We’re a close-knit, global team of travel experts.
The Origin
After moving away from Peru, founder Javier realized people were very curious about his home country and often asked him how they could visit. After getting frustrated that no tour company offered a package with all of his recommendations, he talked to his wife, Blaire, and best friend, Roger, and together they decided to build their own company so they could make sure visitors were seeing the “real Peru”.
First Steps
Using Javier and Roger’s knowledge of tourism in Peru and their network of contacts, Blaire was able to use her background in business and logistics to build tour experiences and a customer base. Today, Blaire communicates with all the customers before the trip, Javier manages accommodations and develops content with his photography skills, and Roger leads the team of guides, porters, and chefs to give each customer a unique and memorable experience.
The Future
Looking ahead, the biggest goal of the First Step founders is to keep showing the world the wonders of Peru. By bringing customers into the local communities, we hope to support and encourage native Peruvians to keep traditions alive so both future generations and tourists can continue to enjoy the culture and learn from each other for many years to come. Jump to our mission
Meet the Founders
Javier Huillca
Founder
- My name is Javier, I was born and raised south of Cusco, in the district of San Jeronimo. I went to primary and secondary school in the same district. My first language is Quechua, the “Inca Language,” and I learned speak Spanish in school. After I graduated from high school, I wanted to go to university, but I didn’t have enough resources or support to allow me to keep studying. At the age of 16, I decided to go to work on the Inca trail as a porter, carrying client’s luggage from campsite to campsite. I was so mesmerized by the way the tour guides spoke English and laughed with their clients. I had no clue what they were talking or laughing about, but one day, watching one of these interactions changed my focus. I fell in love with the tourism industry. I ended up enrolling into the technical school for tourism and started teaching myself English. After working as a porter, I graduated and became a tour guide. This experience was great in so many ways, but after seeing how tour companies treated their staff, I decided I wanted to change the way the industry works. My goal, now as the owner of FSE, is to take care of the staff with everything they need – happy staff, happy clients.
Blaire Hamilton
Founder
Blaire was born and raised in the USA. After spending her 20s traveling to many countries around the world as a solo female traveler, she found a soul mate in the mountains of Peru and decided to stick with him. With Blaire’s knowledge of travel logistics and Javier & Roger’s passion for Peru, starting First Step Expeditions was an easy decision. Now it is Blaire’s passion to help travelers and especially women all over the world feel empowered to travel to Peru by equipping them with the right resources, information, and guides to make sure their journey is safe and successful.
Roger Apaza
Founder
Roger was born in Cusco, Peru and grew up in the heart of the city. He graduated from the Technical College and has spent the last 20 years guiding people through the rich history and culture of the Peruvian Sacred Valley. After spending some time in the USA, Roger perfected his English skills and now coordinates all the tours for our groups, making sure everything runs smoothly and all visitors feel comfortable. Roger’s passion for his job and Peru are clear as soon as you meet him and he works hard to make sure each customer has the experience of a lifetime.
Meet Our Team
First Step Expeditions is nothing without our amazing staff. Our core group of experts make each trip a unique and exciting experience for our guests.
Carmello
Betancurt Quispe
Head Chef
Carmello is more than just a chef – he is an artist! He is a master a combining the amazing local cuisine with a beautiful presentation. He has over 20 years of experience cooking feasts over a pot and propane tank and we guarantee you will never go hungry.
Rene “Russo”
Quispe
Lead Porter
Russo is our jack of all trades! He’s spent over 10 years on the trails and does it all from assisting Carmello, to setting up tents, packing up equipment, and making sure you have fresh, purified water every day. And he does it all with a smile on his face!
Thank you for your support!
When we started First Step Expeditions in 2017, our goal was simple: we wanted to be the company that showed our customers the heart and soul of Peru – not just getting you on a bus and going from site to site. For us, that means taking folks to beautiful places while getting off the beaten path and into communities where our staff can introduce you to locals and you can learn about the history and culture in a fun and meaningful way.
The biggest part of what makes this experience great for our customers is the guides, porters, chefs, and drivers that make up our incredible staff. Unfortunately, along with the rest of the world, we were not immune to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Peru has been hit especially hard. One in every 12 people employed in this country work in the tourism industry and without tourists, our teams and countless other locals are receiving no income or assistance from the government.
With our staff and their families in mind, we’ve had to adopt the Quechua concept of “Ayni” – today for me, tomorrow for you – and have put our other social projects and equipment upgrades on hold this year. In order to provide a better future for our team and a better experience for our customers, we decided to invest any profit we made over the last few years into our staff to help them have a little more money for survival.
As we work to get through this difficult time together, we just wanted to put this message out here to say thank you. It’s because of you – our customers – and your support of our business in the past and your future support that we are able to keep food on the tables of our staff and achieve our mission to keep local traditions alive in the heart of Peru.
Thank you so much and we look forward to seeing you and giving back to the local communities again soon.
Our Porters & Horsemen
Led by our good friend Wilbur, we employ porters and horsemen from all over the countryside. We try to rotate the team operating under Wilbur in order to share the economic benefits of your trip directly with the people whose homeland you are traveling through.
We believe porters are the heart and soul of any trekking experience. Several times a month, they carry heavy packs, cook food, and pitch tents on some of the world’s toughest terrain and it’s our mission to show our appreciation through fair wages, reasonable working conditions, and by helping them improve their quality of life.
FSE is always focusing on creating the best experience for our clients, but it is still so important to take care of our staff. We aim to provide all the gear for our team and so far we have been able to buy shirts, jackets, tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping mats in addition to providing all their meals during excursions. Our next goal for 2025 is to provide shoes for the porters too.
Every porter will be introduced by name at the start of each trek. We encourage you to try to interact with them as best as you can.
Our Social Mission
The local people are what make this country great. We work hard to show you the authentic culture and give back wherever we can. Every visit to the Sacred Valley includes a stop in the local communities to give the indigenous people an opportunity to showcase their skills and culture. Each dollar you spend when visiting these communities supports our mission to keep food on their tables, clothes on their backs, and the beautiful traditions of the Quechua alive.
Beyond client satisfaction, the main key to success we strive to achieve is providing support for education. FSE focuses on the young generation – specifically the porters’ children. Every year we provide school supplies and books to their kids with the hope that, in the future, they will become good people and have a better life with an appreciation for the rich history and culture that surrounds them now as they are growing up.
