FTA Staff and Guides

Dave Hancock

Dave founded Field Touring Alpine as a large outdoors club based at a local university in 1993. Since FTA became a full-time expedition and guiding company in 1997, he has drawn together adventurers and climbers from around the world for no less than 50 separate undertakings to the world’s great peaks or places of natural beauty.

During this time he has also penned or photographed a similar number of magazine articles worldwide, and has been featured in, and made films for, several TV broadcasters, including the National Geographic Channel. An adventure magazine once said of him; “he seems to be able to live several lifetimes in each month”. His two prevailing interests in life are to see as much of the planet as he can, and to get as many other people to see as much of the planet as he can.

Stuart Remensnyder

Senior Field Touring guide Stuart Remensnyder began climbing and taking photographs in the mountains in 1988 with NOLS. He has since climbed extensively in the Tetons, Cascades, Andes, Himalayas and Alps during which time he has led expeditions on dozens of peaks between 5000m and 8000m in height. While not on expedition, Stuart keeps busy as the FTA US office & guide coordinator and as an instructor for SOLO Wilderness Medicine. He is a certified AMGA Single Pitch Instructor. a qualified Wilderness EMT and lives in Massachusetts with his wife Nicole and daughter Madalyn and son Benjamin

After three years or running the Aconcagua trips Stu focused on building the FTA Nepal program leading successful expeditions to Ama Dablam in 2005, 2006 and 2007 & Cho Oyu in 2008.  Beginning in 2011 Stu is now working on expanding our offerings in North and South America and began this with an FTA to Ecuador Volcanoes in 2010 and a private trip to Denali in 2011. In  2012 & 2013 Stu will be organizing and leading trips in Alaska, Ecuador, Peru, and more.

Chris Szymiec

Living full time in the Canadian Rockies Chris’s typical weekends include quick trips up snow and ice climbs and skiing back down to the car! Originally from the Alberta, Canada, Chris has climbed in personal and commercial expeditions throughout the Rockies & the Himalayas.

Chris has many alpine climbs to his name including summits of Ama Dablam (2006, 2007, 2008& 2009), Island Peak (2007, twice in 2008 & 2009), Aconcagua (2009 & 2010) & Spantik (2007). Chris has also guided expeditions to Everest, Cho Oyu (2007 & 2010), Gasherbrum 2 (2008), Broad Peak (2009, 2010 & 2011), Satopanth (2009) & many other peaks in Nepal, India & Kashmir.

His extensive personal climbing background along with his guiding experience make Chris a leader who understands the desires and needs of independently minded climbers and trekkers. Kashmir, India, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal & Canada have given Chris a great love and passion for the mountains. His excitement about a new day in the hills is infectious, as any who have climbed with Chris will attest.

Chris is currently leading our K2, Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak, Spantik, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Satopanth climbs and Everest Base Camp treks as well as working on several new trips including Shivling and Cholatse.

Sean James

Since joining the Field Touring Team, Sean has been to Broad Peak, Spantik, Ama Dablam, Island Peak, Tharpu Chuli, Lobuche, and Aconcagua. He has also led trips in Africa and Ecuador.

In the UK he is a qualified Mountain Instructor and Rock Climbing Coach and also a Kayak & Canoe Senior Instructor.

Living in Sheffield he splits his time between being a Financial Adviser, lecturing at Sheffield Hallam University in Adventure Sports and leading climbing and trekking expeditions throughout the world including, South America, The Himalaya and Africa.

In 2012 & 2013 he’ll be leading trips to Elbrus, Kilimanjaro & Kenya as well as fitting in as many as he can of Mera, Baruntse, Tharpu Chuli and Ama Dablam peaks in Nepal in the Autumn.

Ben Kane

Ben studied Popular Music at the Queensland Conservatorium and since finishing has taken a more physical approach to his recreation, spending extensive time trekking throughout Australia, South America and New Zealand.

Ben completed a mountaineering course in Australia, climbed in New Zealand and is participated in an advanced mountaineering and ice climbing course in August 2007. Since then Ben was a guide-in-training with FTA on Ama Dablam 2007 and guided on Aconcagua in January 2008- safely summiting both peaks and receiving rave reviews from members of the trips. Ben assisted Stu on Cho Oyu in 2008 reaching 7500m and guided his second trip on Aconcagua in January 20009. In the summer of 2009 he assisted on Broad Peak and then returned to Aconcagua to help guide the Falso and Polish Routes in the 2009-10 summer season. He assisted again on Broad Peak in 2010 and lead several Aconcagua expeditions in the 2010-2011 season. In April 2011 ben guided our successful Cho Oyu expedition and followed it up with three successive expedtions in the autumn to Satopanth, Khumbu Peaks and Passes and Ama Dablam. In the years ahead Ben will be leading new treks to the Annapurna Sanctuary, guiding on Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Nepal trekking peaks, Aconcagua and more!

When not planning his next trip overseas, Ben can be found spending his time surfing, scuba diving, indoor climbing, hiking and playing indoor cricket. Ben is a qualified Wilderness First Responder and working towards his Wilderness-EMT.

Martin Girodo

Martin Girodo is a leading light as far as Aconcagua climbing expeditions go. His multitude of ascents via various routes makes him an accomplished expert, with his summit strike rate hovering around 90%. He is warmly received and held in high esteem by all our members, and can now rightly boast to having more friends around the world than he does in Argentina!.

Martin lives with his wife and two children in a small village 60kms south of Mendoza, where he farms bees in the off-season. Our expeditions to Aconcagua often end up at his home for a BBQ, honey collecting and homemade wine fiesta!

Matt Schonwald

Matt moved out west from New York City in 1988 and has been climbing and skiing in the NW ever since. His addiction to travel has taken him to Europe, Asia, North & South America. He has made steep, technical descents in the Chugach Range of Alaska, the Cascades of Washington, the French and Swiss Alps. Matt lives in Seattle with his wife, daughter and his snow dog.

Over the last 10 years, Matt has shared his passion for remote and wild mountain areas, guiding in the Cascades, Alaska, Canada, South America, Nepal, Europe and Antarctica. He has instructed and guided for American Alpine Institute, Mountain Madness, Pro Guiding, The Alaska Mountaineering School, and Global Adventures. He is currently a certified Ski Mountaineering Guide with AMGA.

Field Touring is excited to have Matt join us and head up our new introduction to mountaineering programs which will include courses in the continental USA, Mexico and Ecuador.

Brad Boehringer

Brad is one of our most diverse guides with a background in wilderness medicine, climbing, international volunteer work and backcountry skiing. Brad has guided for FTA in Nepal and Ecuador including successful trips to Ama Dablam and Cotopaxi. A long time mountain rescue volunteer in New Hampshire, Brad is one of the most experienced guides we have in dealing with problems in the backcountry and no one we'd rather have in a pinch!

Building on his experiences Brad went back to school a few years ago to gain a degree in nursing and now works in the Emergency Room at one of Boston's most respected hospitals - Bringham and Women's. When he is not in the ER  Brad can be found telemarking in deep powder or ski patrolling in Tuckerman's Ravine high on Mount Washington.

CERTIFICATIONS:  Registered Nurse, W-EMT paramedic, PHTLS, ACLS, NRP, PALS, CPR (instructor), PHTLS (instructor), TNCC, DAMS, CEN

Brad Jackson

Brad joins Field Touring after having climbed yearly in the Nepal Himalayas since 2005. Along with his wife, he climbed Everest in 2010 on their second attempt and has also climbed Ama Dablam, Denali, Aconcagua, Chimborazo, Matterhorn, Mt Cook, Kilimanjaro, Mt Blanc, Mt Fuji (winter), Kinabalu, Rinjani and Pisco. Other climbing trips have included Cho Oyu, Mustagh Ata, Chopiqalqi and Mt Tasman.

Brad completed a degree in Politics at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia but has been working as a consultant engineer for Petroleum Service companies in Indonesia and Thailand since 2001. Brad is a qualified Wilderness First Responder and a keen photographer/videographer with his photos published in various newspapers, websites and outdoor magazines.