![Show Menu](styles/mobile-menu.png)
![Page Background](./../common/page-substrates/page0013.jpg)
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 has 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 has 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 has 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 Sherpawas 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 taught 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 is 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!”
WWW.WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM13