IFMGA Mountain Guide
As a young kid living in La Paz, Bolivia, Javier enjoyed being outdoors most of the time, playing, exploring and playing in the trees, trying to figure out how Tarzan flew from tree to tree. This was the seedling that was planted deep inside his soul at an early age but went dormant. As life goes ahead when we have plans, he was studying forestry engineering at the university then became a software developer and then a project manager for 15 years. Fed up with the computer monitor and little fresh air and sunshine, he and his amigo from adolescence decided to become trekking and mountain guides in 1994, catering to clients from across the globe and leading them deep into the Andes of Bolivia, Peru and Chile.
With more than 30 years in the field with amazing and exhilarating experiences leading clients, Javier has been recognized as one of the finest guides in Bolivia. He was a pioneer in the formation of the first and only Bolivian Mountain Guides Association, then became a certified IFMGA guide in 2009. Interestingly enough, there are only 34 guides in Bolivia with this highly coveted certification. He was certified as a Level 3 Rope Access Standards instructor in 2018 and has extensive experience in designing and building artificial climbing walls, zip-lines and via-ferratas as well as other obstacle courses. He is part of the Bolivian Rescue Group as an instructor and leader who is tasked with providing first aid and rescuing people in the glaciated peaks of the Bolivian Andes.
He has travelled extensively in Bolivia, Peru and Chile and guided Mt. Cook in New Zealand. He has trekked in the Andes, rafted in the Amazon and sea kayaked on Lake Titicaca. He speaks Spanish and English fluently. He lives in La Paz, Bolivia with his wife and has three children, two adult men and one very independent and self-sufficient lady that was an officer in the Bolivian Navy.
He has travelled across the Bolivian Altiplano in Toyota Landcruisers scouting routes and discovering landscapes that few have seen, even before they became part of the “tourist menu”. He probably has more routes memorized in remote mountains like the Apolobamba and Quimsa Cruz than most even know about. Javier is a master of logistics, and a true team player that has very close relationships with many local indigenous porters and animal handlers dating back decades that are an integral part of the trekking and climbing experience.
If you want a solid leader with all the qualifications and the experience to trek through the Cordillera Real or Apolobamba ranges or guide you to many 6,000 meters peaks, Javier is the man for the job.
