Melissa Marini

In 1998 an unforgettable adventure to Chile liberated my mind and freed my spirit. After climbing volcanoes, rafting the mighty Bio Bio river, and camping among the monkey puzzle trees, six years + of Corporate America inclusive of power suits and power meetings seemed so insignificant. A year later I found myself in Peru & Bolivia, Panama & Costa Rica, trekking & filtering water from ice cold rivers and dirty hostel sinks. I was hooked. I abandoned the corporate world without looking back and moved to Portland, Maine where I could enjoy kayaking in the ocean, hiking & biking in the mountains, and a good strong cup of coffee all in the same day. Life was good, but my career in sales was still not a perfect fit.

In 2003 I retreated back to Boston and joined the Andean Treks team – real, down to earth people with expansive world travels to my favorite destinations…the Andes. I’ve traded power suits for flip flops and six years later (!) my passion has turned into amazing experiences that I am able to share every day. I can openly admit my ambitious dreams of scaling mountains, and my disinterest in climbing corporate ladders. This type of behavior is not only accepted - it's encouraged!

As part of Andean Treks I've returned to Peru several times –trekking to sacred Nevado Salcantay and Nevado Ausangate, and summiting Nevado Pisco at nearly 19,000’ in the Cordillera Blanca. Additionally, I’ve navigated mainland Ecuador by car, sailed the Galapagos Islands, and biked through wine country in Argentina, stopping only to sample many a fine Malbec. While I may be in the office more than out in the field, it’s very satisfying to share my passion for travel with other adventurous travelers. I love taking part in creating trips that will undoubtedly leave you under the spell of the Andes.

Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina

Uros floating reed islands, Peru