About Arete Expeditions

Arete Expeditions is operated by Gary Kuehn and specializes in custom trips and training.... with a philosophy exemplified by the name Areté:

Areté in its basic sense means "goodness", "excellence" or "virtue" of any kind. In its earliest appearance in Greek this notion of excellence was bound up with the notion of the fulfillment of purpose or function; the act of living up to one's full potential.  It is a concept that refers to the excellent performance of an attribute for which a thing or species is recognized. For a bird it might be flying. For a horse, running. A firefly, how brightly it glows.  For you it might be exploring new places while climbing or skiing.  For me it is helping you turn your dreams into reality and helping you live up to your potential.

About me...

I enjoy all types of mountain adventures.

My base is now Wanaka, New Zealand.   In the winter season (July-September) I ski tour, heli-ski and teach avalanche courses and in the summer (December-February) I guide and instruct climbing and mountaineering.  That leaves the rest of the year to pursue these passions and help others experience and enjoy mountain around the world.

Although I enjoy any type of skiing, I now favour mountain ski touring.  I have traversed Denali (Mt. McKinley) and the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap on skis and done numerous ski descents in North America and New Zealand. My "still to be skied" list keeps growing!  Learning to backcountry telemark ski in 1981 in New England got me into ice climbing.  That lead to a passion for rock and alpine climbing that has grown ever since.  I have climbed and guided in Canada, Alaska, Europe, Mexico, lower USA states, Pakistan, India, Nepal, South America, Antarctica, Australia and New Zealand.  From 1995 to 2003 I worked seasonally with the Australian Antarctic Program as a field leader and trainer for remote area science programs.

More on Gary Kuehn's experience & qualifications.