ABOUT US
Queenstown Mountain Guides goal is to present you some of the best climbing and skiing experiences you’ve ever had. We are a small boutique guiding company based in Queenstown New Zealand. Queenstown Mountain Guides offers personalised climbing, skiing, and trekking experiences. Before the start of your trip with us we can offer you personal advice about selecting the right trip for you. We are a company that cares about our clients experiences. If you are looking for a large commercial guiding operator you have come to the wrong place.
Safety is an important issue in the mountains. To achieve a high level of safety and success in the mountains Queenstown Mountain Guides employ a small team of professionally qualified guides and instructors. Our guides and instructors are qualified through the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association which is a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). We also use New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association (NZOIA) instructors & guides for mountaineering and rock climbing guiding in Queenstown and on the Remarkables.
Queenstown Mountain Guides is a Department of Conservation Approved Business. We have passed the environmental standards set by DOC, as well as safety standards set by an independent auditor, and been approved to operate in public conservation areas.
Queenstown Mountain Guides is Safety Audit Certified. This certification demonstrates that an operator’s Safety Management System complies with the Safety Audit Standard for Adventure Activities. Certification enables the operator to be registered by WorkSafe NZ as an authorised adventure activity operator. This certification is JAS-ANZ accredited.
MIKE MADDEN
IFMGA MOUNTAIN & SKI GUIDE – OWNER & CHIEF GUIDE
Mike has over 20 years of experience mountaineering, climbing, skiing, guiding, and teaching in New Zealand’s Southern Alps and many other mountain ranges around the world including the Himalayas, Antarctica, Alaska, Europe, and Canada.
Over the winter season Mike is the Chief Guide for Harris Mountains Heli-skiing, chasing the best powder skiing that New Zealand has to offer. In his spare time Mike chases waves with a kite and a surf board on New Zealand’s wild south coast and other wave kite surfing destinations throughout the world.
The challenge of matching different skill levels, locations, and mountain activities keeps Mike motivated to continue this lifestyle.
MARINA MATHEWS
BUSINESS MANAGER
KATERINA MACESKOVA
NZMGA ASSISTANT SKI GUIDE
Kat is an avid skier and powder seeker. Born and raised in the Czech republic, she has spent her childhood and adolescent years skiing in the Alps and Dolomites. Fifteen years ago she discovered ski touring and immediately fell in love with the sport and life style. Since then, she has explored the backcountry in the European Alps, Canada, Alaska, New Zealand and Japan.
Kat is currently ski guiding in New Zealand and Japan. When she is not skiing, she likes rock climbing, hiking and mountain biking. She is also passionate about getting more girls and women into the outdoors by organising All girls trips.
TIM ROBERTSON
IFMGA MOUNTAIN & SKI GUIDE
Tim is a laidback but highly professional kiwi mountain guide with an attention safety and detail. Tim started his guiding career in New Zealand and has extensive experience in the southern alps guiding mountaineering, rock climbing, and backcountry skiing.
Tim’s experience includes 6 seasons of heli-skiing in New Zealand, guiding in the Himalayas, Norway and Europe. Tim’s second home is Interlaken Switzerland where he regularly guides Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, the Eiger and other classic 4000m peaks.
MARK AUSTIN
IFMGA MOUNTAIN & SKI GUIDE
A Queenstown local, Mark has climbed, skied, and guided throughout the worlds mountain ranges. Marks experience includes avalanche forecasting, heliskiing guiding, and leading international expeditions.
Mark is also a qualified teacher and a talented instructor when teaching mountaineering and backcountry skiing skills. Mark is a an assessor and the Training Officer for the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association.
ROY SMITH
IFMGA MOUNTAIN & SKI GUIDE
Roy has over 25 years of guiding and mountain instruction experience and is a passionate and professional mountain and ski guide with incredible attention to detail.
A talented guide, climber, skier, and mountaineer, and instructor -Roy is a trainer and assessor for the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association.
MARK EVANS
IFMGA MOUNTAIN & SKI GUIDE
Mark Evans AKA affectionally known as Tubs. Tubs is a lovable character who started his professional mountain career as a ski patroller before becoming a team leader for the Aoraki Mt Cook professional mountain search and rescue team.
Wether it is rock climbing, mountaineering, or skiing Tubs live ands breathes mountain recreation and professional guiding.
WILL ROUNTREE
NZMGA ASSISTANT SKI GUIDE & ASSISTANT CLIMBING GUIDE
Will is a Queenstown local with a background in ski patrol and alpine rescue and currently runs the avalanche forecasting program for the Remarkables Ski Field in Queenstown.
An avid skier and climber both within NZ and overseas and currently travels between Japan and New Zealand to work as a backcountry skiing guide in Hakuba Japan.
PETER WHITWORTH
NZMGA SKI GUIDE & ASSISTANT CLIMBING GUIDE
A super nice guy Peter is a talented and patient guide and instructor that is very popular with our clients. Originally coming to mountaineering from a skiing background Peter spent 8 years working as a ski patroller and was the avalanche forecaster for the Remarkables ski field in Queenstown as well as working for the Mt Cook Alpine Search and Rescue team. Peter has skied and travelled in Europe, India, North America and Japan. Currently peter is guiding mountaineering and rock climbing in the summer season and is heli-skiing in the winter.
SOOJI CLARKESON
NZMGA ASSISTANT CLIMBING GUIDE
A passionate climber and member of the New Zealand Alpine team. Super strong on snow and ice and mixed terrain Sooji has an impressive climbing resume!
MONICA BISCHOF
NZMGA ASSISTANT SKI GUIDE & ALPINE TREKKING GUIDE
Growing up in the mountains in Switzerland, Monica learned to ski, snowboard and hike with her siblings, later learning to rock climb with it now one of her main passions. When Monica moved to New Zealand she started alpine climbing and ski touring and decided to make it her profession. Monica is currently doing her apprenticeship with the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association and is a Assistant Ski guide, Alpine Trekking guide, and qualified rock climbing instructor.
Monica is a popular guide with her clients and loves sharing the mountains environment with her clients, she is also a qualified florist. Monica lives in Wanaka with her partner Tim who is an IFMGA Mountain Guide
JORDAN RAYMOND
NZMGA ASSISTANT SKI GUIDE
Jordan found his calling at a young age for skiing bottomless snow and ski mountaineering and has been chasing winters ever since.
Jordan is a Qualified Assistant ski guide with the NZMGA and can be found bouncing between winters in New Zealand and Japan looking for the perfect turns.
CHRIS PRUDEN
NZOIA ALPINE 2
Chris has over 30 years of guiding experience and is an alpine assessor for the New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association. A keen conversationalist Chris is a very patient guide and instructor with more experience than anyone guiding on the Remarkables mountain range.
Chris has given a lifetime of voluntary service to New Zealand mountain rescue and is currently with the Queenstown Alpine Cliff Rescue Team where he is an assessor for NZ Land SAR.
Before moving to Queenstown Chris lived in Taranaki operating his own guiding business there for 20 years.This included multiple ascents of Mt Taranaki, culminating in a huge 1320 ascents over a 30 year period.
