About Kathy…

I first set foot in South America in Chile in 1994 and spent the next four years guiding groups through Peru, Fitzroy and Torres del Paine in Patagonia, the highland areas of Bolivia, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

In between guiding I headed off to explore more remote parts of the high Andes and Amazon. Researching for guidebooks led me way off the beaten track to far corners of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador and across many remote borders.

After four years of exploring I decided to set up Andean Trails in 1998. The idea was to offer tours that were different from the mainstream.

My upbringing was in an active academic family living in Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and the USA, which opened my eyes to some amazing places and people from a young age, and dispelled any fear of travelling.

Having visited much of South America I know it intimately, and in particularly I specialise in remote, trekking, mountaineering and family holidays.

My passion for South America…

I love the colour and vibrancy of life, the huge landscapes and open spaces of South America.

I love meeting people from other cultures, seeing their lives and sharing moments. Travel changes our attitudes and gives a new perspective and context to our own lives. I love the familiarity of returning to places I know and seeing friends I’ve made there and the joy of exploring new places.

I have a lasting memory of walking in the Bolivian Amazon sensing the strong smell and thundering hooves of a large herd of peccary running fast in our direction, and having to find a quick escape. Another fabulous wildlife moment was seeing and hearing the panic of all the birds of the forest, then watching a White Tailed Eagle tear through the trees, hunting down a toucan. There was a thud as the toucan hit the ground.

Talk to me about…

All of Peru, north, central and southern Patagonia, highland Ecuador and the Galapagos, highland and lowland Bolivia, northern, central and southern Chile, wildlife tours in Guyana and trekking in Colombia.

It is hard to pick a favourite. I know Peru best so it is most like home for me, with lots of friends made over many years. I love Cusco and Huaraz, the highland people and mountain back drops always pull me back.

Where would I’ve love to go back to…

Every time I come back from a trip I have longer list of where to go next. I have recently returned from Chile, and am already planning my return.

I would also like to go back to some of the places I haven’t seen since my first visit in 1994. One of those is Peninsula Valdez in Argentina, I went by overnight bus and stayed in a small hostel on the Peninsula, then hitch hiked around with a German tourist.

This was my first experience of the amazing wildlife of Argentina. I would like to go and kayak there and see the some of that wildlife again including the Southern Right whales.

Climbing Imbabura in Ecuador and trekking the Apolobamba in Bolivia have been on my wish list for many years so I’ll be heading back to Ecuador and Bolivia as soon as I can. They are both a bit off the beaten track and look stunning.

What my customers say about me…

“The Peru trip was fabulous, and throughout the standard of service and support were first class. You designed and built our perfect trip and your support teams in Peru also had your professionalism and commitment – we were blown away at how well it went and I don’t think it could have been any better.”

M Beer, Registrar, Dubai, UAE.

My top tip…

I never travel without – my son, wet wipes, binoculars and a good book.