Who We Are
Kish
Kish´s primary motivation as a Adventure Guide in Iceland is to share his understanding of how Iceland´s landscapes form geologically and the importance of glaciers to the world in the fight against climate change.
His professional experiences come from a range of roles over both hemispheres. Prior to guiding, he worked in the deserts of Western Australia in field geology roles exploring for gold. In addition to a couple of seasons in two of New Zealand's most popular ski resorts.
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He has guided in various forms, from skippering 175HP custom boats and leading nature valley hikes amongst the iceberg-filled lakes of the UNESCO World Heritage, Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. After NZ, he came to guide & live in Vatnajökulsþjógarður, Iceland. He soon worked his way up to Senior Guide in two major glacier operations, and began to dream up the vision of ´Ice Guardians´.
In his spare time, Kish enjoys skiing, trail running, hiking and generally exploring wild areas. However, the weather in Iceland is not always helpful and when it's less than ideal he enjoys reading scientific articles & papers, watching documentaries about glaciers, geology and climate change all whilst sipping on a nice hot brew.
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One of his dreams is to visit Southeast Greenland, specifically an area which formed the basis for his Masters thesis.
Qualifications/Training
• BSc Honours Geology
• MSc Mining & Mineral Exploration Geology
• AIMG Hard Ice & Ice Cave Guide (Jöklaleiðsögn 3)
• NOLS Wilderness First Responder
• Glacial Lake Water Rescue
• Hard Ice instructing experience
Rich
Rich hails from New Zealand and has a great deal of experience in the outdoors in both personal and professional adventures.
Rich has worked in Iceland for five years based in Skaftafell, working full time as Head Guide and Base Manager of a major glacier guiding operation. Training, managing and guiding on five of the glaciers within Vatnajökull National Park.
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Prior to his arrival in Iceland, Rich trained and worked for six years full time as a Senior Guide on the steep Franz Josef Glacier of Westland – Tai Poutini National Park, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Area in New Zealand's rugged Southern Alps.
Rich is well credited with developing and maintaining safe glacier and ice cave access. Under the often severe demands of steep glaciers combined with the ever growing challenges of climate change. Rich has the knowledge and skills that can only be gained with years of dedication, you are in good hands if you take a trip with him.
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In his personal time Rich can often be found exploring little visited or remote areas of Vatnajökull both on glaciers and summits. In recent winters Rich’s frequency of climbing of both established and new water-ice routes has accelerated and shows no sign of slowing down.
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Qualifications / Training
• NZMGA Hard Ice Guide 2.
• AIMG Hard Ice Guide (Jöklaleiðsögn 3)
• AIMG Alpine Trekking 1 (Fjallaleiðsögn 1)
• NOLS Wilderness First Responder
• Hard Ice Guiding Instructor