Welcome to Peak Leaders

David Hughes OBE BSc FRGS.

Director of Peak Leaders. International mountaineering expedition leader.

Annie Hughes BA Dip PE FRGS.

Teacher, Education Administrator, Secretary Peak Leaders, BASI 3. She has taught all over the world.

Lorna Keighren – Operations Manager

Spent 2 years working in the town of Aosta in the Italian Alps before joining the Peak Leaders team. Away from the PL office she dabbles in skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking.

Mhairi Hughes – Marketing Manager

After working in London for a Real Estate Recruitment Company, Mhairi joined Peak Leaders as the Marketing Manager. She is based in Verbier year round and loves being able to take advantage of the cold winters and hot summers in Switzerland. Mhairi is a BASI qualified snowboard instructor.

Fiona Kerr

Fiona has worked in the outdoor and ski industry since 2003 including 4 winter seasons in Italy and one in New Zealand. Is a BASI qualified instructor and when not answering your calls and emails in the office she enjoys anything which keeps her active in the outdoors.

Camilla Stoddart – Photographer and film maker.

BA Hons from St Martins College of Art in London. She now works freelance and can be found flitting between Wanaka, New Zealand and Verbier, Switzerland, behind a camera of some description. Whiteroom Pictures

Kaspar Stetler – Zermatt

BASI and Swiss certified Snowboard Instructor with mountain experience from many continents. When I am not skiing or Snowboarding I can be found climbing or mountaineering somewhere in the Alps. BASI qualified through the Peak Leaders programme in Argentina I kept on instructing next to studies in Tourism and Subofficer school.

Claire Hughes – Sponsored Rider and NZ course

Now doing her 7th ski season. Recently winning 2 bronze medal in the Brits 08. 1st placed female skier at the Red Bull Home Run. Previously, Claire won Dark Summer–s –It–s A Girl Thing– Competition and was 5th placed skier in the New Zealand Big Mountain Competition. While at Glasgow Uni she was President of the Ski & Snowboard Club and has used her CSIA Level 2 instructor qualification to teach skiing in Italy, Andorra & New Zealand.

Andrew (Dahj) Purvis – New Zealand/Australia

Full-cert snowboard instructor. Has spent 15 seasons on a snowboard. Director of Snowboard School in Andorra.

Ed Cornfield – Banff BA (Hons) Adventure Tourism Management

An Adventure Guide, Leadership Coach and Professional Kayaker who spends much of the summer in Norway running his own company. Expeditions have taken him from 1st descents at 5000m in Tibet, to the deep canyons of the Zambezi in Africa.

Tom Ewbank

Tom is a group leader for Peak Leaders in both Argentina and Verbier, Switzerland. Tom is a qualified BASI snowboard instructor and freestyle coach with a vast knowledge of the UK snowboard scene. He also runs www.snowboard-review.com with his brother.

Sam Feltham

Sam used to a Website Designer until he decided to go for a career in snowsports. It all started by doing the Peak Leaders course in New Zealand in 2006. Once he gained his SBINZ Level 2 he has instructed in Vermont, Colorado and New Zealand. In November 2008 Sam joined Peak Leaders as a Course Leader and has worked in Austria, Switzerland and New Zealand.

Sandy MacLaren

A career ski instructor and is going into his 4th season with European Snowsports. Having skied since the age of two, he is a hugely energetic instructor with a wealth of mountain knowledge. Sandy believes that skiing is for everyone and drives developing skiers to push for that perfect run.

Matt Rivers

This will be my 10th winter season on snow. I have been fortunate enough to work seasons in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and across Europe. I have a great deal to thank to Folkestone Ski Centre where I learnt - was a member of the race club and ended up teaching over 10 years ago. I love passing on my passion for the sport and am excited about this coming season!

Julian Griffiths

Julian Griffiths Founder and director of Verbier and Zermatt Ski School European Snowsport, Julian, formerly a BASI examiner for ten years now helps PL coordinate our courses in Verbier. European Snowsport has an excellent reputation in Verbier and Zermatt for providing friendly qualified and fun Ski Instructors to a discerning VIP clientele.

Rob Norton

BASI Snowboard Trainer, freestyle coach and has excellent experience in running training programmes. Rob has worked with Peak Leaders coaching trainees in Argentina, Verbier, Saas Fee and Japan.

James Brockbanks

James is ISIA qualified, with more than 10 years riding experience all over the world. James has worked with Peak Leaders coaching in Verbier and Saas Fee.

Juan Villar

CASI Level 3 snowboard instructor and ripper on the mountain, Juan–s professional, laid back style is an inspiration for any aspiring snowboard instructor.

Misayo Nakamura

One of Canada–s leading female Level 4 skiers with her effortless style and years of experience running courses, Misayo will build your confidence and turn you into a lean mean mountain machine.

Brent Armstrong

CSIA Level 3 instructor and fountain of freeride knowledge, Brent will take you to the shoots and drops known only to the locals, whilst honing your technical skills and firing it up in the pow.

Kenji Morimoto – Banff

Aspiring CSIA Level 4 ski instructor and technical master of the mountain, Kenji will get you pumped for the steeps and develop your eye for coaching.

Kyle Armstrong - Banff

Freeride legend of Sunshine and apsiring Level 4 ski instructor, Kyle recently picked up K2 sponsorship and will be sure to get you flying!

Mercedes Sahores (Tety)

An ADIDE ski instructor teaching & working with Ivan in Argentina. Tety has a degree in Biology from CAECE University, Buenos Aires. When she is not skiing, Tety is a field project officer working with guanacos in the wild.

Ivan Bonacalza

Director Peak Leaders– Argentine course, Level 4 instructor, Mountain Guide, Mountain Rescue Team member, Ex Olympian, Race coach.

Stu Rea

Examiner / NZSIA Freestyle Coach, Head Examiner for California and Technical Director for Park City, and USSA Coach, Previous Director of Snowboarding for NZSki.

Annie Ernst-Taillefer

Annie is a local resident of Whistler who has been teaching here for many years and knows both mountains like the back of her hand. Always laughing and smiling she is thoroughly professional in her approach to teaching and preparing her students for their examinations.

Jojo O’Brien

After completing her degree in English Language and linguistics,  she started skiing as her full time career and has now done 7 seasons in Verbier, Switzerland and Coronet Peak, New Zealand.  She now spends her winters teaching and her summers in the Med working on super yachts.

Jojo is fully qualified in the BASI system and has her French equivalence.  She loves nothing more than ripping it up with her  friends on freshly groomed pistes first thing in the morning or making fresh tracks in the powder.  She is also a lover of the moguls, and last season competed for Verbier in Boss des bosses.  Jojo gets a real buzz out of teaching all level of skier, but especially those wanting to go through the instructor system themselves.

Angela Purdon – Schools & University liaison.

She is an experienced, current school & uni parent who offers first hand advice using her valuable knowledge and insight of Course locations and world wide travel.

Mike Beale – Scottish Schools Liaison

Mike joined the team three years ago, having spent the previous 28 years as the Headmaster of Craigclowan School in Perth. There he had built a dry slope and led numerous ski trips across three Continents, from Steamboat and Whistler in the west, through all the Alpine countries to New Zealand in the East. He has a wide experience of ski racing and a passion not only for skiing and snow boarding, but all outdoor pursuits and the successful teaching of them.

Ivar Hellberg OBE FRGS

Accomplished Himalayan mountaineer, Co – Patron of Peak Leaders.

Barbara Wardlaw – Finance

When not accounting for her four teenage children she can be found in the Peak Leaders office dealing with all your financial queries. Enjoys swimming, fishing and supporting her local youth rugby team.

Lorimer Gray

Abernethy Trust Outdoor Centres Abernethy Trust, Co – Patron of Peak Leaders.