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      Matthias Ruedel

      Matthias Ruedel

      Dependable | Strong | Warm

      Mini Bio

      A Hamburger by birth (the German city of Hamburg that is!), I came to Ireland 44 years ago for a short stay, and I am still here!!

      I have been a volunteer with Sligo-Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team for over 28 years, and I am an avid hillwalker. I was utterly enchanted by the timeless landscape and wonderful music of Ireland when I first came in the Eighties, and that love still captivates me today. I met my wife Fióna, on top of a mountain in Leitrim, and we have spent many years exploring the Irish mountains, and adventuring all over Europe!

      I have travelled all over the world to pursue the call of the hills, including the Alps, the Himalayas, and Patagonia. I get great satisfaction from showing people the beauty of Ireland’s wild areas.

      Favourite Place to Play

      I love the wilderness of north Mayo and the challenging hiking in the Wild Nephin ranges, which offer great views of the sea and the remote west’s islands.

      Not a lot of People Know This

      I participated in the opening ceremony of the Olympics as a young fella.

      Expand All
      Experience Read More

      A Qualified Mountain Leader for 27 years, and a former Team Leader of Sligo-Letterkenny Mountain Rescue Team. I continue to be involved with the team, where I have volunteered for 26 years. Extensive knowledge of the hills of Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim.

      Also a good cyclist, having recently converted to an E-bike, and spent several weeks last autumn cycling in Hungary and eastern Austria.

      Biggest Adventure Read More

      Climbing to (almost) the summit of Island Peak in the Himalayas (6,153m). The last 180 meters proved too much in terms of altitude, but the experience was amazing. Also trekked across Iceland unspotted – a challenge in many ways!

      Specialist Subject Read More

      Safety in the mountains. Navigation skills. Making people relax and enjoy the journey.

      What Fellow Travellers Say About Matthias

      Very thoughtful and a wonderful sense of humor.

      Russ LeDonne
      Hiking - The Kerry Mountains
      Reviewed on 07/09/2026

      I can’t say enough good things about Matthias. He was endlessly patient, well informed & informative, kind, trustworthy, reliable, social. He checked in with everyone regularly and made sure they were ok. We had a 60-year age spread in our group and a couple of people who needed extensive help. He was there for them the whole time and extremely supportive (physically helping them, offering snacks and water, reassuring them), always calm and helpful. He was absolutely fantastic.

      Diane Rydrych
      Hiking - The Kerry Mountains
      Reviewed on 07/09/2026

      Thank you, Mattias! I learned a great deal about Ireland, the wildlife, geology, weather, coastlines and meaningful history. Your guidance made the trip so special! As novice hikers, we relied on your excellent guiding skills and advice which took us out of our comfort zone in a good way! Thank you for sharing your stories and being so patient.

      Cary Glaser
      Hiking - The Causeway Coastal Route & Donegal
      Reviewed on 10/08/2026

      Matthias was our guide and he made a point to get to know each of us individually so as to be aware of our abilities. He made sure that we were prepared each day for the adventure ahead of us. One thing that I would suggest is to provide a map of the area and the towns we traveled through to help with remembering the journey.

      Mary Twomey
      Hiking - The Causeway Coastal Route & Donegal
      Reviewed on 03/08/2026

      Please see my previous comment on Matthias.

      James (Mackey) Luffman
      Hiking - The Northern Coast
      Reviewed on 25/06/2026

      Matthias was fabulous.

      Abigail Luffman
      Hiking - The Northern Coast
      Reviewed on 23/06/2026

      Our guide Matthias was very kind, helpful, informative and kept an eye on all of us during our hikes. He conveyed a genuine concern for our group.

      Laura Clark
      Hiking & Island Hopping - Ireland's West Coast
      Reviewed on 26/05/2026

      Matthias was great - we were impressed this was his first sola trip! He was a pro. He spoke with everyone had a keen sense of everyone's physical fitness and worked to make it a great experience for all.

      Kathryn (Kate) Tullis
      Hiking & Island Hopping - Ireland's West Coast
      Reviewed on 19/05/2026

      Matthias’s experience as a guide was so helpful when we were hiking the islands, Killary Fjord and Burren National Park.

      Kathleen Burleigh
      Hiking & Island Hopping - Ireland's West Coast
      Reviewed on 15/05/2026

      Our guide, Matthias was knowledgeable and friendly and very thorough. He took good care of us.

      Eileen Larkin
      Hiking & Island Hopping - Ireland's West Coast
      Reviewed on 12/05/2026

      Show More Reviews

      Book a trip with Matthias

      Trip / DepartureAvailabilityStatusPriceBook
      Hiking – Kerry & Clare
      10th Jul - 16th Jul 2027      		8 place(s) leftAvailable 2,890Book Now
      Hiking – The Dingle Way
      4th Sep - 10th Sep 2027      		8 place(s) leftAvailable 2,980Book Now

      Make Trip Private

      Sometimes it's nice to get family and friends together and travel privately for some quality time. This means you benefit from all the features of the group departure, including hand-picked accommodation and expert local guides and we'll take care of it all. Then you can make your choice of departures dates and we'll get back to you to finalise the details.

      We work together with our team of guides to decide which departures they lead each year. As part of that, guides provide available dates that they are free to be booked. This means that any of the dates you see in the first field of the form below, could be perfect for your private departure or customised tour.

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