Introducing The Adventure Consultants Team:
Guy Cotter - Director & IFMGA Mountain and Ski Guide
Adventure Consultants is directed and owned by Guy Cotter, an IFMGA Mountain and Ski guide with a wealth of experience in all things climbing, especially high altitude mountaineering at a professional level. Guy's whole life has been spent in the mountains - in New Zealand, the Himalayas and many other mountain ranges around the world. He has been the director of Adventure Consultants since 1996 and prior to that he had been intricately involved with the company since its beginnings in 1992.
Born in southern New Zealand, Guy was introduced to the outdoors at an early age where a fascination for the mountains was fostered. At 11 years of age Guy started his climbing career accompanying his father on climbing trips, and at 15 years old he completed a traverse of New Zealand's wild Southern Alps from Arthur's Pass to Mt Cook. One of his companions on that trip was Rob Hall, the founding director of Adventure Consultants. He feels these days spent as a young explorer were a solid foundation for his future climbing career.
From there on Guy began to concentrate on technical climbing in New Zealand and on the rock in Australia. The world beyond Australasia beckoned and Guy completed ascents of the Nose and Salathe walls on El Capitan, followed by a lightweight expedition to Uli Biaho Spire in the Trango Towers group in Pakistan resulting in the third ascent of the mountain.
Over a six year period Guy became a UIAGM ( or IFMGA - International Federation of Mountain Guides Association ) qualified mountain and ski guide - cutting his teeth by guiding the East Ridge of Mt Cook on his first ever guiding assignment of Mt Cook, only the second time the route had been guided ! During his professional career he has directed Avalanche Courses, run the snow safety program and co-ordinated film crews / private charters for Harris Mountains Heli-skiing and instructed the NZ Army as Chief Instructor of the Mountaineering / Outdoor Adventure Section.
The Himalaya called again, only this time it was Mt Everest. Guy quickly accepted a request by Rob Hall and Gary Ball, who had just founded Adventure Consultants, to assist them on their first guided ascent of Mt Everest in 1992. He showed his adaptability to high altitude by plugging the trail on summit day and preparing the fixed ropes through to the top. He guided again for Adventure Consultants in 1994 and 1995 on Mt Everest and on Vinson Massif in 1994. He took over the company in June 1996 from the late Rob Hall. Hall's wife, Dr. Jan Arnold, considered Guy the only person she would sell the company to. Guy was honoured to take on the legacy of Adventure Consultants and share in Rob and Gary's vision.
Immediately after taking on Adventure Consultants he led expeditions to Everest, Gasherbrum II, Gasherbrum I, Ama Dablam and Cho Oyu and reached the summit of each with clients except Gasherbrum I. This meant that in 1997 he became the first westerner to guide clients to the summits of three 8000 metre peaks in one year, as well as guiding and climbing Vinson Massif in Antarctica in December of that year. The pace didn't slow down in 1998 with Guy leading expeditions to Dhaulagiri, Muztagh Ata and Vinson again, this time also staying behind to climb Mt Slaughter in Antarctica (a first ascent). Since then he has led successful expeditions to Aconcagua, Makalu, the Mustang region of Nepal, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and he has been expedition manager for Adventure Consultants' Everest Expeditions in 2000, 2002 and 2004. In 2005 he climbed Denali, which completed his Seven Summits! He led our Everest Expeditions in 2006 and 2007, so has now summitted Everest four times.
Other recent projects, apart from guiding and leading Adventure Consultants expeditions, have been as diverse as working on a Hollywood movie about climbing K2, called 'The Vertical Limit', on location in New Zealand's Southern Alps during 1999; giving lectures and slide shows throughout Australasia and Asia / North America and stepping in to assist with the enormous task of rigging the course for the Eco-challenge multi-sport races in New Zealand and Fiji.
" There are now a lot of expedition outfitters and you can choose an expedition to suit your requirements, and let's face it - not everybody wants the same from an expedition. Adventure Consultants trips are designed with state of the art Himalayan techniques in mind, and geared towards success. Our focus is NOT to offer trips at the lowest rate possible to try to attract a large number of customers who are about to get a lesson in doing without! I like to run the kind of trip I myself would like to go on, hence our trips are small, personable and friendly with the highest possible guiding standards. The Adventure Consultants Expeditions are, as always, geared to provide that little bit extra to make your expedition a whole lot better."
Guy Cotter
Adventure Consultants Director and IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guide
Suze Kelly - Business Manager
Much of the quality of our expeditions and the way we go about things here at AC is owed to the attention to detail which Suze applies in her role as Business Manager for Adventure Consultants and in overseeing the administration and planning that our team does for each trip. She has been co-ordinating the office at AC headquarters since 1996. An active outdoors person, when not in the office she's off skiing, mountain biking, trekking and climbing. Suze spent time in Nepal assisting with the logistical support of our Everest expeditions in 2000, 2006, 2007 & 2008 and recently led our Bhutan Mountain Biking 2004 & 2005 trips. She has climbed Mt Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Island Peak and Aconcagua and has enjoyed climbing in Thailand and Europe. She has a postgraduate science degree.
Mark Sedon - Operations Manager
Mark has been enticed inside the office from his normal role as a New Zealand and international mountain guide for AC. He has wide ranging skills from photography and writing to expedition planning and logistics. The virtual tours on our website are Mark's creation and he will have had a hand in organising whichever expedition you are on. His recent international expeditions have taken him to the summit of Everest, Ama Dablam (twice), Mera Peak, Lobuche East, Aconcagua, Denali, Cho Oyu, Carstensz and Elbrus. In 2003 he and Guy Cotter climbed a new grade 6+ ice climb on the Balfour Face of Mount Tasman and Mark has completed 20+ new rock routes in Wanaka and Fiordland. Prior to working full time for AC, Mark was a winter specialist, co-ordinating snow safety programmes and working as a ski patroller for NZ's major ski areas, Turoa, Whakapapa and Treble Cone.
Kelly McLaren - Client Liason
Once you have confirmed a trip with us then you may end up liasing with Kelly, as she'll help you with the paperwork needed to prepare for your expedition. She also assists with all our administration and operations. A southern girl through and through, she has been working with us at Adventure Consultants since 2003, where we sent her on mountaineering trips into the high alpine regions of the Southern Alps for the first time enabling her to discover more of her 'backyard' and she joined our Island Peak Expedition in 2004. Kelly's background is in Zoology and office administration, and she combines these skills to keep her department running smoothly here at AC.
Jenny Grace - Accounts Manager
Jenny joined the AC team in 2005 as our Accounts Administrator. She's a Kiwi, originally from Christchurch, and spent several years working for Macpac New Zealand. She has travelled around the world, including an overland trip from Asia to Europe in 1989. Jenny is an avid skier, mountain biker and climber; she has climbed Mount Aspiring and tramped throughout much of our South Island wilderness. Otherwise known as 'The Bean' around here.
Tiffany Shervell - Client Liaison and Operations
Our friendly AC headquarter's Client Liaison team is headed by Tiffany, in the role of Client Liaison Co-ordinator, working alongside Kelly and Caroline. A Wanaka local for many years, she originally hails from Tauranga in the North Island. An avid international traveller, once she did finally make it home to stay she has been working in the outdoor tourism and retail industry for most of her career. Tiffany will help you get organised for your expedition or climb with us once you have signed on for a trip. Her recent travels have taken her to Nepal, Australia and Peru and we hear that next on the list is Vietnam, followed by Africa...
Steve Moffat - Sales and Operations
With years of climbing and skiing experience in New Zealand and personal climbs in South America, Steve is a qualified NZMGA Climbing and Ski guide working for Adventure Consultants year round. He is one of our senior guides with considerable Himalayan experience both as expedition leader and expedition guide. In 2006 he guided and summitted on our Everest expedition and this follows successful expeditions to Ama Dablam, Island Peak and Lobuche East. In 2007 he guided on our Cho Oyu expedition. Steve, a fantastic rock and ice climber, also has experience guiding in Canada and on Aconcagua in South America. He is always busy between his expedition schedule guiding our NZ ascents, instruction, ice climbing and ski touring trips, and now also working in our office where he is often your first contact with us when you enquire about a trip.
Caroline Blaikie - Equipment Co-ordinator and Client Liaison
Many of you may have met Caroline in her role at hut warden in Mt Aspiring National Park over the past few years, but Caroline now works for AC and is in charge of our equipment here in New Zealand as well as being a Client Liaison working with Tiffany and Kelly. She is able to offer great advice on the correct gear for our NZ climbs and international expeditions, as she has lot of personal climbing and skiing experience in the Southern Alps. Originally from Scotland, she has a passion for skiing, climbing and travel. With an honors degree in Physiology and expeditions to the Amazon, she is well suited to her additional role as Everest Basecamp Manager for AC in 2009 and 2010.
Julian White - IT Specialist
Julian a.k.a. Crusty joined our team in 2006 and keeps all our computer systems in top health. An alpinist and rock climber of some 20 years, he is regularly in the hills investigating new routes and is easily distracted from his work by good weather systems approaching the South Island! Currently Julian is developing a Client Relations Management system that will be tailored specifically to AC and our needs, and he keeps our servers and various computer equipment humming along as they should.
