Guides & Staff

Guides & Staff

Meet our friendly team at Alpine Recreation

Whether it's a friendly voice at the end of the phone or guiding you in the mountains, our enthusiastic team is here to look after you and provide advice. We pride ourselves in being a small, family-run business with high standards - many of our guests return year after year. Many of our guides speak a second language. Wir sprechen deutsch!

The New Zealand Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA), has international accreditation with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations, IFMGA / UIAGM.

Management Team

Anne Braun-Elwert director
Anne Braun-Elwert
Anne helped her husband, Gottlieb Braun-Elwert, to set up Alpine Recreation Canterbury Ltd in 1981, initially based in Christchurch. By 1984 both had given up teaching careers and moved to Lake…
Elke Braun Elwert director
Elke Braun-Elwert - IFMGA Mountain Guide

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Elke Braun-Elwert
Elke's passion is ski mountaineering, alpine climbing, mountain biking and her two energetic young kids.

She has climbed and skied throughout the New Zealand Alps for most of her life, represented…
Axel Reiser 20250308 general manager
Axel Reiser - NZMGA Ski Guide

NZMGA Ski Guide

NZMGA Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide

Axel Reiser
Tena tatou katoa!

Ko te kupu tuatahi ki te Kaihanga
Koia ra te timatanga me te whakamutunga o nga mea katoa.
Kaua ma te waewae tutuki, engari ma te upoko pakaru.

E rere taku manu ki te tihi o…
Florencia Diaz - profile image lodge manager
Mark Austin technical advisor
Mark Austin - IFMGA Mountain Guide

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Mark Austin
Mark has been guiding for twenty years. He's worked in Argentina, Nepal, Japan and New Zealand. He's had fun skiing and climbing in Canada, France, Bolivia, and Australia. He is now attempting to…

Guiding Team

Anna Keeling
Anna Keeling - IFMGA Mountain Guide

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Anna Keeling
Jane Morris
Jane Morris - IFMGA Mountain Guide

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Jane Morris
Pablo Borjas von Bach
Pablo Borjas von Bach - IFMGA Mountain Guide

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Pablo Borjas von Bach
Roy Smith
Roy Smith - IFMGA Mountain Guide

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Roy Smith
Thomas Vialletet
Thomas Vialletet - IFMGA Mountain Guide

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Thomas Vialletet
Tim Robertson
Tim Robertson - IFMGA Mountain Guide

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Tim Robertson
Al Moore
Alistair (Al) Moore - NZMGA Ski Guide

NZMGA Ski Guide

Alistair (Al) Moore - NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Alpine 2

Alistair (Al) Moore
Gideon Geerling
Gideon Geerling - NZMGA Alpine Trekking Guide

NZMGA Alpine Trekking Guide

Gideon Geerling - NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Alpine 2

Gideon Geerling - NZOIA Bush 2

NZOIA Bush 2

Gideon Geerling
Pete Ozich
Peter Ozich - NZMGA Ski Guide

NZMGA Ski Guide

Peter Ozich - NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Bush 1

NZOIA Rock 1

Peter Ozich
Rob Frost
Rob Frost - NZMGA Alpine Trekking Guide

NZMGA Alpine Trekking Guide

Rob Frost
Scott Barry
Scott Barry - NZMGA Hard Ice Guide

NZMGA Hard Ice Guide

NZMGA Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide

Scott Barry
Simon Ball - profile image
Simon Ball - NZMGA Hard Ice Guide

NZMGA Hard Ice Guide

NZMGA Assistant Climb Guide

NZMGA Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide

Simon Ball
Monika Bischof

NZMGA Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide

NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide

NZOIA Rock 1

Monika Bischof
Sooji Clarkson - profile image

NZMGA Assistant Climb Guide

Sooji Clarkson
Vindy Hamilton - profile image

NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide

Vindy Hamilton
Andy Thompson - profile image
Andy Thompson - NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Alpine 2

Andy Thompson - NZOIA Rock 2

NZOIA Rock 2

Andy Thompson - NZOIA Bush 2

NZOIA Bush 2

Andy Thompson - NZOIA Kayak 2

NZOIA Kayak 2

Andy Thompson
Peter Munro

NZOIA Alpine 1

NZOIA Bush 1

NZOIA Kayak 1

Peter Munro