Karl, born in 1981, is our Swiss mountain professional in Ecuador. Raised in Quito, he learned mountaineering early from his father, Charly, and owes his understanding of the country and its people to his Ecuadorian mother. He now lives with his wife and son in Switzerland. Through his agency in Ecuador and a team of carefully selected mountain guides—some of whom are German-speaking—he organizes ascents of Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and other mountains, as well as trips to the Amazon, the highlands, and the Galapagos Islands.

Karl personally participates in many of our mountain tours as both a leader and guide. Beyond his work as a skilled and dedicated mountain guide, he is one of the most successful speed mountaineers of our time. He holds records on his home mountains—Cotopaxi (ascent and descent from the hut in 1h 37’ in 2012) and Chimborazo (ascent and descent from the hut in 3h 59’ in 2017) - and has set world records on four of the Seven Summits.