Jono Gillan
IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guide
Inspired by the legendary climbers of his teenage years, Jono began climbing seriously in his early twenties and soon became hooked. Also a keen skier, Jono loves the feeling of working towards a common goal with those he guides.
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Bio
Jono is a fully qualified IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guide and Alpine Cliff Rescue Team member based in Queenstown, New Zealand. Born in Adelaide, Australia, Jono became interested in climbing after reading a Reinhold Messner book as a teenager. He started climbing in 1998, at age 23, and has been guiding since 2010.
He has climbed and guided most of New Zealand's highest mountains and has shared his skills with others as an instructor on a variety of AC's mountaineering courses. He also loves to get out on his skis and has led and instructed many of our backcountry ski trips and courses.
When climbing, Jono loves sunrises from summit ridges and sunsets from the huts. As a guide, he likes meeting a variety of unique or otherwise different people and sharing a common goal.
One of Jono's most memorable climbing experiences is climbing the West Ridge of Malte Brun, which lies between the Tasman and Murchison Glaciers within New Zealand's Southern Alps, with his wife Sheena.
When not in the mountains Jono spends his time unpacking, repacking and checking the weather forecasts. With all that done, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their dog.