Through our expedition leaders, UK office and field offices Yomps has direct access to trained specialist travel professionals ensuring we not only have the best sources of information to offer you the trip of a life time off the beaten track but also that we can do this in a safe and responsible way.
Antony Wilson - Director
Antony was in the IT corporate industry for 20 years working for large insurance organisations, until finally having enough and wished for a new life. His decided to go on a Global Vision International expedition in Africa and fell in love with “the bush”. He attended a Safari Guide course and was lucky enough to be a Safari Guide in a Big 5 reserve. Antony then worked for Global Vision International as their Expedition Manager at Karongwe Game Reserve. He moved to Yomps in September 2006 where he now works with a young enthusiastic team who use their first hand experience to bring you amazing adventures around the world.
As well as being an experienced Safari guide who is qualified to walk you into “Dangerous Game”, he is also a Scuba Dive Master and has a love for wildlife photography. Antony’s claim to fame is he used to be a drummer and the pop group he was with got into the Top 30 single chart!
Tom Smith - Volunteer Project Coordinator and Business Development
Tom graduated with a BA (Hons) International Business from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, where he spent half of his degree on exchanges in Canada and France. Throughout his studies, he spent his summers traveling around North America, Europe and Africa. His love for travel is reflected in his other interests, including foreign cinema, French food and languages. He’s fluent in French and skis/ boards every winter in the Alps.
After spending time both volunteering and being involved in a variety of conservation programmes around Africa, Tom returned to the UK where he became the latest addition to the Yomps team. He brings a wealth of travel and international experience to the team and is now the coordinator for the volunteering projects at Yomps.
Ben Gorelick and Jaya Marr - Patagonia Field Staff
Ben Gorelick and Jaya Marr have been a guiding team in Alaska and South America. On a climbing trip to Chile, they fell in love with the beauty of the Aysen region of Patagonia and decided to make it their home.
Hailing from Chickaloon, Alaska, Ben has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Alaska Pacific University. He has split his guiding career between Alaska and Patagonia, while indulging his passion for climbing all over the world, including Alaska, Mongolia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Thailand, and New Zealand. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Aid instructor, a Leave No Trace Trainer, an Avalanche Safety I instructor, and a Swiftwater Rescue technician.
Jaya is from New Zealand. She has guided in Patagonia, Alaska, and on the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers in New Zealand. Her climbing career spans the highest peaks of New Zealand, Alaska, and Patagonia. Last year she was part of an all women’s team on Denali (Mt. McKinley), the highest peak in North America. She is a Wilderness First Responder, is Avalanche Safety I instructor, a Leave No Trace Master, and Swiftwater Rescue tecnician. She has also served as a member of the West Coast Alpine Rescue team and Fox Glacier Ambulance brigade. Ben and Jaya have an engaging and entertaining teaching style. They get great satisfaction by helping others learn to do the things they thoroughly enjoy doing themselves.
Chris Patterson - Venezuela
Chris left bonny Scotland when he was 17 to travel the world. He became a sailboat skipper, and scuba diver in the Caribbean before guiding on some of the most remote areas of the Amazon. He has also guided trips into the Kalahari desert in Africa, Nambia, mountains in Canada, and Argentina. He then settled in Venezuela (for the last 10 years). He loves hats, sunnies and small furry things! Is often portrayed by the media as South Americas answer to crocodile Dundee (the hat again), as loves to get down in the jungle catching snakes, red howler monkeys(furry things) and anything else that moves! He has even been known to swim with the pirana's! Courageous, spontaneous, outrageous and likes the ridiculous. Now married to a beautiful Venezuelan (Ada) with 3 wonderful children. Has it slowed him down? No way! Venezuela Operations manager and head honcho!
Brendan Topp - Venezuela
Brendan Topp is 28 and born in Scotland Aberdeen. Travelling is his passion and he loves all 'real life' events. Brendan has been in Venezuela for 4 years and he loves the country for it's people, it's energy, soul, passion, nature, dance, sun, food, blue seas, diversity, language, climate and music. He believes each and everyone of us can make a difference in this world and with the right attitude everything is possible. He loves leading expeditions and completing volunteer work projects.
Colin Skipper - Fiji Director of Diving
Born and raised near the ocean in South Western Australia, Colin has always loved water sports and, as a young man, was involved in sailing, competitive swimming, snorkeling and surfing. Taking up scuba diving more than 25 years ago, he became an Open Water Scuba Instructor in 1991 while holding the position of Vice Principal of the WA College of Agriculture, Denmark and for several years conducted scuba courses for the students .
In 2003, Colin took a “working holiday” in Fiji and was subsequently offered the opportunity to form a partnership and own and operate a dive business on Vanua Levu, the second largest island of the Fiji group. Despite having never been to this island, not to mention the resort where the operation was to be based, he took leave from his college, packed his life in cardboard boxes, and headed back to Fiji. After 5 difficult months establishing the business, Colin purchased his partner’s shares and became totally committed to a life of diving and living in Fiji. After averaging about 600 dives per year for the last three years, Colin continues to enjoy his work, sharing his passion for diving, and always striving for the ultimate underwater photo.
Stu and Mike - Swiss Paragliding
STUART BELBAS (Left of picture)
Chief Pilot.
Stuart has been teaching paragliding in the Alps for over 10 years and holds the highest instructor rating available. Stuart has logged over 4,000 hours under a paraglider and has years of experience as a competitor, instructor, and a test pilot.
He was trained to fly aeroplanes by the RAF and acquired his PPL, (Private Pilots Licence) at the mere age of 17. Since then he has carried on to fly helicopters, sail planes, hang-gliders and paragliders.
FLYING QUALIFICATIONS:FSVL and OFAC paragliding Instructor and Instructor trainer.
FSVL and OFAC pilot and tandem instructor
SIV Advanced paragliding coach
FSVL Hang-gliding rating
JAA PPL, (private pilots licence)
PAC Free fall parachute licence
NON-FLYING QUALIFICATIONS:
PADI Medic First Aid Instructor and SS CPR qualified.
RYA Coastal Skipper
PADI Scuba Instructor
LANGUAGES: English, French, Spanish and Italian.
MIKE BELBAS (Right of picture)
Flight Training Instructor.
Mike is Stuart's twin brother. He is a passionate and experienced pilot, who also has thousands of hours of flying all types of aircraft from aeroplanes to paragliders. Mike’s passion for flying along with his sense of humour and love for life are some of the greatest assets to the academy.
FLYING QUALIFICATIONS:
FSVL and OFAC paragliding pilot and FGA Instructor
SIV Advanced paragliding coach
FSVL and OFAC Tandem rating
JAA PPL (Private Pilots Licence)
PAC Freefall parachute licence
NON-FLYING QUALIFICATIONS:
PADI Medic first aid instructor
PADI Scuba Instructor
LANGUAGES: English and French