Guides
Your Partner in the Mountains
Elías de Andrés has been guiding for nearly 20 years, and in Ouray since the winter of 2010. Fascinated by the offerings of the frozen waterfalls of the San Juan Mountains, he decided to make SW Colorado his permanent hometown after a decade guiding in the Pacific Northwest and internationally. For the last 15 years, he’s specialized…
Dan Zokaites is living his dream every day by working in mountains around the world. He is certified by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) in all three guide disciplines – Rock, Alpine, and Ski – earning him the highly regarded IFMGA international guide credential. Dan also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from…
Marc Ripperger is passionate about all things climbing and skiing. This love has transported him from the San Juans to the depths of Alaska, Europe, Africa, and South America. Clients walk away from their time with Marc having had an incredible experience and gained skills for their next great objective. While not at work guiding,…
Sandy East is Cirque’s Director of Avalanche Education. He has an impressive resume detailing 45 years of experience in climbing, skiing, and guiding in the San Juan Mountains, Sandy is a legendary figure in the climbing and ski community with numerous first ascents and descent. He served as the former Director of the International Alpine…
Jesse Selwyn began rock climbing in 2002 while in college in the southeast. Following graduation with a degree in Exercise Science and wanting to climb in larger alpine environments, he moved to Montana. He has since climbed and skied in a number of countries and across the US. Following a decade working in healthcare, Jesse…
Ally Bloom joined Cirque Guides in 2025 as Office Manager, bringing her love for the mountains to the heart of our operations. She first moved to the San Juans in 2020 to work for the Ouray Ice Park, and quickly found herself woven into the fabric of the mountain community. Now based in Durango, Ally…