A former nuclear physicist, Gottlieb came to New Zealand in 1978 as a IFMGA qualified mountain and ski guide, with 46 years of mountaineering and 36 years of professional guiding experience. His most notable climbing achievements include: First ascent of entire Peuterey Ridge of Mont Blanc (1973), all New Zealand 3000m peaks during a single winter (1989), winter ascent of Cerro Fitz Roy (Supercanaleta 1993), three winter crossings of the Patagonian Ice Cap (1994, 1995, 1996), Cerro Aconcagua (2001), 27 ascents of Aoraki Mount Cook and 8 ascents of Mount Tasman. In May 2002 he traversed Denali (Mount McKinley). Gottlieb pioneered many ski touring routes in Europe and in New Zealand. Gottlieb was a member of the Canterbury - Aoraki Conservation Board from 2003-2008 and has been very active in campaigning for conservation issues.
Gottlieb died suddenly on 14 August 2008 from a ruptured aorta while guiding a group including then Prime Minister Helen Clark. Read articles, tributes and share photo memories here.
Anne supported Gottlieb in setting up Alpine Recreation in 1981 and was co-Director with Gottlieb until his untimely passing in 2008. She now continues to run the company, supported by a loyal team of guides and her family, drawing on the creative and technical talents of daughters Carla and Elke and son-in-law Keith. Anne considers herself a tramper rather than a climber, but climbed Aoraki Mount Cook in winter and joined Gottlieb on many ski tours and on two Patagonian Ice ski traverses. After their climb of Mt Blanc via the Brenva Spur in 1978 they decided to marry! She has a BA in English and was formerly a secondary school teacher.
Wolfgang is taking the position of Chief Guide for the 2009-10 summer season and has reponsibility for supervision of trainee and assistant guides. Wolfgang has guided extensively throughout the European Alps where he has guided full time over some 20 years. He is a passionate rock climber and ski tourer.
Dave has been enjoying the great outdoors in New Zealand and beyond for the last 20 years. He previously worked as a chef before committing to a full time guiding career in the mid nineties. He has guided extensively in New Zealand and has climbed and/or worked in Alaska, Switzerland, France, South America and Australia.
Dave is the Executive Officer of the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association and has assisted many other outdoor recreation organisations with their training programmes. He grew up in the South Island High Country, graduated with a degree in Ecology and came to mountain guiding after starting as a glacier guide at Fox Glacier and many years induction as an alpine club member.
A former NZMGA President, guiding director at Alpine Guides Aoraki, and Ski Patrol Director at Ohau Snow Fields, Dave continued to remain active as an amateur climber, establishing a number of new routes in the Southern Alps and climbing on several continents.
In between raising two children, Dave is developing a plant nursery in his home base of Twizel, specialising in trees from mountainous areas. Dave has no greater joy than sharing his passion for the mountains with others.
Marty is assisting with our high guiding programme. Marty's climbing record is second to none: 13 ascents of Aoraki Mount Cook, 30 ascents of Aconcagua via various routes, 25 ascents of Denali including the Cassin, 3 ascents of Mt Hunter, 3 ascents of Cho Oyu, ascents of Kangenjunga, Everest and K2 to 8350m, Seven Summits. We are proud to be able to share Marty's vast experience of the world's mountains.
Gary joined Gottlieb on the Denali traverse in 2002. He is a member of the American Mountain Guides Association, has Physics and Engineering degrees, and has many years experience as a field leader and training officer for the Australian Antarctic Programme. Gary has extensive expedition experience, climbing and ski touring globally from the New Zealand and European Alps to the Patagonian Icecap and Alaska.
Tim has been tramping and climbing for over twenty years, mainly in New
Zealand, but with forays into Patagonia, the Canadian Arctic, and Yosemite.
With a previous career in electronics, including a year in Antarctica as a
technician, Tim is currently undertaking doctoral research into the
precipitation of the Aoraki/Mt Cook region.
Tim is part of our Ball Pass operation and runs Intermediate Courses/Ascents.
Dave will be guiding on an occasional basis for the Ball Pass operation. Dave was a lead ice climbing guide with responsibility for the training and development of guides on the Franz Josef Glacier before gaining NZMGA assistant mountain and ski guide status. He has climbed extensively in the European Alps, the United Kingdom and throughout New Zealand.
Andrew is an Assistant Climbing Guide under the NZMGA training scheme. He graduated with a BE honours degree in civil engineering, but the call of the mountains pulled him from an office job to glacier guiding at Franz Josef and climbing practically non-stop during the last four years - most of New Zealand's classic climbs, in Nepal and in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
Andrew is part of our Ball Pass operation, is a popular instructor on our Introductory and Intermediate Climbing Courses, as well as guiding ascents.
Mike is part of our Ball Pass operation and is undergoing training for his NZMGA climbing guide qualification. Mike comes from a solid background of glacier guiding and instructing with Franz Josef Glacier Guides, where he was responsible for training junior guides. He has climbed extensively in the Southern Alps and in Peru.
Graham has been climbing for four decades in Europe and New Zealand and knows the Ball Pass route like the back of his hand. Graham came to New Zealand in 1974, after honing his skills as a caver and rock climber in Yorkshire and Scotland. As warden of the NZ Alpine Club Unwin Hut at Mount Cook for 8 years, Graham extended his alpine climbing to include most of the significant peaks in the National Park, with many Mount Cook ascents. As part of a NZ Alpine Club Search and Rescue team, Graham has been involved in instructing Police Search and Rescue Teams. In between times he built himself a 32ft cruising yacht, living on it and sailing around the coast of New Zealand for 5 years. Graham has engineering and machine tool qualifications, and experience as a hydro power station operator.
Axel, one of our hiking tour guides. He is a professional ski instructor, an iron man athlete, and an exceptionally strong skier. He accompanied Gottlieb on the 2006 Denali expedition during which they did several first ski ascents.
René, a former bank manager, immigrated to New Zealand in 2006 from Holland. René is one of our hiking tour guides as well as assisting with office administration. He spent one year of his life hiking in the Himalayas and hiked extensively in New Zealand as well as the European Alps. As a Lake Tekapo resident he and his wife Marianne run a bed & breakfast. You will enjoy his knowledge of the night sky as he also works in the winter as a guide at the observatory of Mt. John in Lake Tekapo.
Elke will be Operations Manager and assisting with marketing from November 2009. Elke has the international ski instructors qualification, has a Masters degree in Computational Biomechanics and is currently gaining the prerequisites for her first NZMGA course. At the age of 14 she became the youngest person to have climbed Aoraki Mount Cook. She has led many trips into the outdoors for the Otago University Tramping Club and ski touring trips with friends. She will assist as a hiking guide on our German Alpine Club walking tours.
Elke's husband, Keith Payne, an excellent photographer, has taken over Gottlieb's role of providing a continuous supply of images to promote all our activities.
Carla, who has just completed a Masters in Science Communication and Natural History Film-making, produced the promotional movie for Ball Pass. She assists Alpine Recreation during the summer with catering and office administration. She is a professional ski instructor. At the age of 14 she in turn became the youngest person to have climbed Aoraki Mount Cook.
The New Zealand Mountain Guides Association, NZMGA, has international accreditation with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations, IFMGA / UIAGM.
Wir sprechen deutsch.
Home | Contact Us | Site Map
© 2006-2010 Alpine Recreation Ltd.
Photography © Gottlieb Braun-Elwert & Keith Payne