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The Story Behind Breakthrough Mountain Adventures

I arrived in the Andes planning to stay three weeks. I never left.

The place was Cochamó Valley in southern Chile — a place of towering granite walls, ancient forests, and long approaches through quiet mountain valleys.

There was something about this place that immediately pulled me in.

Massive granite domes rising above untouched forests, the quiet rhythm of life in the mountains, and the sense of space that only places like this still offer.

What was meant to be a short visit quickly became something much more. I began working in the valley, living deep in the forests with local arrieros and mountain families, building cabins, climbing, and spending long stretches of time immersed in the landscapes of the Andes.

Learning to Climb

My path into climbing started years earlier after seeing two climbers sitting high on a ledge in the mountains. I remember looking up and wondering one simple thing:

"How did they get there?"

At the time it felt completely impossible.

Years later, while living in Mexico and learning Spanish, I finally decided to find out. I joined a small climbing community in Oaxaca where experienced climbers spent their time teaching newcomers how to climb, build anchors, manage ropes, and share knowledge freely.

During the week we trained in a small gym. On weekends we went into the mountains.

It was an incredibly generous and supportive environment, and it laid the foundations for everything that came after.

Soon after returning to Australia I began training more seriously, focusing on traditional climbing, multipitch systems, and the skills required for bigger and more remote objectives. I spent countless days after work practicing systems, studying the craft of climbing, and refining techniques on the cliffs of the south coast.

The more I learned, the more I realized how much more there was to discover.

Not long after, I packed my bags and moved to South America to climb in bigger mountains.

The Andes

That journey eventually led me to Cochamó.

What began as a three-week trip became years living in one of the most spectacular mountain valleys in the world.

Life in Cochamó is simple. Horses carry equipment into the valley. Trails pass through ancient forests. Days are spent climbing granite walls, hiking deep into the mountains, and sharing evenings around fires with climbers, guides, and local families who have lived in the region for generations.

Over time I built close friendships with the people of the valley and the surrounding mountain communities. The culture, the landscapes, and the rhythm of life in the Andes had a profound impact on me.

These mountains have a way of shifting perspective.

Their scale, their quietness, and the raw nature of the environment create experiences that stay with people long after they leave.

It was here that I began guiding and sharing these mountains with others.

"These mountains have a way of shifting perspective."

Their scale, their quietness, and the raw nature of the environment create experiences that stay with people long after they leave.

Professional Partnerships in the Andes

As my guiding work expanded throughout the Andes, I began my IFMGA training in Peru, where I met Angel Morales.

Angel is the long-standing Director Técnico of the Peruvian IFMGA mountain guide school, a role he has held for more than two decades. He is widely respected throughout the Andes for his experience in high-altitude mountaineering, rescue techniques, and his work training generations of mountain guides in Peru.

More importantly, Angel is a mentor, teacher, and someone who shares a deep passion for the mountains and the craft of guiding.

Over the years our professional relationship developed into a close friendship and partnership built on shared values: professionalism, attention to detail, and a deep respect for the mountains and the people who live within them.

Through this partnership Angel and I work with a close-knit team of IFMGA guides we have climbed and worked alongside for many years. These are professionals we trust deeply in the mountains and people who share the same standards of care, attention, and respect for the environments we work in.

Breakthrough Mountain Adventures

Breakthrough Mountain Adventures grew naturally from years of guiding, climbing, and building relationships across the Andes.

Rather than operating as a large expedition company, our approach is intentionally personal.

For that reason our expeditions are intentionally personal and carefully led, ensuring every team receives the attention and leadership these mountains demand.

We focus on carefully organized experiences that allow people to experience these mountains properly — whether that means climbing granite big walls in Cochamó, horse trekking through remote valleys with local arrieros, or climbing high-altitude summits in the Cordillera Blanca.

Our goal is simple.

To share these mountains through carefully led experiences guided by Angel, myself, and a close team of mountain professionals we have worked with for many seasons.

Why People Climb With Us

People join us for many different reasons.

Some come to develop their climbing and mountaineering skills in real mountain environments. Others are drawn by the scale and remoteness of the Andes, looking for adventures that take them far beyond crowded trekking routes.

Many are simply searching for the experience of moving through wild places with our close friends and team — people who know these mountains deeply and who have spent years living, climbing, and working within them.

What they all share is an appreciation for the kind of experience that only happens when things are done properly — with attention to detail, strong leadership, and respect for the landscapes we travel through.

Real Mountain Environments

Develop skills in authentic alpine terrain

Remote Adventures

Beyond crowded trekking routes

Local Expertise

Guides who live and work in these mountains

Properly Done

Attention to detail and strong leadership

The Andes Today

After many years living, climbing, and guiding throughout these regions, the Andes continue to feel like one of the last truly wild mountain environments on Earth.

The diversity of terrain, the deep cultural traditions of the mountain communities, and the sheer scale of the landscapes create opportunities for exploration that are increasingly rare in the modern world.

Breakthrough Mountain Adventures exists to share these places with people who genuinely want to experience them.

Many of the people who join us first arrive with the same curiosity that brought me to these mountains in the first place — wondering what it would feel like to stand in places like these.

If the mountains have ever sparked your curiosity, we would be happy to help you take the next step.