Adventure Collection

Vassi Koutsaftis has been guiding treks and expeditions for Geographic Expeditions for 20 years. Koutsaftis has led both regularly scheduled itineraries and specially arranged private journeys around the world for GeoEx, but his specialty, he says, is arduous trips in remote regions such as Tibet, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. A native of Greece, Koutsaftis now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

How long have you been a guide?

I have been guiding treks and expeditions for Geographic Expeditions for 20 years, starting when it was a small seven-person operation named InnerAsia.

As a guide, what do you do?

My primary responsibility is the safety of the clients, then the successful completion of the trip and making sure I do my best so the participants have had the trip of a lifetime if possible.

What area/trip is your specialty?

I love exploratory trips and real remote, arduous treks such as the Kangshung face in Tibet, Snow Lake in Pakistan, and the Wakhan in Afghanistan.

What is it about these trips that most appeals to you and that you love most to share with your travelers?

The Kangshung Face is just about as remote of a trek as you can have and the experience of being out there is life-changing — plus the view of Mt. Everest from the Kangshung cannot be matched anywhere. In Afghanistan, the local people will take your heart away, and as for Snow Lake, the wild beauty of the mountains will tempt you to want to stay there forever.

Can you give an example of any special experience or connection you have that you have been able to pass on to your travellers?

My love of the Tibetan plateau and the experience I had when I was trekking alone across Tibet. My love of Myanmar, which I think is the most beautiful place on the planet. The way I describe India and the colors there. I think the passion I have for these places actually gets the clients excited as well.

Can you give me an example where you think you made an important difference for the travelers on one of your trips?

On the first trek around Mt. Kailas I was able to “negotiate” with the Chinese border guards and we were allowed to cross via a remote border post to Nepal, which until that day had been off-limits. We were the first group to be allowed to do so; otherwise, we would have had to drive for 5 days to get out. Also, I always help my clients shop because I don’t want any clients to get ripped off buying a carpet or any other valuable item on one of my trips.

What are a guide’s most important skills?

Being able to put clients first, having a sixth sense of somehow being able to anticipate what is just about to happen, traveling with patience and responsibility and being able to “feel” what might be going wrong within a group. Having pride that he or she is leading the most important group in the field at the time. Never getting tired.

What does a good guide add to a journey?

To me, area knowledge is secondary, that is what the local guides whom we work with can supply. A good leader adds peace of mind, a sense of security, and fun. A good leader makes clients feel safe and protected.

What are the main challenges of travel in your destination?

Mostly dealing with the “red tape” — sometimes the authorities can get a bit carried away with their requests for late fees, visa fees, wrong stamp fees, not enough pages in your passport fees, your passport picture is not right fees, etc. One other issue is local guides steering the clients to shops where a commission is paid to them. Clients have paid enough for the trip; my responsibility is to protect them, not to take advantage of a situation. I am very strict when it comes to this.

How do you overcome these challenges?

Savviness, responsibility and experience, also keeping a keen ear and eye as to what is going on. Being able to negotiate, negotiate and negotiate! I have been told I have a sixth sense sometimes when it comes to being able to anticipate and avoid difficult situations.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Being out there in the remote areas of the planet, the excitement of the unknown, the non-routine of a daily life, constantly solving problems, meeting the local people who sometimes are extremely rewarding, making new friends.

What have been your most memorable experiences as a guide?

One was when I was traveling alone across Tibet following the local nomads; even though I do not speak their language, I was the happiest man on the planet. A trek around Manaslu a couple of years ago became the most beautiful trek I have ever led because of the clients on it. Another favorite experience involves a dog I named Karta on two treks to the Kangshung. On the first trek she became my pet, sleeping by my tent; I would feed her before eating myself. Then on a trek a year later, we found her on the trail again and she remembered me. She followed us along but she was so old and sick that sometimes I had to carry her on the trail and she died before the pass. A sad but heartwarming story.

How can travelers get the most out of a GeoEx trip?

Be open to new experiences and, if I were to make one absolutely show-stopper suggestion, just as I would say to a new aspiring guide — leave the ego at home!