Meet our team
We are extremely proud of our Team here at Kayak School Arlberg. Our Coaches, Instructors and Guides have a huge amount of experience around the world. They have completed First Descents, exploring rivers where no-one has been before and opening sections or rivers that were deemed too hard or inaccessible.
All of our team are qualified through British Canoeing / Paddle UK, which is renowned as the world leader in white water kayaking qualifications and courses.
Some of our team have represented their countries but what makes them all stand out is their love of white water kayaking and seeing how our guests improve their technique and understanding of white water.
So whether you are a beginner, a class 2 kayaker or a seasoned veteran, our team will not only help you improve and have some great times with one of our fully qualified coaches on the river!
Steve Brooks
Steve lives, sleeps and eats kayaking!
When you get to kayak with Steve, you would never believe, that it wasn’t already his childhood dream to learn to kayak. Instead he was more or less forced to become a kayak instructor while serving in the British Army. What may have felt as a punishment for some, for Steve it opened a whole new world and within a few years he had said goodbye to his military career and headed off looking for adventure in the worlds best rivers!!
He has explored some of the most remote rivers in the world. From the deepest gorges in the Peruvian Andes, into the dense amazon jungle rivers of Ecuador, the big volume rivers of the Zambezi and Nile in Africa to the stunning rivers of the Himalayas in Nepal and India, Steve has been privileged to witness and share some amazing locations. His love for adventure combined with his drive and passion has made his expeditions hugely successful.
In 2013 Steve was awarded Canoe and Kayak UK magazines Adventurer of the Year and in 2014 he and Ute were followed by a film producer to cover their adventures which included a first descent in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh in India. The film was shown throughout Germany, at the film festival in St.Anton am Arlberg, Austria and also at the prestigious Kendal Film Festival in the UK.
Steve has been instructing and coaching for over 2 decades and throughout this time he has continually strived to develop and update his coaching style and qualifications through British Canoeing. Steve has a great understanding of the needs of different levels and characters of kayakers and has an immense amount of patience!
Being able to instruct and teach at such a high level will only help you develop as a whitewater kayaking and can open a new chapter in your kayaking career!
Steve can teach in English, German and Spanish.
Ute Heppke
You may recognise Ute on many of Peak UK’s posters, photos and webpages!
She comes from one of Europe’s top kayaking destinations - and is still one of only few locals who kayak. One of the reasons, why not more people here have started kayaking is probably, that they have been warned by their grandparents and parents that the river is dangerous. Of course it was dangerous for them, since some of them used to spend their Summers up in the mountains and never learned how to swim.
But Ute has always been fascinated by whitewater and when she met Steve, she realised that this is her chance to learn how to paddle. The path to being able to paddle stress free and not having to worry about exiting her boat was long and sometimes the lessons learned were hard, but she kept on persevering and slowly but surely the swims became fewer and fewer and the smiles bigger and wider!!
Kayaking has transformed Ute’s life, from growing up in the mountains of St.Christoph am Arlberg where she just loved Winter, snow and skiing, she has progressed to be one of the leading female kayakers and coaches that Austria has.
Ute has spent the past 2 decades exploring some of the deepest, remotest rivers on the planet such as the Cola Canyon and Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru or the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. She has kayaked the big water of the White Nile in Uganda, plus 3 seasons of kayaking in the jungle of Ecuador to name but a few. However, it is in the Indian Himalayas kayaking the Zanskar Gorge in Ladakh, known as the Grand Canyon of the Himalayas, the Ganges and its tributaries in Uttarakhand, the Beas Gorge in the Kullu Valley and River Chandra in the tribal region of Lahaul that have made her kayaking resume so impressive. Together with Steve, Ute has also completed a First Descent down the River Uhl in Himachal Pradesh that has become one of her greatest personal achievements - so far!!
As a kayak instructor and coach you will be in safe hands. The knowledge she has personally gained through her adventures, travels and working around the world has made her a fantastic teacher. Her laid back style, charm, endless patience, knowledge and various methods of instructing, coaching and teaching are complemented perfectly by her modern, dynamic style of kayaking.
In the Winter, Ute spends her time in the mountains teaching skiing and off-piste guiding in the Arlberg region of Austria. She not only holds the ISIA ski and snowboard instructor awards but she has also gained her Ski Guide qualification from the Austrian Mountain Guide Association.
Ute can teach in German and English.
Toby Saxton
Toby is a fantastic person to have leading and coaching you. His calmness and way of teaching is seriously impressive, be it making a certain move on a rapid or styling the line down the river, you will certainly feel confident following him or trying to repeat what he demonstrates. Toby has been based in Austria for over 25 years and knows the area like the back of his hand. What this means is that he will know what river has the perfect conditions and levels for the all of our guests he will be coaching or leading that day.
His laid back charm will make you feel at ease, whether it is your first time on the river or as an experienced kayaker sitting in an eddy above a tricky rapid. He will talk you through it, in a way that just makes sense. It will help calm your nerves and after you have styled the rapid you will see his huge smile beaming back at you!
As well as kayaking and guiding throughout Europe, Toby has kayaked and led expeditions in the Indian Himalayas and Morocco.
A qualified Paddle UK / British Canoeing Advanced White Water Leader, he has also represented Great Britain in Freestyle or as Toby like to say, old school rodeo!!
Toby coaches and leads in English and German.
David Cortes
David comes from Villarrica, a town on the other side of the lake to Pucon. He was always surrounded by lakes and rivers and water has been a big part of his life. He learnt to kayak in the mecca that is Pucon and has spent time kayaking rivers all around the region and also in Patagonia where he has land on the Rio Futaleufu.
You will love following David down one of his home rivers in Chile, he has a certain style when he kayaks and his enthusiasm for kayaking and showing people his home rivers is infectious! Spending time on a river, leading rapids and showing the line while getting to make new kayaking friends is a pure highlight for David. He is super solid but also very accommodating to your needs whether you are a slightly nervous kayaker or looking to style a drop, David will help you attain your goal when you are kayaking with him in Chile.
David leads our Chile Kayaking Adventures and can teach and guide in Spanish and English.
Fran Almedra
For Fran, adventure has always been a way of life. Growing up traveling through Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Europe, she developed a deep curiosity for the world and a passion for connecting with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Having grown up traveling across Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Europe, she developed a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
Known for her confidence behind the wheel as much as on the river, Francisca is a skilled driver who can navigate everything from winding mountain roads to remote river access points with ease. When she’s not sharing her passion for rivers, she can often be found exploring new places, seeking out fresh adventures, or preparing delicious meals inspired by the many cultures and countries she has encountered throughout her travels.
Above all, Francisca is the proud mother of a beautiful young daughter, whose curiosity, energy, and love of adventure inspire her every day.
When Fran is not driving she enjoys her other passions, white water kayaking where she is a confident Class 2 kayaker and cooking delicious meals for our guests inspired by the many places she has explored!
Fluent in English, Spanish, and French, Francisca combines her professional training with years of hands-on experience working with diverse groups of paddlers.
Kuldeep Thapa
Kullu is the latest member of the Kayak School Arlberg team, he has worked with us guiding on trips in his native India on the Tsarap Chu and Zanskar expedition with Stanzin and then with Steve on our India Himalayas kayaking trips. Kullu was born close to the river Ganges just upstream of Rishikesh where he spent his youth learning to kayak and improving his technique.
He has taught kayaking in various regions of India such as Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and at home in Uttarakhand. His smile is infectious and his character is suited perfectly for teaching kayaking from Beginners through to Class 4 kayakers. All of our guests who have spent time kayaking with Kullu have really enjoyed themselves and have improved their kayaking.
He is now a core member of our Team not just in India but also here in Austria and we are super happy to have him with us!
Kullu can teach in English, Hindi and Nepali.
Yiyi
My name is Yisseth, though everyone on the river knows me as Yiyi. I'm 29 years old and proudly from Neltume, a small village on the banks of the amazing Rio Fuy in southern Chile. I consider myself a daughter of the Fuy River - for me, the best river in the world and of course my home river! That connection with the river has shaped my destiny.
Since I was little, I've had a restless spirit. That energy is what drives me to practice not only kayaking but also climbing, skiing, and trail running. For me, life on the move isn't a hobby, it's a necessity. My free time is a perfect balance between the adrenaline rush of kayaking the amazing rivers that we have here in and around Pucon and the beauty of motherhood, proving that both worlds can coexist.
When I'm not paddling for myself, I'm sharing my knowledge. I currently teach at the University of La Frontera in Pucón and the San Sebastián University in Santiago focusing on training new guides for whitewater both kayaking and rafting. I firmly believe that adventure tourism is a transformative tool especially when out in the blue space of a river. I love to see my students gain not only whitewater river skills but also life skills that they can take with them on the journey and careers. It is amazing to see these young adults mature into professional whitewater guides showing not only Chileans but also tourists from all over South America and other countries throughout the wold leading and guiding people down some of the most beautiful rivers on the planet.
I love sharing the Chilean rivers with the guests from Kayak School Arlberg and I have seen how much more relaxed they seem to get when I style the line. However, it is not just me styling it, I really enjoy coaching the guests so that they too can nail that boof, drop or big waterfall.
Stanzin Tanfan
On the 11th of August 2023 we received the tragic news that our beloved Stanzin Tanfan died while kayaking on the Tsarap Chu River in his home in Ladakh, northern India. Stanzin was an amazing and humble human being. As a practicing Tibetan Buddhist he lived by those ancient values. One of them - refrain from taking life - was noticed by everyone who met him, since he didn’t kill any mosquitoes or horse flies but rescued bugs and insects that where in the river or in our water butts.
Stanzin had a huge impact on everyone he met and his legacy will live on and long.
He leaves behind a devastated wife and his young son of 3 years old, family both in Ladakh and Austria.
We made a Go Fund Me page so that everyone who wishes can donate to help his young family and for Norgyal to get the best education possible. We would like to thank everyone who has donated and sent their recollections and stories about Stanzin.
If you would like to donate then please follow the Go Fund Me link.
If you would prefer to donate another way then please get in touch with us.
