Guiding with purpose, beyond the obvious
Christian approaches guiding as a way to connect people more deeply to the world around them.
For him, time in the mountains is not only about movement through terrain. It is about perspective. About understanding a place through experience, and the way that experience can shift how you see it.
As an IFMGA Mountain Guide, his work spans continents, from Patagonia to the Alps and beyond. Alongside guiding, he has built a body of work as a photographer, writer, and speaker, documenting the environments and communities he engages with.
This broader perspective led him to found the Global Community Project, an initiative that brings together outdoor education, cultural exchange, and conservation. Through this work, Christian has helped create opportunities for students, local communities, and conservation partners to connect through shared experience.
What defines Christian’s guiding is not just where he goes, but how he engages with the places along the way. His trips are shaped by curiosity, cultural awareness, and a sense of purpose that extends beyond the route itself.
For those who travel with him, the experience often becomes something more than a journey. It becomes a way of seeing.
Christian Santelices
IFMGA / UIAGM Certified Mountain Guide
Has led expeditions across six continents
Founder of the Global Community Project (GCP)
Photographer, writer, and public speaker
Works at the intersection of guiding, education, and conservation
Experience
“Christian brings a deeper sense of purpose to every journey. You come for the mountains, but leave with a much broader experience of place, people, and perspective.”