About Kathy…

I first travelled to South America in 1994, beginning in Chile, and spent the following four years working as a professional guide across the continent. During that time I led trekking groups through some of the region’s most iconic and remote landscapes, including Peru, Patagonia (Fitzroy and Torres del Paine), Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands.

Alongside guiding, I travelled extensively and independently, exploring remote areas of the Andes and Amazon basin. Research work for guidebooks took me far beyond the usual routes, crossing lesser-known borders and reaching regions rarely visited by international travellers.

In 1998, I founded Andean Trails with a clear vision: to create thoughtfully designed journeys that go beyond the mainstream, combining deep local knowledge with genuinely off-the-beaten-track experiences.

Having spent decades travelling, working and building trusted relationships across South America, I offer first-hand expertise across a wide range of trips, with particular focus on trekking, mountaineering, cycling and carefully curated family adventures.

My passion for South America

What continues to draw me back is the extraordinary diversity of South America: vast open landscapes, rich cultures and the energy of everyday life.

Travel here is not just about places, but about people and perspective. Over the years I have built lasting friendships across the continent, and returning to these places feels as important as discovering new ones.

Some experiences stay with you. Walking in the Bolivian Amazon, sensing a herd of peccary approaching before hearing them thunder past, or witnessing the sudden silence of the forest as a white-tailed eagle succesfully hunted down a toucan through the canopy — these are moments that capture the raw, untamed nature of the region.

Areas of expertise

I specialise in designing journeys across:

• Peru (nationwide, including remote trekking regions)
• Patagonia (north, central and southern Chile & Argentina)
• Ecuador (highlands and Galápagos)
• Bolivia (highlands and Amazon)
• Chile (Atacama to Patagonia)
• Colombia (trekking and cultural routes)
• Guyana (wildlife-focused travel)

Peru remains particularly close to me, both professionally and personally. Years of experience and strong local relationships allow me to design trips there with a level of detail and insight that clients consistently value.

Where next

Even after decades of travel, my list of return journeys continues to grow. Recent work exploring new cycling routes in Chile’s Lake District has already led to plans for further development there.

I am also keen to revisit places from my earliest travels, including Peninsula Valdés in Argentina, where I first experienced its remarkable wildlife. Returning to kayak alongside southern right whales is firmly on the agenda.

Closer to the Andes, climbs such as Imbabura in Ecuador and trekking routes in Bolivia’s Apolobamba range remain long-standing ambitions — both remote, beautiful and still relatively undiscovered.

What our customers say

“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

My top tip

I never travel without my son, binoculars, a good book — and a practical sense of humour.