Mountains are in Brant Kilber‘s blood. Growing up in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, as a child and young adult he scrambled through much of the neighboring Cascade Range from Mt. Hood to Mt. Rainier, Mt. Olympus, Mt. Saint Helens, and Mt. Baker. On a recent trip to Switzerland, Brant and a fellow guide climbed Monta Rosa, the second highest peak in Europe, a highlight for him.

He is also very familiar with European customs with a cultural understanding that runs deep. Brant spent four years living in Germany, both of his children were born there, and he describes his wife Beate’s hometown in southern Germany like a romantic thread that ties them both to the Alps. “When it’s clear, you can look across Lake Constance and see the Alps. Her father was a mountain climber and they spent a lot of time hiking around there together.” Brant is truly at home in the Alps and is always at ease, whether chatting with a local farmer or savoring a gourmet meal in a 5-star hotel, leading a leisurely hike or rising before sunrise for the chance to explore a new trail.

A carpenter and cabinet maker in Portland, Oregon in his off-season, Brant is also a well-informed naturalist and photographer ready to share his knowledge of birds and wildflowers with interested guests. Many of his photos grace the Alpinehikers’ website. He started guiding with Alpinehikers in 2000 and has led tours in Switzerland almost every summer since then… and he is always excited to go back. “I just find it fascinating being there. There is still so much to explore, to do and see. I love going to new places, but I love going back to places, too. I look forward to every single one of them.”