Hello we are Dougal Tavener and Danny Uhlmann and this is our company First Light Mountain Guides. We are Mountain Guides (IFMGA). We started this company to give my guests the best mountain experience possible. We mainly offer trips for individuals or private groups. After over a decade of experience guiding all over the world we know a few things. First, your money is best spent with a guide you know and on a trip of your own design. We work with all our clients to ensure they are an integral part of the planning and execution process of the mountain trip.

We commonly work with clients on a long-term basis to help them achieve life-long goals and progress through specified training. The point is not just to bag summits but to improve. Collectively we grew up ski racing, professional rock climbing, and doing high level alpinism, and feel at home doing challenging objectives with clients. Favorite guided ascents include the Eiger, the Grand Capucin, Les Droites, and any good rock climb. Together with clients we have done first ski descents in Norway and collaborated with cutting-edge scientists in Antarctica.

Dougal’s climbing and ski career has taken him around the world where he has guided ascents of Ama Dablam in Nepal, and of course an array of high quality easy and difficult summits in the Alps and Norway. Highlights of Dougal’s career include rock climbs up to 8c (5.14b), onsights up to 8a (5.13b), onsights up to E7 in the UK as well as a fair number of hard Grand Courses in the Alps. Recently he onsighted the 15 pitch route L’Or du Temps on Grand Capucin (7c+, ED).

Danny’s personal career highlights include rock climbing to 5.13b (8a), first ski descents in Afghanistan, expedition to Bhaghirathi III in Garwhal Himalaya, El Capitan in-a-day via Zodiac,, and a link-up of Astroman and Rostrum (20 pitches of up to 5.11+ Yosemite climbing). Has established first ascents or descents in Antarctica and Norway, and multi-pitch redpoints up to 7c. In 2018 Danny guided, in the context of the project Climb for Climate, 72 of the alps 82 4,000 meter peaks within 100 days.

We work with absolute beginners, professional and champion skiers, world-class endurance athletes, Everest and K2 no-O's summiteers, and everything in between. We pride ourselves on keeping a high level of fitness and capability because, first and foremost, we love climbing and skiing in the mountains, and secondly, it allows us to work with a wide variety of clients and their differing goals.

What to look for in a guide

In addition, it is in your best interest to hire a guide who is licensed, qualified, and trained for what they are doing. The only internationally recognized training credential for high mountain guiding is granted from the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). You should only go with guides who hold this license. In general it takes between three and eight years to earn and ensures that the person responsible for your life has a high level of experience and personal skills to handle the mountain environment safely. No matter in which country a guide has earned their IFMGA "pin," the process is rigorous, broad, and ensures that the guide you hire has a basic level of competence to keep you safe.

Guiding, and being guided, is a very personal process. If for some reason I do not seem like the best fit for your adventure, I can help you find someone who is better suited for the job.

Throughout my career I have detailed expertise through guiding and personal trips in the following locations:

French, Swiss, and Italian Alps

Antarctica

Yosemite Valley

Denali, Alaska

Bolivia's Cordillera Real

Afghanistan's Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains

Cascade and Sierra Ranges in US

Norway's Lofoten Islands and Lyngen Penninsula

Media Exposure

(Click on links below)

National Geographic