SAFETY
Exceptional guides are the back bone of Earth River Expeditions. They are older and wiser, averaging 18 years in the industry and have been with Earth River for many years.

For more extensive biographical information click on guide names.

 

"A descendant of a scout on the Lewis and
Clark Expedition, our trip leader Joe is hard as
an ax handle but gentle in spirit"

-National Geographic Magazine, November 1996

JOE DENGLER, EXPEDITION LEADER
Joe has been guiding for over 13 years. He is an accomplished kayaker and has taught at guide schools throughout the world. He has led expeditions in California, Chile, Peru, China, Tibet, Africa, Norway, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Quebec and Costa Rica. Joe led the first decent of China/Tibet's Class 5 Shuiluo Ho River featured in National Geographic Magazine.
futaleufu

"Steve was excellent with both the students and
the adults. He's patient, safe and understanding
and a great person to be with"

-Megan Wahl, Wilmington Delaware

STEVE JONES, EXPEDITION LEADER
Steve has been guiding for 18 years and has led trips on the world's most difficult commercial rivers; including California's Cherry creek, Peru's Colca, China's Great Bend of the Yangtze, Chile's Futaleufu and Africa's Zambezi. He is an outdoor educator and has organized youth trips throughout the world. Steve led a number of important river conservation trips to Quebec's Great Whale River, exposing members of the press, legislators and environmentalists to the issue.
GREG SMITH, EXPEDITION LEADER
Greg has been guiding difficult rivers for 15 years. He has run class 5 water on nearly every continent, from the steep technical waters of California's Cherry Creek to the massive flows of China's Great Bend of the Yangtze. As a martial arts expert he has the abilty to remain calm in the most difficult situations.
BRIAN STEVENSON, EXPEDITION LEADER
Brian has been a professional river guide since 1981. He has worked in nearly every western state and has managed river companies in Colorado, California and Utah. He has worked overseas for more than a decade and can regularly be found on rivers in Central and South America, Asia, Africa, Alaska and Canada.
futaleufu
CHUCK CHAMP, EXPEDITION LEADER
Chuck has been running rivers for over 20 years and guiding international for 10. Like the other Earth River guides his class 5 experience is extensive in both the US and abroad. Chuck has managed companies and run guide schools internationally as well as in the US.

"I've rafted with Eric down some tough rivers-
the Futaleufu in Chile, the Colca in Peru.
He's one of the best in the business
- obsessed with safety."

-National Geographic Magazine, November 1996

ERIC HERTZ, PRESIDENT
Eric has been guiding for over 20 years and has pioneered commercial rafting on some of the world's classic rivers including Chile's Futaleufu, Peru's Colca and China's Great Bend of the Yangtze. He introduced the industry to a number of important safety innovations including: the use of safety catarafts, a full training day on class 5 rivers and the use of footcups in paddleboats. In 1991 he founded the Earth River Fund with the International Audubon Society to promote river conservation throughout the world.

futaleufu

"You continually went out of your way to make
the trip special for us - even at the end of a long
hard day you still had a smile for everyone."

-Ann Elhers, Manasa Wisconsin

ROBERT CURRIE, VICE PRESIDENT
Robert is a native of Chile and has more international rafting experience than anyone else in South America. This past year he was featured rafting the Futaleufu on a ESPN / Men's Journal television special. Robert made the first raft decent of the Futaleufu in 1991 and has rafted the river more than anyone else. Since discovering the plans to dam the Futaleufu, he has been spearheading the preservation effort by helping to organize the local people and creating the Futaleufu (land) Conservancy.

SAFETY

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