Peak Leaders is a family business run by David and Annie Hughes who, between them, share vast mountain, ski and mentoring experience. Over the last five years they have gathered into the Peaks’ worldwide team the best people –from top trainers, administrators, coaches, hotel staff, to bus drivers - all there to ensure trainees expectations are met.
"Thank you for offering the program. It is well run, safe, and professional. Good work." Father of Kayla, Whistler 08
Other keys to the success of Peak Leaders’ courses are the emphasis on mentoring and productive dialogue with trainees before, during and after the courses.
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DIRECTORS |
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David Hughes OBE BSc FRGS. Director
of Peak Leaders. International mountaineering expedition leader. |
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Annie Hughes BA Dip PE FRGS. Teacher, Education Administrator,
Secretary Peak Leaders, BASI 3. She has taught all over the
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The head office is in Scotland with representatives in England, Europe, Canada, Argentina and New Zealand. Our aim is to run safe, fun courses providing trainees with a life time experience.
"Just wanted you to know how pleased we were to have sent my son Ben on the Peak Leaders Expedition to Argentina last year. He is now in the last month of a full season as an instructor at North Star, Lake Tahoe in Northern California. My second son Max is already planning for 2009" Father of Ben, Argentina 07
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UK STAFF |
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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. |
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Claire Bowie - Administrator
Coming from warmer climes of South Africa Claire is quickly learning about all things snow related! She loves the outdoors, wide open places, animals & sunshine. Claire also likes to make the most of the great mountain biking and hill walking which Scotland has on offer. |
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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. www.whiteroompictures.com
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Marianne Hazlewood
Graphic designer for web & print, HND from Edinburgh's Telford College in Graphic & Digital Design, BA Hons in Hospitality & Catering Management with Tourism. When not designing, she likes to paint or illustrate and she enjoys going to see live bands and dancing.
www.littleangel-design.co.uk
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COURSE LEADER |
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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. |
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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. |
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Claire Hughes - Sponsored Rider
Now doing her 7th ski season. Recently winning 2 bronze medal in the Brits 08. Previously, Claire won Dark Summer’s ‘It’s A Girl Thing’ Competition and was5th 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. |
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Mhairi Hughes - Verbier
A snowboard instructor, Mhairi was president of Glasgow Uni Snowsports Club and worked as a recruitment manager in London for three years before joining the family business. Pronounced 'Vari' to those non-gaelic speakers! |
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Andrew (Dahj) Purvis -
New Zealand/Australia.
Full-cert snowboard instructor. Has spent 15 seasons on a snowboard. Director of Snowboard School in Andorra. |
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SOME OF OUR COACHES |
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Roddy Willis, Verbier
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Julian Griffiths, Verbier
Director of European Snowsport & BASI trainer. Julian draws on 22 Seasons teaching experience to help coordinate the Peak Leaders training program in Verbier.
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Juan Villar, Banff
CASI Level 3 snowboard instructor and ripper on the mountain, Juan's professional, laid back style is an inspiration for any aspiring snowboard instructor. |
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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. |
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Misayo Nakamura, Banff
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. |
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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! |
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Brent Armstrong, Banff
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. |
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Annie Ernst-Taillefer, Whistler
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.
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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.
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Ivan Bonacalza Director Peak Leaders' Argentine course, Level 4 instructor, Mountain Guide, Mountain Rescue Team member, Ex Olympian, Race coach.
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Stu Rea Course leader, NZSIA Examiner / NZSIA Freestyle Coach, Head Examiner for California and Technical Director for Park City, and USSA Coach, Previous Director of Snowboarding for NZSki.
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Alvar Puente - Argentina Course co-leader & translator, Mountain Rescue Team member, Graduate of the University of Rio Negro.
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Brendon , Zermatt
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Rob Norton, Verbier
BASI Snowboard Trainer, freestyle coach and has excellent experience in running training programmes. |
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SCHOOL LIAISON / FINANCE
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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.
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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.
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Mike Beale - Scottish Schools Liaison
Recently retired Headmaster of Craigclowan School and former Chair of the Independent Association of Prep Schools. Mike has a love for skiing, travel, New Zealand & wine...ideally all at the same time! |
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John Christie - English & Welsh Schools Liaison. Recently retired, John draws on his skiing and ski-mountaineering experience to promote Peak Leaders’ courses in English and Welsh schools.
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