360 Profiles
Raj Joshi: Director and Expedition Leader
Raj's dual career has kept him involved in the expedition world for as long as he has been a doctor.
From a medical point of view, his main interests are remote field work and expedition medicine - with a special concern for medicinal care in the high-altitude environment. He is an instructor on wilderness and expedition courses.
Raj has worked as a professional expedition leader for several years on numerous trips world-wide. When not working, he enjoys 'heading for the hills' with a few good friends.
Raj has become well known in the industry, not only for his amazing leading qualities, but also due to having led the celebrity Comic Relief Kilimanjaro trek in March 2009. He was without doubt the best leader for the job and achieved 100% success.
Currently, Raj is a reservist doctor with the British army and was fortunate enough to summit Mount Everest in the spring of 2007 with the army's expedition. As a doctor he also organised and provided the medical logistics for that successful expedition.
Rolfe Oostra: Director and Expedition Guide
Australian. Born, 1970 (UIMLA, UIAA, Wilderness First Aid Instructor, Rock Climbing Instructor)
At the age of 20, Rolfe led his first expedition to climb Mt Kenya's North Face and since then has kept the ball rolling with a passion. He has made notable first alpine ascents in the Andes, Karakoram and Greenland and established many new rock-climbing routes in Africa, South America and Australia.
When not in the mountains, Rolfe likes nothing better than travelling incognito to discover what actually exists behind the last blanks on the map. He has explored many un-paddled rivers in the Congo and Amazon basin and traversed some of the world's most isolated deserts.
Rolfe is a sought-after expedition guide who makes each trip individual and hugely memorable.
For more see: Rolfe Oostra Expedition CV
Hermione (Marni) Oostra: Director and Operations Manager
Hermione threw herself into a new culture when, aged 17, she travelled to India and it was here that she discovered and developed a thirst for adventure. Later, she trekked overland to Dahab, Egypt, where she lived for 14 months working as a scuba diver as well as setting up a small, successful underwater photographic business.
Hermione then hitched her way around north-east Africa. She followed the Omo River from Ethiopia into Kenya before spending weeks traversing the inhospitable savannah lands. She experienced the Congo in its rawest form and was lucky enough to live with two different tribes, the Hammar in Ethiopia and the Tarkana in north Kenya when she was initiated into their vibrant rituals before being accepted as one of them.
She travelled with her husband, Rolfe, and their son Oliver to Australia and Peru before heading back to Dahab for nine months to work again as a scuba diver. After returning to the United Kingdom to have their daughter Izabella she moved to France where, for the past four years, she has managed Papilio, their guest-house, and their home in the French Pyrenees.
Nicholas Hamilton: Operations Manager
Nick started work in the French Alps as a resort manager before coming to terms with the real world where he has spent more than ten years in marketing and the advertising industry working for some of london's leading ad agencies. Given his idea of a relaxing holiday is driving dogs across glaciers in minus 35 degrees, sailing the length of the Mediterranean, strolling around the Sahara, or driving a 7hp autorickshaw across the Indian subcontinent, there seemed no more fitting challenge than to take on the commercial side of the 360 operation.
Helen Lafford: Operations Manager
Helen developed a taste for travel and adventure when she headed out to the Venezuela Amazon aged 21 to spend some time living and working amongst the indigenous population.
Two years later it was time to find a proper job and she then spent several years working in the financial sector in London, taking every opportunity to travel whenever and wherever possible.
Finally deciding that commuting wasn't the right kind of travel, Helen and her husband set off to walk the GR11 in Spain and then spent the next 18 months travelling and trekking in Europe, South America and Australia before returning briefly to London and moving permanently to the French Pyrenees in 2004.
Since moving to France, Helen has spent as much time as her two small children will allow walking and cycling in the mountains that have become home.
Dominic Porter
From the age of 3 Dominic has spent most of his life travelling and working abroad. He started organising voluntary work expeditions whilst studying Artificial Intelligence at Edinburgh University in 1994. This along with running a Duke of Edinburgh's Award unit and training with the Territorial Army lead him to quit his Software Engineering job at the age of 25 and spend 7 years leading expeditions, teaching climbing, snowboarding and deploying to Afghanistan.
He summited Cho Oyu and Everest, not only as a member of the climbing teams but also organising the communications at base camp and assisting with 2 high altitude rescues.
His latest achievement was driving 23,000 miles from California to Tierra Del Fuego on his 4 month Honeymoon. Dominic currently divides his time between writing communications software, expedition work and training with the TA
Stuart MacDonald: Alpine Guide
Stuart began his Alpine climbing career at 17 when he and some school friends climbed Mont Blanc. After that he was hooked on alpinism and spent all his free time in the high mountains. After a ten year military career he decided to leave the Army and spend more time in the mountains.. Just four years later he was certified as an IFMGA Mountain Guide and he now lives full time in Chamonix. His personal achievements include such classic North Faces as The Eiger, Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses, and Les Droites (solo), as well as Mount Everest and at least a dozen other successful overseas expeditions. He is also a Committee Member of the Association of British Mountain Guides. Stuart is very pleased to be working with 360 Expeditions delivering their Alpine Mountaineering programmes, and hopes to share his passion for the Alps with you.
Caedmon Mulllin: Film maker and trek leader
An experienced adventure and expediton film maker, his films have been shown at film festivals in Europe and North America. His work has also been used in various UK television projects. He will be focusing on 360 Expeditons high altitude and climbing film projects.
Caedmon is a top-class rockclimber performing at the highest level as a rock athelete. Caedmon is our specialist rock climbing guide for those rock climbing venues that are remote and unusual. A highly experienced expedition leader Caedmon has led expeditions and filmed in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Chile, Argentina, Nepal, Tibet and Jordan.
Gianni Capano
Gianni was born and raised in the Andes of Patagonia, Argentina. He has spent all his life amongst the mountains, discovering new trails, summits and the valleys that lead beyond. At the age of 20 he started >working on Aconcagua. Gianni has then worked in all different kinds of jobs in Aconcagua Provincial Park, which make successful trips to Aconcagua possible. His expertise in guiding and his organizational skills are the result of all these years¹ work experience. Graduate from the School of Mountain Guides Mendoza, Participant of the Argentina Association of Mountain Guides and UIAGM, he already has summited Aconcagua 14 times successfully, mainly with British clients, over the last ten years.
Fridjon "Freon" Thorleifsson: Mountain Guide
Born and raised on the East coast of Iceland. Fridjon started guiding at the age of 23 in Iceland. Currently he lives and works in Canada and has attained asst. guide status with the ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides), which is one of the 20 countries that are members of the UIAGM. The goal is to obtain full UIAGM-status.
Fridjon has guided 6 expeditions in Greenland (including two 29 day expeditions), climbed two routes on Denali in Alaska, guided in the Mont Blanc Massive plus being active in many other countries. Winters are spent ski guiding in Canada and then moving on in the springtime to Iceland and Greenland to ski a bit more. Besides skiing, Fridjon climbs in the 5.12A's on rock, WI6 on ice and generally go to M8-9's on the mixed scale.
With a background in Para-Rescuing, Fridjon has done the occasional instructing for military forces and has received commendations from the U.S.Marines for exceptional performance of duty in the field.
Simon Leisham
Simon has always loved the outdoors and exploration which has seen him based in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, America as well as now Peru. He currently leads and designs all sorts of adventures for 360 Expeditions, including exploration trips, mountain biking, remote trekking, mountaineering and exploratory 4 wheel-drive expeditions throughout Peru and Latin America.
Simon has been based in Peru for the last 9 years. His fascination with the Andean culture and its food (stuffed hot peppers and fried guinea pig being his favorite!!) has yet to be quenched.
When not working he enjoys Jumping on his bike to see what new areas there are to explore while trying to find new ways to make the next trip even more memorable. He also enjoys brewing his own beer - just as much as drinking it! (if you are lucky enough he may even let you try some!)
Daniel Soncourt: IML ski / snowboard instructor and canyoning guide.
The Pyrenees is Daniels playground. In the winter he works at Peyragudes (one of the local ski resorts to Luchon) where he is in high demand as a ski / snowboard instructor. When he is not instructing he heads back into the mountains to ski tour for his own pure pleasure or with clients installing the same passion that he has for the mountains.
Daniel's summer months are filled with endless days guiding in the spectacular canyons in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. He has lived and worked in the Pyrenees all his life and his knowledge of the mountains is outstanding. Daniel conducts all expeditions with the highest care in safety while having an amazing ability to bring his fun, slightly off beat character and knowledge into each and every day.
At 360 we use only the best to conduct any of our expeditions and Daniel is our man for the Pyrenees!
Lynne Gilbert: Business Consultant
Lynne's passion for the outdoors and travel has combined with her extensive business and personal development background.
She started trekking in her teens and over the years has travelled all over the world. Lynne is an example of how age is no limitation. When she is not trekking she is a keen long distant cyclist..
Her team building and communication skills plus her knowledge and experience of travelling all over the world greatly enhance her ability as a trek leader. She has recently returned from Bhutan and enjoys supporting those who are quite new to the adventure of trekking. Lynne is married with three grown up sons.