Ruedi Beglinger

Ruedi is the head guide and founder of SME. Together with Nicoline, he has built up the Durrand Glacier Chalet since its inception in 1985. He began his guiding career in the Swiss alps in 1976 and is a IFMGA Mountain Guide, SBV Swiss Mountain Guide and member of the ACMG. Ruedi designed our fabulous 90 kilometer trail network: our ongoing 35 year project. Ruedi spends the majority of his summer guiding and rock climbing at the Mount Moloch Chalet, a few hours walk across the glacier from the Durrand. Hiking guests are likely to meet him on Fridays. His lifetime goal is to still ski, climb and guide guests at age 90.

Resume of Ruedi Beglinger »

Nicoline Beglinger

While Nicoline prefers to call herself a housewife or the food and beverage manager, she truly is the heart and soul of SME. Between taking care of staff, guests and, of course, Sven the dog, she rarely gets a day off. Nicoline is the oil that keeps the SME operation running. She makes the beds, does dishes, packs the helicopter, organizes the summer hikes, goes skiing with the winter guests, does the bills, bakes, cleans, rakes the summer trails, shovels snow, does firewood, manages the office, answers emails… Nicoline is the modest warmth of SME. The welcoming hug and the cheerful wave goodbye as you depart on your day's adventure. Her lifetime goal is to continue having her children spend time with her at the chalet.

Bree Northway

After many adventures all around the world Bree found her home just 80 km east of where she grew up. Bree has been in Revelstoke since 2019 and is passionate about all that Revelstoke has to offer. Mountain biking, climbing, snowboarding and the great active outdoor social life that the community is known for. Bree spent part of the winter at the lodge and is now running everything from town. She takes care of us all!

Aimee-Leih Dillon

While Aimee has taken on a position in the Revelstoke School District she is still part of the SME world. She helps out in the office and with the exchanges, she continues to be the on-call consultant and friend to all of us.

Mitja Ziegler

Mitja is the head chef at the Durrand Glacier Chalet. He trained as a chef in Germany and has cooked and travelled all over the world. He has called BC his home for the past ten years. He comes with a very impressive resume, from high end restaurants in Vancouver to heli ski lodges. He is equally at home in a simple mountain lodge kitchen as in a full professional kitchen running a team of chefs. He enjoys showcasing local, sustainable ingredients in his meals. Mitja loves to interact with guests and enjoys being in remote alpine locations. He has the all important “Sven seal of approval”. This will be Mitja’s third season at the Durrand and we are all very excited to have him back with his partner Belia.

Florina Beglinger

Florina is one of our lead hiking guides. She is pursuing her IFMGA Mountain Guide certification having completed her Ski Guide, Hiking Guide and Assistant Rock Guide qualifications. She works as a ski guide at the Durrand Chalet in the winter months. Florina first flew to the lodge when she was 1 week old and has since spent half her life there including all of her birthdays and every New Year’s Eve. She began her SME career as a dishwasher at age 4 and can still be found drying dishes with a few more responsibilities on the side. She is a two-time winner of the SME Lakes Challenge and hopes to eventually win the Durrand Bowl Rubber Duck Race (though one of her ducks has won the ‘best dressed’ in the past).

Tate Thornton

Tate is a lead hiking guide at the Durrand Glacier Chalet. She joins us for her fourth season from her hometown of Banff, where she works as ski patrol in the winter months. Tate is certified with the ACMG as an Apprentice Hiking Guide Tate brings great energy to our team, and graces us with her boundless enthusiasm, strong work ethic and occasional appearance in a dirndl. Tate is the winner of the Durrand Glacier 2020 Lakes Swimming Challenge and co-winner of the 2021 Lakes Swimming Challenge. She has also earned the Durrand Bravery Medal for extracting 62 porcupine quills from Sven’s nose and mouth in 2021. We are looking forward to another season with her.

Eva Mosher

Summer 2023 is Eva’s fifth season at the Durrand and her second season as a hiking guide. She's completed her first year at UBC and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science. Eva’s many talents include Sandwich Artistry and stick and poke Tattoo work. She is an accomplished pianist. Eva is loved for her great sense of humour, her quick wit and her patience with the rest of us.

Mark Mitchell

2023 is Marks second season as a hiking guide at the Durrand Glacier. Mark is an experienced ACMG Hiking Guide. Mark’s passions all revolve around spending time in the mountains. He has been involved with and working at backcountry lodges since 2012, helping with maintenance, construction and guiding. He has much (un)common sense! Mark has traveled extensively but always returns to the interior BC mountains to which he has a deep connection. He is looking forward to sharing his passion for these mountains with the hiking guests at the Durrand.

Dana Harvey

Dana's love for hiking brought her to BC from Ontario in 2015 and she has never looked back. After spending some time living in and exploring different mountain towns in BC and Alberta Dana settled in Revelstoke with her Mexican rescue dog Bert. She is an ACMG Apprentice Hiking & Snowshoe Guide, and an IGA Apprentice Interpretive Guide. 2023 is Dana's first season with us at the Durrand Glacier. We are all looking forward to spending the summer with her.

Charlotte Beglinger

Charlotte grew up at the Durrand Glacier Chalet and has spent fifteen summer seasons as a much-loved hiking guide at the Durrand Glacier Chalet. After finishing a master’s degree in Opera Performance and the UBC School of Music, she changed direction and is currently working at KPMG as an accountant. She completed her CPA designation in the fall of 2021. Charlotte married Matt McLellan in 2022 and they are now living in Switzerland where she is working as an accountant with KPMG. Though we see less of Charlotte at the Durrand Chalet these days, she still comes up for the odd visit and is an integral part of our staff and family.

Belia Navarro-Ziegler

2023 is Belia's second season with us. Plus one week in the winter. Belia is magic. She is up early to make sandwiches, she dances in the kitchen, she keeps the lodge sparkling clean, she makes us all laugh as well as making the most amazing cocktails. We are so lucky to have her in our lives. Belia is the winner of the 2022 Durrand Lake Challenge.

Sven Beglinger

Sven is an essential part of the SME team. His official role is to keep the pine martens and mountain goats at bay. Realistically, he acts as more of an HR role, bringing comfort and love to all staff and guests who give him a pet. Sven is a seven year old Duck Tolling Retriever. Quite possibly the largest Duck Toller ever.