Paulo GROBEL

Born in 1957 on the shores of Lake Geneva in Haute‑Savoie, Paulo is a French high‑mountain guide whose career has been shaped by a lifelong passion for the mountains and for teaching. Introduced to mountaineering as a child in Switzerland, he later trained within the CAF Léman and the FSGT, eventually earning his guide certification after early work as a pisteur‑secouriste (ski patroller and rescuer).

Throughout his career, Paulo has combined guiding with a strong commitment to education. He contributed to innovative approaches in climbing and ski instruction, helped equip child‑friendly climbing sites, and played a key role in FFME (French Mountain and Climbing Federation) training programmes. With his small guiding agency “Passages,” he led numerous alpine trips across the Alps, Dolomites, and beyond.

A pioneer in ice climbing from the late 1970s, he continues to teach and explore this discipline, notably around La Grave and in Scotland.

Paul has devoted much of his time to the Himalaya, guiding expeditions on peaks both well‑known and remote. His work then focussed on “progression douce”, a reflective approach to high‑altitude climbing, and on using mountaineering as a tool for cultural exchange and local development in Nepal.