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

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…

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director

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…

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general manager

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…

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lodge manager

Florencia Diaz

Hi, I’m Flor! I’m originally from Argentina but have been living in beautiful Lake Tekapo since 2016. I came to New Zealand as a Physical Education teacher and completely fell in love with the South…

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technical advisor

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…

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Guiding Team

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Dave Alderson

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IFMGA Mountain Guide

Jane Morris

Jane began trawling around the mountains during her Otago University days in 1994, where mountain huts were a good substitute for lecture theatres, providing an alternative education.

After a…

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IFMGA Mountain Guide

Pablo Borjas von Bach

Pablo is an IFMGA/UIAGM certified mountain guide with over 25 years of experience guiding in the Andes, the Himalayas, North America, and New Zealand. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Pablo’s life has…

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IFMGA Mountain Guide

Roy Smith

Roy has over 25 years of guiding and mountain instruction experience and is a passionate and professional mountain and ski guide with incredible attention to detail.

A talented guide, climber…

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IFMGA Mountain Guide

Thomas Vialletet

Thomas grew up in the French Alps where he has been climbing, skiing and exploring mountains for over two decades. He has a Diploma in Sport Management and Photography.

His quest for mountain…

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IFMGA Mountain Guide

Tim Miller

I am based in Scotland, but only spend a few months of the year there as I tend to spend a large chunk of time in the European Alps mountain guiding in summer and ski and ice guiding in the winter. I…

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NZMGA Ski Guide

NZOIA Alpine 2

Alistair (Al) Moore

Im a passionate mountain recreationalist and enjoy both summer mountain journeys and winter ski touring. Have had a long association with mountain safety through ski patrolling, avalanche safety and…

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NZMGA Hard Ice Guide

NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide

George Loomes

Tihe mauri ora!

Ko Hereford te waka
Ko Aoraki te maunga
Ko Pareora te awa
Ko New Zealand te iwi
Ko Loomes te hapū
Ko George ahau

Kia ora! Originally from the Taiko Valley, I grew up riding…

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NZMGA Alpine Trekking Guide

NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Bush 2

Gideon Geerling

Originally from Australia, Gideon has lived in New Zealand working full-time as a Professional Outdoor Instructor, Guide and Safety Consultant for over 20 years.

Gideon's experience includes…

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NZMGA Ski Guide

NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Bush 1

NZOIA Rock 1

Peter Ozich

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NZMGA Hard Ice Guide

NZMGA Assistant Climb Guide

NZMGA Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide

Simon Ball

Simon’s human skills, patience and generosity will make your trip! His motivation for climbing will elevate yours beyond your dreams!

When not at the other end of your climbing rope, Simon can be…

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NZMGA Alpine Trekking Guide

NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Rock 2

Stevo Stevens

With over 25 years of experience instructing and guiding in the outdoors, Stevo has dedicated his life to sharing the challenge and reward of adventure in wild places. His expertise spans rock and…

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NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide

Daniel Dorton Brand

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NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide

Luke Frisken

Born and raised in Australia, Luke has loves pending Winter seasons exploring interesting snowy locations around the world currently including Republic of Georgia, Kamchatka Russia, Japan and New…

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NZMGA Assistant Alpine Trekking Guide

NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide

NZOIA Rock 1

Monika Bischof

Growing up in the mountains in Switzerland, I learned to ski, snowboard and hike. As a teenager I discovered rock climbing, and it became my passion. Living in New Zealand, I started alpine climbing…

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NZMGA Assistant Climb Guide

Sooji Clarkson

Sooji loves alpine climbing and ski mountaineering throughout NZ's Southern Alps, with a particular strength in harder technical climbing of multiple disciplines - rock, ice, and mixed. She spends a…

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NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide

Vindy Hamilton

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NZOIA Alpine 2

NZOIA Rock 2

NZOIA Bush 2

NZOIA Kayak 2

Andy Thompson

Kia ora - My name is Andy Thompson
Since embarking on my journey as an outdoor professional in 1987, I have continued to traverse diverse locales, spanning from New Zealand to global destinations…

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