Wilderness Travel 2018 Catalog of Adventures

Claire Michael, an 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

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

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.

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.”

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’

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

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.

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.”

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

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

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.”

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!

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

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

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!”

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!

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