Vivalpin Team

Our office team

Christof Schellhammer

Founder, managing director and head of the Vivalpin Mountain School

Christof is a certified mountain and ski guide since 1984. He was an instructor and examiner in mountain and ski guide training for many years and knows all the tours in the Vivalpin program. His work as a professional mountain guide has taken him to many mountains around the world. With guests he climbed through many big alpine walls and as a heliski guide he spent several winters in Canada. Today you can still meet Christof with guests on the most beautiful tours and peaks in the Alps and the mountains of the world.
You can reach Christof at

Max Pohl

Managing Director and Head of the Vivalpin Ski School

The native of Werdenfels grew up in the mountains and lives for mountain and ski sports. Although Max was a passionate ice hockey player until the age of 20 and laced up his skates in North America and Austria, among other places, in addition to SC Riessersee, he always retained his passion for the mountains of this world and climbed numerous peaks in the Alps, the Himalayas, the Andes, the Caucasus and the High Atlas. With the completion of the state ski instructor examination in 2012, a new sporting challenge began, which he continued by joining the instructor team of the German Ski Instructors Association and taking over the ski school management of the SportScheck Ski School. Max gained the experience for this during his tourism studies and several winters in Austria and Switzerland as a professional ski instructor. As a passionate freerider, mountaineer and mountain biker, he also spends most of his free time in the mountains. You can best reach Max at:

Franziska Pohl

Shareholder and office manager

Franziska is the marketing and communications expert on the Vivalpin team. As a partner of Vivalpin GmbH & Co.KG, Franziska is also responsible for office management and the event agency. As befits a native of Partenkirchen, she was born into alpine sports. So you're always welcome to ask her for a tip on the most beautiful mountain tour or the best ski run. Her email address:

Wolfgang Pohl

Founder and shareholder

Wolfgang is both a state-certified mountain and ski guide and a state-certified ski instructor and was involved for 30 years as an instructor and examiner in the professional training courses for mountain guides and ski instructors. As a graduate in sports science, he has also authored numerous specialized books and publications such as the well-known alpine and skiing curricula. In over 40 years of active mountain guiding, he has led his guests not only through the north faces of the Three Peaks or other great Alpine walls, but also up the eight-thousander Cho Oyu or Mount McKinley in Alaska.

Simon pound

Head of department mountain school

Simon is a passionate mountain sportsman. He has a degree in business management and has been with Vivalpin since 2023. Simon knows his home mountains around the Zugspitze in summer and winter, but after a semester abroad in Taiwan and travels to many parts of the world, he also looks "beyond the end of his nose". In his spare time, Simon works as a ski instructor and in the Krün mountain rescue team. 
You can reach Simon at: 

Julia Pöschl

Head of department ski school

The state-certified business administrator and hotel manager is the sunshine in the Vivalpin office. Julia has been working at Vivalpin since the summer of 2022 and provides expert advice on booking your experiences. As a local, the future ski instructor knows most of the hiking and many of the mountain and via ferrata tours around the Zugspitze.
You can reach Julia during our office hours by phone or by email at 

Markus Becklass

PPE representative and responsible for rental and test equipment, member of the Vivalpin competence team

The state-certified army mountain guide looks back on a biography that would be enough for several lifetimes. Markus is considered an absolute equipment expert and consequently also looks after the rental and test equipment of the partner companies at Vivalpin. You will also find Markus in the mountains at avalanche trainings, at events of The North Face, Roland Berger or other partners and customers. 
He will be happy to answer your questions at markus.@vivalpin.com

Oliver Schmidt

Working student

When Oli contacted VIVALPIN in 2020 and asked for an internship, he had no idea how diverse a company like VIVALPIN could be. As a result, he not only contributed intensively as a ski instructor, but was also introduced to conceptual processes and, thanks to his outstanding technical know-how, quickly became involved in a wide variety of areas of the company. In a short time, he earned the status of course instructor at the SportScheck Ski School, conceived and has become a valued part of the VIVALPIN family due to his positive nature. Oli will join VIVALPIN permanently after completing his master's degree in strategy and innovation in tourism. A native of Stuttgart, he has fully arrived in his new adopted home, loves to be out in the mountains in winter and summer, or on the lookout for the best offers in the entire Alpine region for your experiences.
You can best reach Oli at:

Alina "Charly" Plath

Social Media Manager

Alina has been a permanent member of the Vivalpin team since 2021 and, as social media manager, is the creative head of our ensemble. Growing up on the beautiful Ammersee lake south of Munich, skiing accompanied her from an early age. She learned skiing on countless powder runs together with her family in the beautiful Zillertal. In addition to her master's degree in sports management, she decided to start training as a state-certified ski instructor in 2021 and turn her hobby into a career. Today, Charly is not only an incredibly good freerider, but also a sought-after sports model and always knows exactly what needs to happen in front of or behind the lens to get the best result. Also as a course instructor and member of the teaching team at the Vivalpin Ski School, Charly convinces with her likeable manner, her professional competence and inspires guests and colleagues alike with her enthusiasm.
Alina can best be reached at: instagram.com/vivalpin

Claus Mooshofer

Head of the Lowa Test Center in Grainau

If you are looking for the best mountain boot, then you should definitely visit Claus at the LOWA test center in Grainau. Claus not only knows the mountains like the back of his hand, he also knows every seam and every pad on "his" LOWA shoes. Claus will advise you perfectly before and after your personal shoe test!

Ines Sommerfeldt

Accounting and dunning

Ines is the grande dame in the background. She keeps track of all the figures at the Vivalpin Mountain and Ski School and the Vivalpin Event Agency. With her reserved, considered manner, Ines is the perfect back-up in the Vivalpin team. You can always rely on her and when things get busy, Ines is also happy to competently take over customer service. 

Our mountain guide team

Daniel Wittmann

State-certified mountain and ski guide, with VIVALPIN since 2000, enthusiastic sport climber

Cat Juhran

Mountain guide and all-round mountaineer, member of the Vivalpin Competence Team

Alex Baier

State-certified mountain and ski guide, all-round mountaineer, with VIVALPIN since 2000

Lisa Pütz

Mountain guide, former head of department mountain school, member of the Vivalpin competence team

Thomas Storck

UIMLA mountain guide, specialist for alpine crossings, member of the Vivalpin competence team

Lenz Boehm

State-certified police mountain guide, member of the Vivalpin competence team, with VIVALPIN since 2010

Pia Kleimaier

Mountain guide, with VIVALPIN since 2004

Markus Vogl

State-certified army mountain guide, member of the Vivalpin competence team, with VIVALPIN since 2016

Christian Hessing

State-certified mountain and ski guide, climbing instructor and all-round mountaineer, Mont Blanc expert, with VIVALPIN since 2004

Annegret Storck

Mountain hiking guide, expert for alpine crossings, since 2016 with VIVALPIN

Markus Black

Mountain guide aspirant UIAGM, with VIVALPIN since 2023

Theo Förster

State-certified mountain and ski guide, all-round mountaineering and mountain guide, member of the Vivalpin Competence Team, with VIVALPIN since 2022

Moni Hümmer

State-certified mountain and ski guide, state-certified ski instructor, member of the DSLV instructor team

Michael Gebhardt

State-certified police mountain guide, with VIVALPIN since 2005, chairman of the police mountain guide association

Petra Bayer

State-certified mountain and ski guide, with VIVALPIN since 2015

Christian Treimer

State-certified mountain and ski guide, with VIVALPIN since 1996, expert for ski tours and steep descents

Verena Peuler

Mountain hiking guide, expert for Alpine crossings, ski instructor

David Sikan

Mountain guide, mountaineer, paraglider, with VIVALPIN since 2018.

Benji Bickel

Mountain guide aspirant UIAGM, with VIVALPIN since 2022

Renate Baumgartner

Mountain hiking guide, with VIVALPIN since 2015

Josef Hümmer

State-certified army mountain guide and canyoning guide, member of the avalanche commission and member of the Vivalpin competence team

Bernd Breher

State-certified army mountain guide

Tina Gerstenberg

UIMLA mountain guide, with VIVALPIN since 2021

Sanni Schäffler

Mountain hiking guide

Helmut Hesch

State-certified mountain and ski guide, medical doctor, with VIVALPIN since 2000

Max Huttner

UIMLA mountain guide, since 2016 with VIVALPIN

Michi Trepte

State-certified army mountain guide, state-certified ski instructor, with VIVALPIN since 2000

Stephanie Mile

Mountain guide, with VIVALPIN since 2004

Stefan Scheiblauer

State-certified mountain and ski guide, with VIVALPIN since 2021

Angelika Sonnweber

Tyrolean mountain hiking guide, with VIVALPIN since 2007

Michi Zahler

State-certified ski instructor, mountain hiking guide, freeride and outdoor guide, member of the Vivalpin Competence Team

Christian Zanfir

UIMLA mountain guide, yoga teacher, since 2021 with VIVALPIN

Laura Schlömmer

Mountain guide candidate UIAGM

Florian Harrasser

Mountain hiking guide from South Tyrol, extreme climber and rope companion by Simon Gietl

Robert Asner

Mountain hiking guide

Flori Bomhard

Certified outdoor trainer, climbing instructor, member of the Vivalpin Competence Team, with VIVALPIN since 2018

Matthias Holzer

Mountain guide aspirant UIAGM, with VIVALPIN since 2022

Hannes Imhof

UIMLA mountain guide, mountaineer and climber

Andreas Adrion

certified outdoor trainer, with VIVALPIN since 2015

Dirk Wagner

Mountain hiking guide

Kurt Weissmann

Outdoor trainer and mountain guide, with VIVALPIN since 2011

Birgit Standke

Tyrolean mountain hiking guide and sport climbing instructor, with VIVALPIN since 2004

Olaf Reeder

UIMLA Mountain Guide

Andreas Stippler

State-certified army mountain guide, state-certified ski instructor, freeride expert

Ben Kolkmann

UIMLA mountain guide, since 2015 with VIVALPIN

Björn Röhrle

certified outdoor trainer, with VIVALPIN since 2015

Max Schmid

Mountain hiking guide, with VIVALPIN since 2022

Quirin Herterich

Outdoor trainer, slackline professional, with VIVALPIN since 2022

Christine Bodmer

certified outdoor trainer, with VIVALPIN since 2021