OUR SERVICE
GUIDES
The team of Sun and Snow / Andean Challenge is formed by professional multilingual guides, who have traveled extensively in South America, Europe and the United States. We’ve been in all the remote and fascinating corners included in our programs; we’ve climbed every mountain, have hiked every trail, have visited every town; we’ve just been there... climbing, trekking, camping, biking, photographing, sharing, living...
We are highly concerned about the quality of our trips. We consider the good guides to be one of the most important reasons of a successful trip. They are our representatives; and for our country they are ambassadors, whose goal is to make you fall in love with its nature and its people. All of our mountain guides have great experience in climbing mountains, not only in Ecuador – our homeland – but also in the whole Americas and Europe. They climb mountains not just for job; they have passion for mountains and great personal projects and dreams about new routes, new summits, and new outgoings.
Yes, they like to be your guides... But they like to be travelers, too!
Our guides speak English, Spanish, German, Italian and Russian.
Edgar Parra
Edgar has a great mountaineering experience of more than 10 years of climbing not only in Ecuador, but also in the Bolivian, Peruvian and Argentinean Andes, and the Italian, Swiss and Austrian Alps. Such experience allowed him to lead challenging routes and expeditions with much success.
As a complement of his University studies, he has attended important courses, such as:
- Mountain Guides Course by ASEGUIM (Ecuadorian Association of Mountain Guides), in April 2000.- Mountain Guides Evaluation by ENSA (Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme) in October 2006. An event organised by the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador and ENSA of France.
- First Aids course, Ecuadorian Red Cross, updated in May 2008.
He speaks fluent English, Italian, German and Russian.
He is charismatic, friendly, smart and very patient. His desire of personal growth and professional excellence has led him to be part of “Sun and Snow Expeditions/ Andean Challenge”, as the Director of the company.
For more information, contact Edgar at: edgar@andeanchallenge.com
Rómulo Cárdenas
He is one of the most experienced professional mountain guides in Ecuador and one of the pioneers of mountain guiding in the Ecuadorian Andes. He has been climbing and leading groups around the world for more than 30 years. During his vast mountaineering career Rómulo became the first Ecuadorian who has summited the Mount Vinson and the Mount Denali.
In addition, Rómulo and his friend Jorge Anhalzer are passionate photographers; they focus their cameras on the mountains, Andean culture, flora and fauna of Ecuador and have published many posters and books about these themes.
Rómulo speaks fluent English.
Eric Albino
Based in Huaraz, Peru, Eric is one of our youngest guides. Despite his age, Eric is already an Aspirant Guide of UIAGM and is studying hardly to achieve his UIAGM Guide license. He follows the footprints of his grandfather Victor Albino and his father Juventino Albino, who belong to the first mountain guides in Peru.
Eric is curious, very kind, charismatic and friendly. He speaks fluent English.
Boris Aulestia
Boris, is an experienced high altitude mountain guide. He has led climbing trips and treks all over Ecuador for about 12 years as well as in Cordillera Blanca in Perú, Cordillera Real in Bolivia.
He has travelled in the USA, France, Switzerland and Spain, guiding several times in the Alps, Pirinees and Rocky mountains where he lived for 6 years and formed part of the Colorado Mountain Club in Denver. He assisted to many seminaries and courses about Avalanche Awareness, Leave No Trace courses, Wilderness First Respond course between others..
Boris is patient and friendly, the perfect rope partner in any mountaineering trips. He speaks fluent English.
Camping and Kitchen Staff
While trekking and camping, we’ll provide support staff to take care of cooking, setting tents, packing luggage on horses, etc. Most of the support staff are locals, living in the high Andean villages surrounded by volcanoes. They are tough and friendly people; they will understand if you need their help, although many of them have learned only a couple words in English. If you have a chance to learn some basic Spanish words and expressions, communication with them will give you much fun, and you will probably learn a lot about their culture, their lives and their families. A unique and genuine experience!
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Accommodations
Does not matter what category of accommodations do you choose, we’ll always book a clean and safe hotel/hostel with friendly staff, and you’ll always be able to reach someone there in case of need. The types of accommodations we use vary according to the program and your particular interests. They run from basic - but friendly - trekking camps, refuges, B&B, to fascinating 3-century old Haciendas and Hosterias. In some places we use accommodations run by local Indigenous people, to give you a possibility to learn more about the traditional family life.
Transport
We mainly use private transport, (unless you prefer something different), in order to give as much punctuality and flexibility to our trips as possible. With a private car you can make a stop every time, as you see something worth to make a picture or when you just need a technical break. Nevertheless, public transport in the Andes forms part of its daily life, and could be interesting to try it as part of local experience... unless you carry an 80-liter rucksack full of mountain gear...
In addition, we provide any other assistance you may require before, during or after your trip. Shall you need help in booking hotels, 4WD transport, extra guides, trip extensions, flight tickets, assistance in planning and organizing your trip, information or just an advice – please feel free to contact us!
