It takes a talented individual to be able to lead an Alaska expedition, and our Alaska guides are true outdoor multi-sport professionals. We hand-select each guide based on their ability to deliver an unparalleled level of customer service, a strong wilderness skill set and background, and an insatiable passion for Alaska's wild spaces. Each lead guide is medically certified as a Wilderness First Responder and carries the necessary qualifications to competently backpack, hike, kayak, canoe, and climb throughout Alaska's vast wilderness. When you choose to travel with us, you can rest assured that your trip has been meticulously planned and executed by real Alaskans with authentic Alaska know-how, skill, and ability.

Dan Oberlatz - Owner

Dan has been exploring Alaska's vast wilderness since 1992. For nearly 20 years he has systematically explored remote and poorly understood regions of the Alaskan wilderness, on foot, skis, and by raft especially in the environs of Lake Clark National Park, where he lived year-round until 2005. With at least 15 exploratory expeditions into this little-known wilderness, Dan is probably the greatest current authority on the backcountry of the northern Aleutian and southern Alaska ranges. To his credit, Dan has done more than just explore. He is vitally concerned with the sustainability of the wilderness and the viability of the rural communities in the region. As Vice President of the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association, and as a board member of the Renewable Resources Foundation, he promotes responsible and appropriate tourism as a way to help impoverished communities, while preserving our wilderness heritage. In 2008 Dan was awarded AWRTA's Ginny Hill Wood Award for his contributions to Alaska conservation and sustainable tourism. Dan is committed to exploration, to the preserving of the wilderness for future generations, and to the advancement of knowledge. His expertise is sought after by outside experts, and he has been quoted or featured in Alaska Business Monthly magazine, US News & World Reports, the Associated Press, National Parks Magazine, Men's Journal, and others. His photographs have appeared in a number of national publications including Outside, Backpacker, Men's Journal,  and National Geographic Adventure and Traveler.  But as much as anything, Dan loves the backcountry, and he finds his greatest joys while immersed in it. With humor and penache, he goes out in search, and each time he returns he brings greater knowledge and interest to the outside world. He splits time between homes in Anchorage and Lake Clark with his wife Danielle and daughters Isabelle and Bryn.

Aaron Fetter - General Manager

Aaron has been guiding for Alaska Alpine Adventures since 2003 and his passion for the wilderness grows with every adventure. He came to Alaska in 2001 to complete a bachelor's degree in outdoor studies at Alaska Pacific University and pursue a lifelong dream of guiding in Alaska. Whether traversing remote mountain ranges, climbing high on an Alaska peak, or packrafting a wild & scenic river, Aaron says, "I find inner peace while immersed in Alaska's most remote backcountry." Aaron is a Wilderness First Responder and certified Whitewater Rescue Technician. He lives in Anchorage with his wife Adele and daughter Emily.

Derek Nelson - Cofounder

Cofounder, chef and food consultant for Alaska Alpine Adventures, Derek found a home and a dream in the North Country. A degree in marketing and a seven-year culinary education in kitchens across the West allowed Derek to mesh cravings for wilderness and a true passion for food. The result is Alaska Alpine Adventures' creative and inspired menu. From volcanic summits in the Aleutians to arduous traverses of the Alaska Range, Derek has ranged far and wide in a career full of adventurous antics. Derek is a firefighter and paramedic in Meridian, Idaho and lives in Boise with his wife Ellen and son Elias.

Andy Heath

Andy also joined our team in 2003 and is the quintessential Alaska wilderness guide. Andy's calm demeanor and solid backcountry awareness is unmatched and his resume of Alaska expeditions is both lengthy and impressive. During the 2006 season he completed a solo thru-hike of the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada yet returned to Alaska to guide for us in 2007. Andy is a Wilderness First Responder and certified Whitewater Rescue Technician.  The quintessential adventure guide, Andy's extensive backcountry knowledge and experience,  particularly in the Lake Clark area, are a fine compliment to his affable good nature and wry sense of humor.

Seth Plunkett

Seth has made Alaska his home since 1994, where he worked as a backcountry ranger for the National Park Service on the Chilkoot trail for 5 years. He currently guides rafting, hiking, canoeing, and kayaking trips, and spends every spare moment exploring and photographing the vast wilderness, mountains, ocean, and glaciers that surround and inspire him. He is a graduate of a NOLS (the National Outdoor Leadership School) instructor course, and is well versed in emergency medicine, climbing, rescue, small boat handling, and camp stove cuisine. He looks forward to sharing a wilderness campsite with you soon!

Ofer Gelmond

Ofer Served in the Israeli military for 4 years, after which he set out to see the world. After traveling for a few years and studying Geography in the Tel Aviv University, he ended up in Alaska, where he wrote his masters thesis about the relationship between earthquakes and fish evolution. He is currently working on his PhD. Ofer has worked as a guide with AAA since the 2006 season, but also has previous Alaskan experience with jobs such as dog mushing, fish counting, wolf feeding and potato picking. He's also an avid photographer and you can see his work at www.ofergelmond.com

Jenny Davis

Jenny hails from the Northeast, but a high school outing club brought her to Lake Clark National Park in 1999 —ever since, she's been hooked on backpacking Alaska's landscapes of tundra and turquoise water. Jenny recently graduated from Harvard University, where she studied History and Literature and wrote her thesis on traditional stories and Native land claims on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. A member of the AAA team since 2004, Jenny is looking forward to another summer of long days and great hikes!

Joe Stock

Joe is an internationally certified IFMGA mountain guide with a passion for mountain adventure in Alaska. He has been climbing and skiing around the world for 24 years with highlights on long alpine climbs in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, limestone rock climbing in Thailand, mixed climbs in Colorado and spring ski mountaineering in Alaska. He made the first ski traverse of the Chugach Mountains from Anchorage to Valdez, and the first full-length ski traverses of the Tordrillo and Neacola Mountains. Of all the mountain ranges Joe has visited, the Neacola Mountains of Lake Clark National Park are his favorite. Joe received an undergraduate degree in geology and geography from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and a graduate degree in watershed science (snow science focus) from CSU in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to being a certified guide, Joe works as a writer, photographer and hydrologist. He lives in Anchorage with his wife Cathy.  www.stockalpine.com

Russ Spargo

Russ Spargo is a locally grown, life-long Alaskan whose taste for adventure naturally led him guiding in the great wilderness of his backyard. Russ brings with him the experience of growing up in a remote native fishing village in the Aleutian Islands, which had a lasting impression on his perspective of the symbiotic human-wilderness relationship. Russ is also a former leader in the United States Marine Corps Infantry. He says “the raw, elemental beauty of the Alaskan wilderness facilitates the kind of experiences that are an ultimate catalyst for personal growth.” Russ is a Wilderness First Responder and certified Whitewater Rescue Technician.

David McGivern

David has been an outdoor educator for thirty years. During the seventies and early eighties he worked for the Voyageur, Pacific Crest, and British Columbia Outward Bound Schools. In 1982 he moved to Alaska. Since then he has worked for the National Outdoor Leadership School, the Alaska Mountaineering School, and beginning in 1998, Alaska Pacific University, where he teaches outdoor classes in leadership and climbing, and indoor classes in environmental ethics, natural history interpretation, and public land recreation. In 2006 David began guiding for Alaska Alpine Adventures. “I appreciate how well prepared AAA guests are for their Alaska adventure, and I thoroughly enjoy helping them relax.”

Todd Miner

Todd Miner has been leading trips in Alaska since the late 1970s. He led climbs of the 7 highest peaks of North America, as well as ski tours, paddling adventures, and treks across much of the state ranging from Katmai to the Brooks Range to the Southeast Panhandle. After 20+ years living, guiding, and teaching in the Greatland Todd's family pushed him to move to the lower 48. His current "day job," when not guiding in Alaska, is as Executive Director of Cornell Outdoor Education in Ithaca, NY. Todd also loves to share adventures with his wife Mary and two teens, Liz and Dan.

John Guthrie

John was bitten by the Alaska bug in 2007 when he came to work for AAA, and he's still looking for the cure. He has since guided adventures in Lake Clark, Denali, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Parks and he always brings along healthy doses of intelligence, humor, and appreciation for the Alaska wilderness. In addition to fly fishing and photography, John is also hard at work on refining the art of passionate political discourse.

Justin Fried

Justin came to Alaska to work for AAA in 2008, and realized quickly he had a passion for the Alaskan wilderness, and sharing it with our guests. Cutting his teeth in the Adirondak Mountains in NY and White Mountains of New Hampshire, Justin has numerous expeditions into the Presidential Range and the High Peaks under his belt, and regularly travels north to his favorite trail heads. An east coast restoration carpenter by trade, Justin annually hangs up his tool-bags in May and heads north to Alaska. With a strong backcountry skillset, focussed attention to detail, and unbelievable stories from the depths of 19th century Pennsylvania homes, Justin looks forward to exploring more of Alaska, and leaving his bruised thumbs at home.

Blake Cute

Blake is returning to Alaska half-way through his master’s program at Cortland University in upstate NY.  Having realized with a summer in Alaska 2 years ago that his true passion was sharing the wilderness with others, Blake is pursuing a degree in Outdoor Recreation, which he is on track to finish next year.  His endless enthusiasm and passion for Alaska is contagious, and we look forward to having him on our staff again this season!  Blake is a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Haley Johnston

Living in Colorado, Haley developed an affinity for outdoor recreation and adventure.  Having spent the last 2 summers extensively exploring the mountains surrounding the Colorado wilderness lodge that she managed, Haley is craving an even bigger wilderness experience.  A recent graduate of the University of South Carolina, Haley is looking to enrich her wilderness skill set and is exited to be back at home in the wilderness.  She is looking forward to exploring Alaska with AAA guests.

Annelise Tasker

Annie hails from Buffalo, NY, but has spent extensive time exploring the mountains and lakes of the Adirondaks and Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada.  A recent graduate from the State University of New York with a Bachelors of Science in Outdoor Recreation and Leadership, Annie plans to continue her education with a masters degree in  Parks, Recreation and Tourism and hopes to some day teach at the collegiate level.  Her quest for adventure includes canoeing and backpacking.  Annie is a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Mario Taffera

Mario hails from the pacific northwest where he developed a love of adventuring and exploring mountains. He first discovered Alaska on a solo bike trip from Anchorage to Skagway in 2006, and having been bitten with the bug that is Alaska, he ended up staying the rest of that summer in Skagway, introducing people to the grandeur the state has to offer. That first summer turned into four summers guiding people through the wonders of the coastal temperate rain forest of southeast Alaska. This passion of exploring alaska has taken Mario from the slopes of Denali to the rivers of ANWR.  He has spent the last six winters on ski patrol at Stevens Pass Ski Area in Washington State. This will be Mario's first season guiding for alaska alpine adventures, and he is looking forward to showing you some of his favorite places, making you smile and keeping your belly happy. Mario is a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Bryan Caenepeel

Reigning from the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC, this true-blue Tarheel first visited the Greatland in the summer of 2005. The roots grew deep that first summer and six years later, he is proud to call Anchorage his home. Guiding has been his passion since settling in AK, and he has led over 4,000 guests through the state. The mountains and adventure within them have always inspired Bryan. On any given day you can find him enjoying his backyard seeking out powder stashes in the backcountry, casting a fly into pristine glacial streams, or just capturing the beauty of the outdoors through the lens of his camera.

Nick Allen

Captured by the grandeur of her vast wilderness, Nick has made Alaska his home since 2006. He has shared his passion for wild places and back-country travel while guiding clients and students on kayaking, canoeing, packrafting, and trekking adventures through some of the state's most spectacular landscapes; from the rainforests of Southeast to the ice-choked fjords of AK's rugged gulf coast. In his free time, he loves pickin' bluegrass tunes on his guitar, and spends his long, Alaskan winters playing in the snow and training sled dogs.

Nick has continually worked to advance his back-country skills, and discover the uniqueness of each and every place he visits. With a degree in Outdoor Studies from Alaska Pacific University, and certified as a Wilderness First Responder, Whitewater Rescue Technician, and Leave No Trace Trainer, and looks forward to sharing his experiences with others seeking to travel deeply, yet lightly, into Alaska's superior wilderness.

JonDavid Wright

Born in Fairbanks and raised between Alaska and Tulsa, Oklahoma, JonDavid developed an early appreciation for a variety of landscapes and lifestyles. After college, this former University of Kansas lacrosse player moved to the high Rockies of Colorado to pursue a life of playing in the mountains and raft guiding. Now living in Alaska full time, JonDavid is enjoying all that the state has to offer. From rafting, packrafting, hiking and and biking in the summer months, to climbing, skiing and working with a high angle rescue group in Valdez during the winter, he has a passion for every season. Getting his start in the Alaska tourism industry with a small riverboat operation in the interior almost a decade ago, he has had the privilege of meeting and working with thousands of Alaska’s visitors and looks forward to meeting thousands more. JonDavid is also a volunteer firefighter and certified EMT 1, Wilderness First Responder, and Whitewater Rescue Technician.

B-Dog

B-Dog joined the Alaska Alpine Adventures team in 2009 and has since ventured to the far reaches of the state. His most recent pursuits have taken him on backpacking adventures in Wrangell-St.Elias and Lake Clark National Parks, as well as kayaking on the remote Katmai Coast. When not adventuring in the Alaska wilderness, B-Dog winters alone in the company storage unit in South Anchorage. He looks forward to sharing the stories of his adventures with you, and possibly hitching a ride on you backpack or the bow of your kayak.