About Bruce Klepinger

Bruce Klepinger has been a professional mountain guide for over 35 years, with more than 200 treks, 40 expeditions, and 1,000 ascents to his credit. His love of the Himalayas, its people and its landscapes is contagious, and he is never happier than when on the trail in these magical mountains.

Bruce's Himalayan trekking experience has taken him on a nearly complete foot traverse of the Himalayan arc from Afghanistan to Assam in India. He has also led treks and climbs in most of the world's great mountain ranges, from the Karakoram to the Hindu Kush, Pamirs, Altai, Caucasus, Ruwenzoris, and Andes. Bruce also has had a long career as a river guide, with worldwide descents of famed rivers from Ethiopia's Omo to Chile's Bio Bio.

His vast experience as an international adventure guide has been featured in a number of magazines including Esquire and National Geographic Traveler. Bruce is a former university professor of physiology and human development and a current member of the Wilderness Medical Society and American Mountain Guides Association.

 

Words from Bruce...

Dear Friends,

I want to make your dream of exploration possible. We are fortunate to have been born in an era in which we have been able to travel readily and rapidly from one part of the globe to another. We have had unprecedented access to exotic cultures, to the vast expanses of untrodden plains or to the heights of distant raw-boned peaks. However, the times are changing. Primitive places are becoming modernized, untouched tribes are disappearing and empty spaces are shrinking. As travel becomes more common, public demand for comfort increases and the inclination for exploration and true adventure declines. Awe and amazement are diminished. Gimmicks become more common. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to find inspiring places that fill us with joy and to meet unique people who provide us a changed perspective of the human family. Like those “dreamers of the day” of whom T. E. Lawrence wrote, I’d like to share this unique opportunity in human history with you.

For 2009/2010 I have two types of departures. The fixed departure date trips are new trips for groups and are shown in blue on the itinerary section of this web site. One example is the Peruvian journey, a walk through ice-clad peaks with overnights at comfortable lodges. At the other extreme, I am offering a true exploratory to a region of India only recently opened. The other fixed departure trips are designed to experience regions which have not yet been transformed but which are quickly coming into the tourist age. It’s a spectrum of trips. Comfort is a basic part of the journey for some. Mystery and unknowns are essential aspects in others.

Trips shown in black are available for individuals or private parties at a time of your convenience. These trips are time-tried treks that Ibex has operated previously, some many times. Ibex offers a wide variety of departures that are truly unique along routes not offered elsewhere with variations that bring out the regional character far better than typical routes. I know all these places personally. If you want to experience a bit of the untouched world, act now. Sign up today. I can arrange such a trip for you, your friends or your family. What better gift would there be for you and your children or your grandkids? How about a business partner? Some trips have comfort. Some are moderate. Some are really tough!

Finally, there’s a new addition to the Ibex Web site. It is a section with photographs. Perhaps you’d like to travel to the Himalayas but cannot. You can experience the Himalayas through images. These pictures are also for sale. All of these images are drawn from my recent successful photo exhibit in Eugene. You may view them in the Photography Section.

The spirit and soul of Ibex remains strong. The world continues calling me to adventure. I think you understand that calling. There are so many wonderful, exhilarating trips yet to be taken. My goal remains discovery. Come join Ibex! As I have for nearly forty years, I’m still finding new places, new routes, and new ways for us to travel together, and I’m looking forward to seeing you this year on one of Ibex trips.

Bruce Klepinger