How Viola and Andrey Became Mountain Guides – Our Story

People often ask us: "How did you become mountain guides?" It is a question we never tire of answering, because the answer is different for each of us — yet the mountains brought us together, and the mountains keep us here. This is the full story of how Viola and Andrey became mountain guides in Uzbekistan.

Viola: The Spark in 1993

I took my first multi-day mountain trek in 1993. I was immediately captivated. The Tien-Shan range — with its alpine meadows, rocky passes, and endless skies — felt like home. Over the next few years, I kept going back. Week after week, season after season. The mountains called to me in a way that nothing ever had.

I began bringing friends along, then friends of friends. I realized I had a natural ability to organize groups, navigate trails, and keep people safe. By 2000, I began guiding international travelers. Word spread quickly — an English and Italian speaking guide in Uzbekistan who knew the mountains intimately. Soon I was leading groups from Europe, America, and Asia.

By 2010 I had completed over 500 guided expeditions. Today that number is over 1,800. I graduated from the National University of Uzbekistan, but my real education came from the mountains themselves — learning weather patterns, safe routes, and the hidden valleys that no map shows.

Andrey: Born into the Mountains

I was born into the mountains. My father was a meteorologist, so I grew up reading mountain weather — understanding wind patterns, cloud formations, and the subtle signs that tell you when a storm is coming. By 2001 I began guiding in the Tien-Shan, and I have never stopped.

But guiding is only part of who I am. I am also a photographer — my work has been featured in Info.com magazine. I developed unique software for depth-of-field image processing, and I create hand-made 3D topographic maps of our trekking routes. Guests have called me a "cartographer, programmer, geologist" all in one.

One guest from France wrote: "Best instructor in the world. 1500 treks. Son of a meteorologist. Never seen someone so free in the mountains." That freedom is what I try to share with every traveler who joins us in the Tien-Shan.

How We Met and Joined Forces

Two mountain guides in Uzbekistan — it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed. We discovered we shared the same vision: offering guests the combined experience, local knowledge, and language skills of both of us. By 2012, we joined forces officially.

Today we lead expeditions together. Viola handles the logistics, languages, and group management. Andrey reads the weather, scouts the routes, captures the photographs, and keeps everyone safe with his deep knowledge of the terrain. Together we have guided travelers from France, USA, Italy, Germany, Japan, UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Mongolia, and many more countries.

The CSE English Club

In the early 2000s, Viola co-founded the Original Club of Spoken English (CSE) in Tashkent. The idea was simple: combine mountain hiking with English conversation practice. Members would hike together, camp together, and speak only English the entire time. The club grew quickly to over 2,000 members on Facebook.

Dozens of members joined — Ira, Dima, Garik, Nastya, Daniel, Olga, and many more. We would wash rocks to build waterfalls, plant flowers along the trails, and clean the riverbanks. For many members, the CSE Club was their first time speaking English outside a classroom. For others, it was their first time in the mountains at all. Andrey later co-founded the CSE Mountain Club — a community of young climbers exploring remote Tien-Shan peaks with proper mountaineering training.

Our Guiding Philosophy

We believe mountain tourism is about creativity. Every route is different. Every group has its own energy. We do not run standard tours — we craft experiences. As Viola wrote in an article published in January 2012: "A true mountain tourist CANNOT NOT go to mountains. They go for the mountains themselves."

Each traveler brings their own story. Each leaves with new friends. As Danny from New York said: "Get friends in the mountains! You will always get friends in the mountains."

33 Years Later

33 years. 1,800+ expeditions. 2,800+ travelers. 450+ winter trips. And still discovering new routes every year. The mountains are not our workplace. They are our life. As one of our album pages puts it: "What are the mountain hikes for us? Is it rest or work? Neither rest nor work. Mountains is our life!"

If you are reading this and feel the pull of the Tien-Shan — trust that feeling. Reach out to us. We will take you to places most travelers never see. And you will leave with more than photographs — you will leave with the mountains in your heart.