in the outdoors inspired a career shift to work in the alpine; firstly as a liftie at a ski area, then as an accomplished ski patroller both in NZ and Canada. She joined our glacier guiding team in 2023

In her spare time, Emma always enjoys cutting the rug to some big beats.

Qualification: AGL Glacier Guide
Nationality: UK
First worked with Alpine Guides: 2023

Matt grew up hiking around the local hills of South West England. As soon as he bought his first car, he spent his weekends in National Parks throughout the UK. He quickly expanded his adventures to the high peaks of the European Alps.

Matt moved to the Mount Cook region in 2018. After 5 years working in the area, and expanding his mountaineering resume, he joined the Alpine Guides team as a glacier guide.

Matt has a previous career in sound engineering. He composes and is an accomplished guitarist with a seemingly unmatched knowledge of the “hair metal” genre.

Will you challenge him to a game of Guitar Hero?