Guides

Lel Tone

Lel Tone grew up in Switzerland and started her skiing career in the Alps at the age of three. She ski raced during her college years in Vermont and had a short stint competing in extreme competitions when she moved to Squaw Valley in 1993. Lel has served as member of the Squaw Valley ski patrol for over 15 years, with years of expertise in avalanche forecasting and mountain rescue.  She holds her Blasters License, Level 1,2,and 3 avalanche certifications and is a certified AIARE instructor, and in her spare time teaches avalanche courses in her community. She has been an EMT since 1989 and a highly regarded member of the American Association of Avalanche Professionals for over 10 years.

Each year, Lel works with EpicQuest as a heli-sking guide in Alaska’s Chugach range and is deeply passionate about sharing her knowledge and joy of the mountains.  She is equally comfortable on horseback, and helps lead our custom equestrian safaris as well as mountain bike tours in Africa and Stand Up Paddle (SUP) adventures for preferred clients.

Nicky Dyer

Together with her husband Michael, Nicky Dyer is our lead host at Borana and runs the Borana equestrian program.   Nicky oversees the Borana stable and is a passionate equestrian since childhood.  She rides the back-country of Borana every day and knows the property exceedingly well, and knows well the effect of horses on the wildlife that live in this area, and thereby extreme respect for the larger beasts.  Nicky is a regular equestrian guide on our equestrian adventures throughout East Africa and has a deep passion for exploring Africa on horseback.  Nicky was also involved in the creation of the lodge, the beginning of the conservancy and many community initiatives, the most important being the Borana Mobile Clinic which has affected the lives of many thousands of people living in East Laikipia.

Nicky and Michael have two sons Llewellyn and Jack.

Ant Kaschula

Anthony is a third generation Zimbabwean whose family have been living in Africa for the last five generations. He was raised and educated in Zimbabwe and South Africa and in addition to holding one of the highest guiding qualifications on the continent also has two university degrees – A BSc. in Ecology and Environmental & Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town and a MSc. in Tropical Resource Ecology from the University of Zimbabwe.

Ant is a highly regarded guide, licensed in many countries and with deep experience across Africa. As a guide, Ant was apprenticed under Ivan Carter for a period of twenty months during which time he qualified in the shortest ever known time as a fully licensed professional guide. This is no mean feat as the Zimbabwean guiding certification process is the most rigorous on the continent with an average pass rate of <5%. For those few who manage to stick it through, apprenticeships typically lasts a minimum of three to five years.
Since qualifying as a Zimbabwean licensed professional guide in 2000 he has led safaris into twelve different African countries and from the experience and exposure he has gained from doing this is able to privately guide small groups of guests into some of the most interesting locations in each country.

Ben Simpson

Aged 21, Ben arrived in Kenya from Hong Kong – and over the last 14 years he has developed an intimate knowledge of East Africa.  A motorbike enthusiast, much of what Ben offers on heli trips stems from his two wheel adventures in Kenya’s northern wilderness.

One of Tropic Air’s founding fixed-wing pilots, Ben was instrumental in establishing the company’s helicopter division in 2006. Committed to delivering a true wilderness experience in complete safety, much of Ben’s work outside of tourism, involves flying cameras for natural history documentaries, including the BBC’s award-wining ‘Life’ series.

He has over 8,000 flying hours in fixed and rotor wing aircraft.

Martin Daly

Martin Daly will be the first person to admit that he has lived a waterman’s dream life.  Born near the beaches of northern Sydney, Australia, he grew up on the Great Barrier Reef, diving, fishing and surfing.  By the age of 16, he knew he would dedicate his life to exploring the Pacific Islands, searching for remote and pristine surf breaks.  Over time, Martin assembled a fleet of exploratory yachts and a team to bring a lucky few guests to some of the most unspoiled and incredible surfing, diving, and kite-boarding in the world.

Martin launched the Indies Trader fleet, and was a pioneer in Indonesian surfing, including the renowned Mentawais Islands and opening the breaks of the Marshall Islands and Bikini to a new generation of surf adventurers.  In a partnership with Quicksilver, Martin launched a pioneering surf expedition called “The Crossing”, taking him to every ocean in search of countless un-ridden waves.  Martin’s base of operations is in one of the least explored islands in the world – the Marshall Islands – and the hub of a remote and largely un-explored paradise.

Today, Martin carefully balances his desire to share his passion for watersports and this region’s culture, and the need to preserve its privacy and delicate ecosystem.  The bottom line is that if everyone can get to the perfect wave, its no longer perfect.  So for better or worse, these surf and dive trips are for the lucky few.

Michael Dyer

Michael Dyer is a third generation Kenyan, born in Laikipia in 1961. He grew up in the beautiful wilderness areas of Northern Kenya. Having completed his education in England and Scotland, he worked as a cowboy in Montana and Australia before returning to take over Borana one of the family properties.

Borana in 1984 was a traditional cattle and sheep ranch, but Michael soon set about rehabilitating the ranch and adjacent wilderness to the pristine and viable eco-system that it is today.  Working closely with the Craig family on the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, he played an instrumental role in developing the award winning Il N’gwesi Group
Ranch. This has been such a huge conservation success that it has been replicated across Northern Kenya under the auspices of the Northern Rangeland Trust.

A founder member and director of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum, this innovative and creative approach to wildlife and ecosystem management has seen year by year increases in landscape set aside for conservation, with recent large mammal counts showing in excess of 5,500 elephants in the Laikipia – Ewaso Ecosystem.

It is within this wilderness that Michael and his wife Nicky developed Borana Lodge and Laragai House, the bases for their exciting and adventurous riding safaris.  Michael is a keen polo player, twice making the national team.  He is also a pilot with over 4000 hours of bush flying.  Michael and Nicky’s work in conservation and humanitarian issues was globally recognised when they won the Virgin Atlantic Responsible Tourism Award for Poverty Alleviation in 2007.  They have two sons – Llewellyn and Jack.

JB Bergmann

Jökull is Iceland’s first and only IFMGA Internationally certified mountain guide. He is a member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides ACMG with whom he finished his certification. Jökull is the owner and lead guide of Arctic Heli Skiing. Jökull or JB as most people call him has climbed and skied extensively all over the world, and lived and worked in both the European Alps and the mountains of Western Canada. He has brought this wealth of diverse experience to Iceland and the Arctic North where he has to his name over a hundred first ascents and descents in Iceland and Greenland. JB’s love of the mountains grew from an early age working as a shepherd on his grandparent’s farm on the Troll Peninsula in Northern Iceland or maybe it had something to do with his name which in English would translate directly to Glacier Mountainman.

Mike Rheam

Mike Rheam is a world-class angler and lead fishing guide for EpicQuest, based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Here he guides custom fishing adventurers for a range of ability levels, specializing in putting clients on fish in the trout-filled waters of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.  Mike also helps build our custom fishing adventures around the globe, and is equally comfortable on the waters of Mongolia, South America, and new Zealand.  In his “spare time” each winter, Mike hangs up the rod and the oars for a few months, serving as an avalanche forecaster in Jackson Hole as part of the Ski Patrol’s snow safety team as well as supporting the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center (USFS) providing daily avalanche hazard bulletins for backcountry skiers and snowmobilers in Western Wyoming.

Ugyen Dorji

Educated in India and Bhutan, Ugyen Dorji started guiding high-altitude treks and cultural tours in 1991. Since then, he has trekked and toured the length and breadth of Bhutan. In 1998, Ugyen set up the first and only adventure travel company in Bhutan to offer whitewater rafting and kayaking. He is the preferred outfitter for international kayak and rafting operations there. He has also organized the logistical support for several major film projects in the Kingdom and was part of the first descent of the Mangde Chhu River for Discovery Channel in 2006. Ugyen was the founding member and the First General Secretary for the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators and is still actively involved with the Association and a very keen promoter of adventure sports and tourism within Bhutan. Over the years, Ugyen came to the realization that any mindful development of the Bhutanese adventure travel industry lay with the indigenous population, and not one specific to outside Western guiding expertise. It was with this ideal that he set up many programs to train young Bhutanese in the skills of whitewater rafting and kayaking. He is also Bhutan’s national golf champion!

Chris Davenport

Chris Davenport, of Aspen Colorado, is considered one of the world’s most accomplished big mountain skiers. A former alpine downhill racer, Chris made his mark in the freeskiing community when he won the 1996 World Extreme Skiing Championships in Alaska. Since then, Chris has been a regular on podiums all over the world. In addition to his competitive prowess, Chris is an author (Ski The 14ers) and contributor to several ski publications, and has been featured in over twenty feature ski films. Chris is also a TV reporter and color commentator for ESPN,ABC Sports, and RSN TV.

He is an avid mountaineer, with ascents of summits around the globe under his belt. Chris has climbed to 8000 meters on Makalu in the Himalaya, skied first descents in Denali National Park, skied all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks in less then one year, and done many significant first descents around the globe.

Chris will be a guest host in week 3 of our Girdwood heli ski program in 2012.

Doug Stoup

For more than 15 years, Doug Stoup has been guiding teams across the frozen Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. From numerous ‘Last Degree‘ treks to his most recent 660-mile epic journey to the South Pole.

Doug has received media coverage from CNN, BBC andTime Magazine to Sports Illustrated Adventure and National Geographic Traveler. He was also featured in Warren Miller’s film, STORM.

Zach Crist

A member of the US Ski Team from 1991-1998, Zach competed on the World Cup for 7 seasons.   In 1999, he shifted his focus to the emerging event of ski cross. After 9 X Games appearances Zach tallied gold, silver and bronze medals becoming one of the sports pioneers alongside brother Reggie. Beyond competitive pursuits, Zach and Reggie have been exploring the world as backcountry skiers and guides. Their adventures have appeared in numerous ski films and TV shows featuring first descents in the Himalayas, New Zealand, Greenland, Alaska and at home in Idaho. Zach currently guides for us in Sun Valley, Alaska, and South America.  He leads our famous Kings & Corn program each June.

In the summer months Zach takes to the water: surfing and kayaking his way through the warm months, with a little mountain-biking thrown in for good measure.

Bruce Keller

Bruce Keller is an international whitewater river guide, heli-ski logistics and operations manager, and a lead guide for EpicQuest river expeditions. With over 25 years of experience in the field, Bruce is the consummate guide professional, planning and implementing premium and custom adventures for a wide range of clients – in the mountains and on snow, on the river, and on safari.  Equally comfortable heli-skiing or ski-mountaineering, Bruce spends time with our guests each winter in Wyoming and Alaska.  The rest of the year, he can be found guiding extended trips through the Grand Canyon or building custom itineraries across Africa and south east Asia.  He has extensive experience working with local operators and crafting unique adventures for adventure tourism clients across 6 continents.

Lynsey Dyer

Lynsey Dyer is an athlete with an art habit or an artist with a skiing habit, whichever it is, the two compliment each other nicely. As a professional skier residing in Jackson Hole, WY, Lynsey has made a name for herself starring in such films as Teton Gravity Research and Warren Miller for five years running. Her face and graceful skiing style have also seen plenty of action amongst the glossy pages of Men’s Journal, Women’s Health, Outside, Powder, and Freeskier to name a few. Her skiing background gives her illustrations a unique perspective that only a pure mountain lifestyle could offer. Determined to create a strong, unifying and inspiring place for the feminine in sport, her work depicts strong yet feminine characters in play with nature.  With a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and Photography, Lynsey has balanced her ski career shooting weddings, events and portraiture.  As an illustrator, Her designs can be seen on everything from skis to t-shirts, posters to web.

Bill Dyer

Bill Dyer is a career mountain guide with a lifetime of formal training and experience. In spring summer and fall you can find Bill working as a senior guide in Jackson Wyoming. In the Tetons, Wind Rivers and City of Rocks, Bill guides skiing, ski mountaineering, rock climbing and mountaineering. Highlights of Bill’s Wyoming experience includes well over 100 ascents of the Grand Teton, multiple guided ski descents of the Grand, a first ski descent of the CMC route on Mount Moran, and a one day traverse of the Teton Range (the Grand Traverse). Bill has gone through extensive training with the American Mountain Guides Association and is a fully certified ski guide.

Each winter, Bill can be found in the mountains of Alaska and the Alps. He splits his time between the Chugach Mountains and Chamonix, guiding private groups on heli- and back-country adventures.

Ed Ghaui

Ed was raised in Tanzania and Kenya, with summer holidays spent camping with family in the Ruaha when it was still off the map.  On family safaris into the field, he caught his first fish at an early age — a Yellowfish caught with a bush fishing rod: a stick , a piece of line , home made float and a hook baited with ugali (maize cake)

Ed graduated to fly fishing at the age of about 8 on Mount Kenya.  Along with his brother, they tormented the trout in Lake Rutundu, and somehow never got themselves killed.  That lead to adventures on the streams in the Aberdares,  and Mount Kenya became an obsession.   Next came fishing in the southern highlands of Tanzania for rhino fish (Africa’s equivalent to golden masheer), for trout, and of course Tigerfish in the Ruaha river.

As a teenager, he was introduced to saltwater flyfishing late by Henry Henley, learning the that he had honed over a lifetime of flyfishing all over the world.   Ed caught his first sailfish with Henry on a second-hand 10 weight rod, and the obsession with the salt began then.   Jeremy Block helped Ed take the bill-fish obsession even further, helping Ed catch a broadbill swordfish on fly on an inky dark night out on the North Kenya banks.

Today, Ed serves as a lead fishing guide, talking EpicQuest clients on angling adventures all around the world.  The North Kenya coast remains his backyard, and Manda Bay is his second home.  He travels extensively throughout Africa to fish, leading expeditions to southern Tanzania for Tigerfish, the highlands of Kenya for trout, the Kola Peninsular of Russia, Lake Tanganyika and lake Turkana for huge Nile perch.  He leads our guests into some of the most remote stretches of water in the world for truly extraordinary fishing adventures.

And when he is not on the water, he can usually be found kite-surfing or exploring deeper on his motorbikes.

Gerry Moffat

Gerry first arrived in Nepal on a British kayaking expedition in 1983 at the age of 18. Over the next 20 years he became the first man to descend all the major rivers in the Nepalese Himalayas. In 1990 he established the first river company in northern Pakistan. Currently he serves as the whitewater consultant to the Kingdom of Bhutan. National Geographic regards him as “the most experienced river guide in the Himalayas.” Gerry resides between the Himalayas and Sun Valley, Idaho, where he can best pursue his professional expertise and passion in the world of adventure travel

Reggie Crist

Chasing snow around the globe has been Reggie’s occupation for more than 20 years, with a job description that reads more like a travelogue. His journey began with 10 years of World Cup downhill ski racing before he turned his attention to the new sport of Ski Cross (SX). In 2005, Reggie became the first repeat SX champion at the X Games. He then moved on to explore the big mountains of Alaska and heli-skiing. Reggie and his brother, fellow EpicQuest guide Zach Crist, have been featured in several Warren Miller films (including the 2010 release Dynasty), and the two of them can be found leading ski expeditions in Idaho, Alaska, and though out South America. When he’s not skiing, Reggie can be found charging rivers in his kayak or chasing surf in Hawaii or Mexico.

Bimbi Dyer

Bimbi Dyer was born in 1961, a third generation Kenyan.   She moved to Spain with her family when she was 12 and was educated in the UK.  Bimbi spent her early working years in the UK working as a Chef in a number of restaurants across London and came back to Kenya 1988 where she met her husband, Fuzz Dyer. Bimbi immediately became very involved in conservation and has a passion for helping rescue orphaned animals to be released back in to the wild.  She is a keen equestrian, water sports enthusiast, and helps manage waterskiing and wake-boarding instruction at Manda bay.  Here, Bimbi serves as our hostess and oversee lodge operations.  Fuzz and Bimbi were married 1989 and have two sons, Harry and William.

Fuzz Dyer

Fuzz Dyer and his wife Bimbi manage the Manda Bay Lodge – a unique and remote lodge on the north-east coast of Kenya, and an incredible fly-fishing secret.

Fuzz was born in 1962 and a third generation Kenyan, educated in Kenya and the UK.   Fuzz spent the first 20 years of his working life developing and managing Kenya’s first private land Rhino sanctuary on Lewa Downs Ranch (now known as Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.)   With this background in wildlife conservation, Fuzz left Lewa in 2001 to join the family business running Borana Lodge in 2001 to 2004.  In 2005, Fuzz teamed up with his long-time friend and legendary fishing guide, Andy Roberts, to create a new, beach-front resort called Manda Bay, creating one of the finest and premium fishing and family lodge properties in Kenya. With the success of Manda Bay, Fuzz then developed the Hogmead Hotel — a boutique hotel in the lush suburbs of Nairobi that is frequently a launch-pad for EpicQuest adventures in East Africa.

Fuzz is an accomplished pilot with over 3,000 hours of flying in Kenya.

David Marchi

Dave Marchi is one of the lead guides for custom ski and cycling trips for EpicQuest.  He grew up in Mt. Shasta, California where he was exposed to backcountry skiing and the big mountain environment at an early age. After years of ski racing and coaching for various teams including US Disabled Ski Team, he was drawn to the life of the big mountain guide.   Over the past 10 years, he has guided in Nepal, Indonesia, India, and Alaska, and is lead guide on Denali and a senior guide on Mt. Shasta. He is constantly seeking new terrain hidden in remote locales all over the world and was part of an international team implementing avalanche and safety protocols for a new ski development in Kashmir, India.

And when he is not on skis, he is found on a bike.   David helps build custom bike adventures for clients in the US, Europe, and around the world.  His family has deep roots throughout the Italian Aps, and David is famous for his intimate knowledge of exactly where to stay in each village along the way.