About Us
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At Alpinehikers, we emphasize quality over size. Our goal is to offer the finest hiking tours available in the areas we know and love best. We keep our groups small and intimate, and you'll benefit from our own genuine excitement for the Alps and the knowledge that comes from years of personal experience.
We're committed to offering affordable, first-class vacations filled with exciting discoveries and the world's best hiking. On our tours, you will get a chance to meet new friends, dive into a different culture, and immerse yourself in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We've uncovered the best trails and most breathtaking vistas, found the most authentic restaurants and charming inns, tested the chocolate (it's all good!), and run through the fields to determine their Heidi factor. We're picky, and we've assembled, I believe, the very best that the Alps have to offer.
We'll strive to make our trip as ecologically sound as possible, using marked trails, staying in small local inns, and maintaining respect for the land through which we walk. Traveling as a small group (limited to 12) allows us to minimize our impact.
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I was first introduced to the Alps while studying in West Berlin in 1989. On a break from my studies, I made the first of many trips to these wonderful mountains. It was love at first sight. The rugged, imposing power of the surrounding peaks combined with the peaceful, cultural allure of the villages below formed a powerful attraction for me that I have not been able to resist. Time and again I returned to walk the trails, meet wonderful people, and envy the lifestyle of those lucky enough to live in such a beautiful setting. Finally, I moved to the Alps myself, and spent many happy summers wandering the trails and discovering new places.
In the meantime, I've earned a degree in linguistics from Stanford University, taught 1st Aid and CPR classes for the American Red Cross, and led rock-climbing, hiking, and cross-country skiing trips. I love meeting and walking with new people in beautiful places, and hope to find many others on these tours who share the same love of life and discovery that I do.
Jennifer and I are happy to announce that Sidney Ellen Haines was born on October 23, 2005. We currently live in Prescott, Arizona, and travel to Switzerland every summer to lead and organize tours. I also maintain a growing online Switzerland travel guide, www.alpinetraveler.com, organize many custom tours, and am co-founder of a nonprofit international development organization, World Neighborhood Fund, which provides easy ways through searches and shopping links to help some of the world's poorest people. Please check it out when you get a chance.
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Troy Haines - your hiking guide
Photo: Clint Seiter
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I still lead most of our tours personally, but we also have some superb co-leaders guiding our tours: Johnnie Shows, Matt Brown, Titiana Shostak-Kinker, Brant Kilber, and Louis Marino. They all bring considerable enthusiasm, professionalism, and a wide variety of knowledge to share with those around them.
As the founder and owner of Alpinehikers, I am intimately aware of every detail of these tours. I am also ultimately concerned with your safety and satisfaction. For us, these tours are a labor of love. We'll be there every step of the way with support, encouragement, and (hopefully) interesting facts and stories of the country we'll be seeing.
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