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Page Background Claire Michael, a

n avid skier,

hiker, and rock climber, leads our trips

in Norway and the Alps. A native of

Dublin, Ireland, she loves exploring the

world’s mountain ranges and climbing

areas (her favorite spot? Norway’s

Lyngen Alps). Claire lived in Chamonix

for 10 years before moving to the west

coast of Sweden, where the granite

offers world-class rock climbing and the coastline makes for

outstanding sea kayaking. When not in the mountains, she can be

found working in her garden and tending to her bees. With her

impressive understanding of the local environment, our guests find

her a generous teacher along the trail.

Florencia Savanti h

as a deep

connection to the Basque culture

and countryside, having led hiking

trips in the Basque Country and the

Pyrenees for more than a decade. An

anthropologist by training, she worked

as an archaeologist in the wilderness

of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego for

15 years, researching hunter-gatherer

diets. Flor is fluent in the Basque language, and loves sharing her

insights on the history, gastronomy, architecture, and ecology of the

region. “I especially love to lead WT hikers across the trails of

La Sierra de Anboto—truly my backyard in the Basque Country—I love

to share my secret spots.”

Mzee Justice Mangyangi,

whose name means “revered elder” in

Swahili, has been a professional safari

guide for over 20 years and leads our

exclusive adventures on the plains of

the Serengeti. His prowess as a spotter

is truly remarkable. “He must be an

eagle reincarnated,” one guest reported.

Mzee is one of our safari-goers’

favorites, with a wonderful combination of charm, humor, a wealth of

knowledge, and magical storytelling skills. Active in every aspect of

his home country’s conservation efforts, he encourages awareness

among his fellow Tanzanians of the huge value that wilderness and

natural history can play in Tanzania’s progress.

Kevin Floerke h

as a love for

exploration, conservation, and

photography that has allowed him to

become intimately familiar with the

exquisite landscapes and fascinating

history of the Andean regions. An

expert on the Inca world, he has mapped

the Inca Road System, excavated newly

discovered Inca sites, studied high

altitude ceremonial sites in the cloud forests of Peru’s Vilcabamba,

and made the ascent of a glacial peak that was venerated by the Incas

from the site of Choquequirao. Kevin is a wonderful travel companion

whose encyclopedic knowledge of the lost world of the Incas makes for

an intellectual feast as well as a superb hiking trip!

Devendra Basnet h

as been leading

our cultural and hiking journeys in the

Himalayas and across India for three

decades. His university studies in

Zoology launched him into his career

as a naturalist guide, tracking tigers

and spotting rare birds in Nepal’s

renowned Royal Chitwan National

Park, and collecting elusive Himalayan

butterflies for the British Natural History Museum. “I especially love

being in the high Himalayas, from Tibet to Bhutan to India, and in areas

rich in nature and wildlife,” he says. “I want to help my trip members

take back wonderful memories of the wild places and rich cultures

we visit.”

Pemba Rita Sherpa

was born

in the tranquil village of Phortse

(12,467’) in the Khumbu region of

Nepal. He has been leading treks

across his beautiful homeland for

more than 30 years, from remote

Dolpo in the west to dramatic Makalu

in the east. He also has extensive

trekking experience in Tibet, including

treks to the source of the Brahmaputra and to Camp II on Everest’s

northern face. Pemba participated in the 1983 American and German

Joint Everest Expedition, reaching Camp III on the Nepal side, and

the 1991 Belgian Everest Expedition, where he climbed up to Camp IV

at 26,000 feet. Our guests find him a true inspiration!

Simone Simpson t

aught outdoor

education in the Snowdonian mountains

of Wales for 13 years before moving

to the southern French Alps, where

she leads our hiking adventures

around Mont Blanc. Along with her

adventurous career as a guide, she is

also an advanced paraglider pilot and

competes at a national level, racing in

the skies above the Alps and other regions. When not leading trips,

she spends time with her husband and two sons and lives off the grid

in a solar-powered house that she and her husband built. Simone

always has a smile on her face, and, as one guest put it, “her joy of

life is just so apparent.”

Vicky Sotriffer i

s fluent in a

handful of languages, and has been

a tour guide for nearly 15 years, with

stints in such off-the-beaten-path

locales as the desert and coast of

Oman. Originally from South Tyrol,

Italy, she now lives in Ibiza, Spain, and

leads our hiking trips in Italy and the

Alps. When not guiding, she enjoys

photography, rock climbing, horseback riding, skiing, surfing, and

fencing. Our guests love her high energy, enthusiasm, and joy of the

mountains that she cheerfully shares every step of the way. “Such

a sweetheart—knowledgeable, caring, and a favorite everywhere we

went,” one guest told us. “A shining star!”

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