Rachel Molstad

Rachel grew up in Oregon and attended college in her home state, earning a degree in International Studies before beginning a series of explorations of many regions of the world, living in several different countries from Asia to Europe. Since 2013 she has called La Paz, Bolivia home, guiding in the Cordillera Real (Royal Range) of the Andes and exploring the region’s remote glaciated peaks and granite walls. She has been guiding full time since 2014 in various regions of North and South America with extensive experience in high altitude and international expeditions and has guided climbers to 6000 meter plus summits on over 200 occasions. She has completed numerous female first ascents of technical routes on the highest peaks of the Bolivian Andes, along with a few first ascent routes on lesser explored peaks. Her fluent Spanish language skills are an asset on South American expeditions. When lower elevation beckons, her favorite pastime is exploring lost trails in the Amazon and cloud forest regions of Bolivia. Despite the adventure found in the Andes, she always looks forward to returning to the forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest.  Rachel leads trips around the world including Aconcagua, Denali, Rainier, Peru, and the Great Peak of Bolivia.

Take 5 with the Guide

Most beloved book?
Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis

What’s always in your snack bag?
chocolate

What was your first mountain?
Mount Hood, Oregon

In another life, I’d…
simply spend a lifetime exploring the far corners of the globe.

One piece of advice for aspiring mountaineers?
Climb the mountain that captivates your sense of wonder.