John Foss, founder of Aventuras Andes, started whitewater paddling in 1978. He has paddled on four continents pioneering dozens of first descents in Peru, Chile and Bolivia. He is an ACA certified instructor, longtime kayak, raft and sea kayaking guide and the author of Chile Whitewater: A Rafting and Kayaking Guide. His career includes the1997 award winning Banff Mountain Film Festival entry, Bolivia: From the Andes to the Amazon, and the video, Río Cotahuasi, The First Descent.

Gian Marco Vellutino is a slalom champion who was a member of the Río Cotahuasi first descent team. He is the owner of the Cusipata Kayak School, Peru's foremost source for whitewater instruction.

His brother Duilio, a veteran of the Cotahuasi and Acobamba Abyss, appeared in National Geographic's January, 1993 feature on the Colca Canyon. Together with raft guide Pepe Lopez, they run Apumayo Expeditions, a rafting outfitter in Lima.

The Vellutino's fun-loving parents, Ani and Antonio, own a four star Holiday Inn in Arequipa and provide deluxe accommodations, vital logistic support and the best pisco sours in Peru.

Ana Maria Meneses is a native of Cuzco who leads our treks in Peru. Her pleasant personality and in-depth knowledge of natural history and ancient Andean culture adds a vital element to our hiking trips.

Gabriela Maass lives on the Río Maipo outside of Santiago. She is a masseuse, botanist and accomplished mountaineer who has scaled Aconcagua, South America's highest peak. She leads our treks in the native forests of southern Chile.

Eva Luna Ramírez, a native of Chile, is a photographer, raft guide, and skilled class V kayaker who was a member of the Cotahuasi and Marán first descent team. Eva lives in Costa Rica where she operates a kayak school.

Maria Troncoso owns an adventure travel agency. An avid hiker and mountain biker, she speaks five languages and coordinates Peruvian logistics.