Photo: W.A. Scales

For many years, folks have called Rudy Stauffer, the "llama man," "llama guru", and "llama expert". A Llamas Magazine (Fall, 1998) article named Rudy "Llama Man Extraordinaire". Rudy says: " It's just that I love llamas and I try to share some of my knowledge and experience with others."
 
For most of his life, Rudy had never heard of llamas. While growing up in Switzerland, he skied, hiked and climbed. He was always looking for an opportunity to be involved in outdoor activities. During WWII, he served 4 years in the 3rd Division of the Swiss Mountain Corps. There was not so much time for outdoor activities while he was engaged in business pursuits, but retirement offered time for other interests. He skis both downhill and cross-country and was instrumental in the conception and organization of the El Dorado Nordic Ski Patrol. He continued hiking in the Sierra, but because of a previous back surgery could not carry a pack and so could not spend as much time as he would have liked hiking long distances. Something was missing. That something was a llama to carry the gear.
 

 
Not until 1982, did Rudy have the time to begin looking into llamas. It was just after a weekend hike with a commercial llama packer that Rudy bought his first llamas, Val, Morey and Pepper. Since then, he has been breeding, hiking with or packing llamas. He has also actively promoted llamas as pack animals. Rudy has given packing demonstrations at the Gold Country Llama Association Annual Event for 7 years. He gave packing demonstrations for the Pacific Crest Trail Association and then, used his llamas to carry gear and food for the trail crew when the Association members and the USFS did trail repair work. For several years, he also gave packing demonstrations at the Auburn Llama Bazaar. Rudy was the llama hiking coordinator for the Gold Country Llama Assn. for many years. And 15 years ago, he began to hold private llama training consultations to educate current and prospective llama owners how to select and train llamas for packing.
 
Rudy has enjoyed seeing photos and articles about himself and his llama adventures covered by the Associated Press in various newspapers, in Switzerland's daily newspaper, Der Bund, the Sacramento Bee and in the Placerville Mt. Democrat, as well as other California and Oregon periodicals.
 
Stauffer, his wife, Diana, his llamas and friends have trekked to such beautiful places as the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Point Reyes National Seashore, Snow Mountain Wilderness, Carson Iceberg Wilderness, Marble Mountains, Rubicon and Yuba Rivers, Hoover Wilderness, and the Minarets in the Mammoth Lake area. Over the years, they have made numerous trips into most all destinations in Desolation Wilderness. A favorite destination, although not a long hike, is the quiet solitude of Forni Lake and Tell's Peak.
 
 
 
By request, Rudy will lead a llama packing day hike into several historic sites in the Crystal Basin of El Dorado National Forest. The Bassi Creek Cabin and the Filippini Cheese Camp sites have been designated U.S. Historical Preservation Sites. Rudy can provide historical information about the area. The llamas can carry lunches and whatever one needs for the day.
 

 

Evan Bright 6 yrs. old on Pony Express Trail Photo: Connie Goldsmith

More and more hikers, even the very young, are realizing that it is not necessary to bear heavy burdens to enjoy the great outdoors. A pack llama can carry 70-90 pounds of llama equipment and usually doesn't have to carry extra food for itself. Llamas are browsers, like deer, and will eat grass found in the mountains. Llamas are very quiet, very friendly to the environment and do not destroy trails. Their waste is much similar to that of deer and can easily be scattered off the trail.
 
After so many years of llama hiking and packing with his llamas, Rudy decided that it was time to put his llama training methods into a booklet. He put all his thoughts and methods down on paper and his wife edited and transformed them into a booklet. Then, they self published Llama Packing with Rudy.
 
See Francie Greth-Peto's review on the Books page.
 
Twice a year, spring and fall, Rudy offers llama packing consultations at his home in Placerville. He encourages llama owners, prospective llama owners or just anyone interested in llamas to attend a llama training seminar. Past seminar attendees have been enthusiastic about the knowledge gained from spending the day with Rudy. He also offers private llama training consultations by request. Rudy has also been asked to present his llama packing consultations in other states, and since 2002, in Switzerland, Germany, France & Austria.
 
If you are looking for llama gear, Rudy recommends the Flaming Star Packs, also known as Flaming Star Llama Packs.
 
You can find information about our Llama Packing Lessons here.