Who we are

This page tells you more about John Biggar and  ANDES. Who runs the business and  where our office is located.

Castle Douglas in December 2010 as seen from Carlingwark Loch. The ANDES office and library is just behind the old church  (which is now the Fullarton Theatre).

ANDES is a genuinely small business run from Castle Douglas in Galloway (southwest Scotland). The business is owned and operated by John Biggar, an active climber, skier and snowboarder. John is a fully qualified Mountaineering Instructor (WMCI)  belonging to the AMI and has completed the Alpine Level 1 instructor course with BASI.  He is the author of the only comprehensive climbing  guidebook to the Andes.  This book was first published in November 1996, with the fifth English edition published in 2020. The first Spanish and second French editions were published in 2007 and 2009 respectively, a Polish edition came out in 2012 and a Czech edition in 2019. E-book versions of the 5th English edition and 2nd Spanish edition were published in 2021.

In our library we have a very extensive collection of maps, guidebooks, etc., to the Andes avaialble for folks to come and have a look at by appointment.

John Biggar, WMCI -- Pictured above on the Greek island of Kalymnos in October 2023.

I have been operating specialist treks and climbing expeditions to South America for twenty-three years and have climbed over 300 of the 5000m and 6000m peaks in the Andes. In that time I have also personally been to every famous peak or trek and have done pretty much all of the sightseeing. I have completed a large number of research trips and led unusual itineraries to some interesting and undiscovered places. Expeditions run by myself under the ANDES brand have made first British ascents of three of the ten highest Andean peaks (Bonete, Pissis and Cazadero) and first ever ascents of over ten 6000m+ Andean peaks. In 2007 I became the second person ot have climbed all of the ten highest peaks in the Andes, after Dario Bracali.  I am also probably the only person alive to have climbed the high points of all seven Andean countries. It is not really boasting to say that I know the Andes, as a whole, better than anyone else in the world. I can offer impartial advice, whether you are going trekking, climbing, skiing or just sightseeing. In my spare time in Scotland I rock and ice-climb, ski-mountaineer and snowboard.

Claire Evans helps out in the office several times a week, when she has time off from chasing round the house after two teens. Claire was originally from North Wales.

Linda Biggar climbing in Rio de Janeiro. Linda, a qualified mountaineering instructor (MCI and Winter ML) works on some of our expeditions.

ANDES courses and expeditions are almost all lead by myself, John Biggar. I speak good, almost fluent, Spanish and have huge experience of travel in the mountains of South America. A few other mountaineering expeditions are led (or co-led) by competent and experienced mountaineers. They are usually either qualified as members of the British Mountain Guides (BMG), or the Peruvian or Argentine Mountain Guides Association (IGMP or AAGM), both of which are member organisation of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) or belong to the British qualified Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI). Logistics only arrangements, whether guided or un-guided are usually made through my network of regular contacts and mountain guides out in South America.

Our Office & Andes Library

Our office is located in the centre of Castle Douglas, a quiet wee town in Galloway, in the wet and windy south west corner of Scotland. Personal callers are very welcome, although it is much better to phone (01556 503929) or email first to be sure myself or Claire can be around to meet you.

In our library we have a very extensive collection of maps, guidebooks, etc., to the Andes avaialble for folks to come and have a look at by appointment.

To reach Castle Douglas (CD) follow either the M6 north from England turning onto the A75 towards Dumfries, or follow the M74 south from Central Scotland, turning onto the A701 at Beattock to reach Dumfries.

We are 2 hours drive from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle, 3 hours from Manchester, 4-5 from Birmingham and Sheffield and a whopping 10 hours if you are coming all the way from Cornwall.!  If calling in on your way north (or south) it's only about 1½ hours extra driving time in total to get to and from CD from the M6-M74 motorway corridor.

Full phone and email contact details are here

We have moved! We are still in Castle Douglas but our office and library are now in a smaller and more modern location at 183 King Street.  Our email address and phone number remain the same 01556 503929. However please use the 93 Queen Street address for any postal correspondence or deliveries.