Our guides are hand picked for their commitment to guest service and facilitating your perfect
vacation. They are passionate
mountain enthusiasts whose love
of the alpine environment is only
exceeded by their desire to share it
with you.
The testimonials pour in at the
end of each season. It is unanimous,
our guides are unparalleled.
Ryder-Walker guides are professionals who work in the outdoor industry year round. They have various outdoor qualifications, from UIAGM and AMGA professional mountain guides, to certified ski instructors and professional ski patrollers. Additionally, they have completed medical certifications including EMT and Wilderness First Responder. At a minimum all guides have current first aid and CPR.
Of course certifications mean nothing if you don’t know where you are going. Our new hiking guides apprentice under a head guide before they lead a trip themselves. You will find your head guide very familiar with the local terrain, regional culture, food and customs, and conversational in at least one of the principal languages of the region. Second guides accompany most hiking trips (except those with very low group numbers) and work under direction of the head guide. They often offer alternative hikes or lead at a different pace to meet the needs of hikers of different aptitudes. Because our guides are knowledgeable and our guide to client ratio is so low-- usually 1:5 or less-- we can accommodate all levels of ability and often provide exciting and impromptu options along the way.
Beyond their professional qualifications, our guides are widely traveled and experienced in outdoor pursuits. In their free time you will find them mountaineering, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, backcountry skiing and exploring wilderness mountain areas around the globe. Some of our guides undertake extraordinary adventures and expeditions. Ask them where they have been!
In short, our guides are great people to be with. All the certifications, experience and knowledge in the world do not make a great guide, personality does. Our guides are adventuresome and free spirited individuals who share their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to enhance your adventure and enjoyment of your travels. Our guests consistently compliment us on our choice of guides, and their scores on our review sheets regularly reconfirm our faith in them. We are proud of our staff and committed to building a real “dream team” of adventure leadership professionals! Allow us to introduce some of our guides:
Peter Walker
Peter founded Ryder-Walker in 1984 after working seven years guiding hiking trips in the Alps. He is an AMGA professional mountain guide and, in addition to leading hiking trips, guides rock, ice, mountaineering and ski mountaineering trips. He is a PSIA fully certified alpine, telemark and snowboard instructor and has completed EMT and professional avalanche training.
Ken Fuhrer
Ken started leading hiking trips in Switzerland and Austria more than 14 years ago. He has completed the Wilderness First Responder course and is a PSIA full certified ski instructor and a certified level II snowboard instructor. During the winter he teaches skiing and guides trips into the backcountry at the Telluride ski resort, and in his free time climbs big alpine peaks and skis down them with wienerschnitzel in his back pocket. He has an uncanny ability to meet local people wherever he travels.
Daniel Sundqvist
An engineer by training, an internationally certified ski instructor and examiner by trade and a Swede by birth, Daniel contributes a unique perspective to our guiding team. He is an avid hiker and climber and has traveled extensively throughout Europe. His fun-loving hijinx and cool head make him and ideal hiking companion and trip leader. He is fluent in English and German in addition to his native Swedish and speaks some French. He is also a certified AMGA Guide and Ryder-Walker's trip development director.
Melanie Eggers
Melanie joined the Ryder-Walker Team over two years ago, but we'd be hard pressed to call her a newcomer. Guided by her previous career in marketing and tourism, as well as tapping the experience that stems from a long list of outdoor pursuits, Melanie jumped into her role as managing director without skipping a beat. When she's not directing the day-to-day operations of the company, Melanie jets off to Italy for a macchiato and a long hike.
Chris Pranskatis
Chris P., as he's known around the Ryder-Walker office, joined our company 11 years ago. He holds degrees in public relations and French and, like most Ryder-Walker guides, spends most of his spare time traveling and exploring wild places. He is a Wilderness First Repsonder, a certified Switzerland Network Specialist, an avid hiker and backpacker, a cyclist, and a paddler. Before Ryder-Walker, Chris led 300-mile canoe trips through remote wilderness regions of Manitoba and Ontario, Canada. He also taught snowboarding for 11 years and attended school in France. Chris handled Ryder-Walker's day-to-day operations for 7 years and is now the company's director of communications.
Mike Thurk
Whether scaling the peaks of Europe or climbing the ice and rock around Telluride, guiding provides a year around career for this man with a passion for rocky summits. Originally from Massachusetts, Mike relocated to Colorado to pursue an abiding love of the mountains. Eight years later, including five years with Ryder-Walker, Mike's honed skills reflect a well rounded guide, comfortable with abilities ranging from beginner to expert. It's not all business though. When he's not off climbing or ski touring, Mike enjoys hanging on mainstreet with a strong cup of joe.
Group Image|Top Row Left-Right: Peter Walker, Daniel Sundqvist, Melanie Eggers, Chris Pranskatis, Catherine Pranskatis, Wilfried Glanznig, Mike Thurk, Kristen Permakoff. Bottom Row Left-Right: Ken Fuhrer, Angelika Klarenfjord, Peter Ingles, Porter Teegarden, Phineas Walker, Dave Gruss, Staffan Björkland, Annica Abbott.
