Jan Neuspiel
Jan's guiding and teaching career has spanned more than 25 years and about that many mountain ranges. Most of this time has been spent working and living in the Himalaya guiding climbing and trekking in Nepal (he speaks fluent Nepali) and running a helicopter skiing operation in India. Jan has climbed and skied in BC's Coast Range, the Rockies, the interior ranges, all over the mountainous west of the USA, Europe, Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, the Himalayas and of course, in Vancouver Island's mountains. For a number of years now, Jan has called the Island home. Jan says the unique beauty of these mountains has captured his heart and he looks forward to sharing these most special places with you. Jan brings his vast experience and dedicated professionalism plus a sense of fun to his work as a guide and managing director of Island Alpine Guides as well as manager of operations for Pantheon Helicopter Skiing and as the lead forecaster for the Vancouver Island Avalanche Bulletin.
Christophe Bonneau
A native of France, Christophe qualified as a Mountain Guide in that country in 1996. He has guided all over the European Alps as well as in Japan, Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska and Canada. Since moving to British Columbia Christophe has guided in the Coast Range and more recently moved here to Vancouver Island where he is discovering the unique beauty of our island mountains. Christophe brings an easy, confidence inspiring manner to his guiding. Christophe's connection to a long European guiding tradition is evident in his professionalism and his concern for the quality of his guests' experience. This plus his extensive background make him a great asset as the head of our guiding team here at Island Alpine Guides.
Cliff Umpleby
Cliff's passion for back country skiing and mountaineering was ignited two decades ago in the Rocky Mountains near his hometown of Calgary. Cliff has been guiding for over a decade with winters spent guiding ski tours and Heliskiing. His career has taken him from the European Alps, to the glaciers of Kluane National Park and Mount Logan, the Canadian Rockies as well as the BC Coast Range.
Cliff's enthusiasm for the outdoors spills into all aspects of his life. Whether he's flying downhill on a mountain bike, or standing atop a snowy peak, Cliff finds a certain perspective and fulfillment in the beauty of the outdoors. There's nothing Cliff would rather do than spend time with people who share this connection to the natural world. As a co founder of Island Alpine Guides Cliff did much to shape this mountain school and guide service which has had so much success, and while he has moved on to a management opportunity in the coast range we look forward to having Cliff make appearances on the IAG guiding team from time to time.
Mike McCall
Mike grew up with posters of hockey stars on his bedroom walls. There were also ski posters on those walls though he had never skied at that point. Sarnia Ontario is flatter than the prairies after all. Then he went skiing in his last year of high school and was hooked. Mike moved west and hooked up with some of back country skiing legends of the time who became his mentors as proceeded to spend more time in the mountains than he did at home. He toured extensively in the Rockies and Interior ranges covering all the classics and then some. Eventually Mike moved to Whistler where he mounted a number of long ski expeditions from the ocean to the interior. He’s done the spearhead traverse about a dozen times including doing it at night and in a few hours. After qualifying with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides Mike started his heli-ski guiding career. All the while Mike also had a distinguished career as a professional ski patroller on Blackcomb Mountain where he handled record numbers of wrecks and became a patrol director. Mike’s guiding and teaching draw on a great depth of hard earned experience which he shares enthusiastically with his students and guests.
Karin Pocock
Karin in an avid rock climber and mountaineer who has been instructing and guiding rock and mountain programs for the last ten years. She has worked extensively throughout North America with the majority of her work concentrated in Strathcona Park, California, and Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Her love of rock has taken her repeatedly to the Yosemite Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, Squamish, the Bugaboos, Devil's Tower, and The WInd River Range as well as on Vancouver Island. Karin, besides being certified with the Association of Canadian Mountain guides, is also certified through the Provincial Emergency Program as a High Angle Rope Rescue Team leader, a Canadian Avalanche Association Level 1 technician and a Primary Care Paramedic. When she is not guiding or teaching for IAG she is working on ski patrol and avalanche control at Mount Washington or working as a staff trainer and course director for both the Canadian and U.S. outward bound schools.
Niko Weis
Niko has been an avalanche professional registered with the Canadian Avalanche Association since 1991. He was the president of that organisation in the late nineties. During his career he has been a senior avalanche officer with the BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways, the avalanche forecaster and mountain safety supervisor at Mt Washington Resort and spent fifteen summer seasons as the senior ranger for BC Parks in Strathcona Provincial Park. Niko has been a dedicated avalanche educator for almost 25 years working with Canada West Mountain School and the Canadian Avalanche Association Professional Training School amongst others. He is a senior instructor for the Justice Institute Of BC Provincial Emergency Program avalanche and search and rescue trainings. Niko has dedicated himself to improving avalanche eduction and public safety messaging for decades now and has been responsible for some cutting edge developments in these areas. Niko’s professionalism and intense interest and energy for his subjects are evident in his work as an avalanche educator and innovator.
Mike Blake
Mike lives and breathes everyday with a high-spirited love of the outdoors and he's always eager to share his passion with everyone around him. Following the seasons, Mike enjoys hiking up and down the western part of the continent during the warmer months and skiing in the cooler ones. He has a particular interest in the wildlife, history and geography of the places he travels and loves to share his knowledge with his guests. When not on the trails and beaches or touring in the mountains, Mike works on ski patrol and avalanche control at Mount Washington. Mike is certified as a Hiking Guide by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and is currently training towards the ACMG Ski Guide certification. He leads hiking trips and teaches back country skills and navigation for IAG.
Nigel Harrison
Nigel has taught skiing for over 20 seasons in Europe, New Zealand and Australia, and more recently in Canada. He is a Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance Level Three instructor and holds the British Mountain Leaders qualification. When he is not teaching skiing Nigel loves to pursue his passions which are backcountry skiing, mountaineering and rock and ice climbing. He has pursued these the world over from South America to Greenland and Morocco to the European Alps, New Zealand, Nepal and Scandinavia. Nigel has sailed the Atlantic a few times, always with a pile of skis and climbing gear on board. Nigel typically holds the title of most requested instructor at the various mountains he has taught at simply because he is a great instructor who succeeds in teaching people effectively while making sure that they have fun. That is why Nigel was our choice to teach the new Backcountry Performance programs here at Island Alpine Guides.
