Five Reasons to Hire a Mountain Guide
Wherever you're planning your adventure there are likely to be qualified guides whose expertise can help you get the most out of your trip. Mountain guides Kate Ayres and Kim Jackson outline five reasons to hire a guide:
Relax and let someone else do the organising
Kim Jackson guides groups around the Tour du Mont Blanc in the French, Swiss and Italian Alps
A guide will do the organising for you so you can have a holiday that's active, but still a holiday. You can go out and enjoy the day without worrying about navigation, and you don’t have to worry about the weather turning on you - a guide is there to get you up and down safely. In the evening they'll sort everything out for the next day so that you can relax.
Maximise your time
A group traversing the Bernia Ridge, Costa Blanca, which includes scrambling, abseiling, and rock climbing
If you have limited time, you want to make the most of it. A guide will listen to what you want to get out of your experience and tailor it to you. Whether walking, scrambling, climbing, or all of them in a day, your guide will know the place for you. They have the flexibility to change plans according to your ability, or the weather, so that every day is a success.
Benefit from local knowledge
Kate Ayres (top) leading the way through a 'hidden' canyon approach route, Costa Blanca
Guides like Kate and Kim are constantly working their areas to find the best possible places to take people, and often have years of experience visiting venues and discovering locations that aren’t in the guide book. They’ve checked the routes, they’ve checked the area. They know how long the walk in is, and where the sun’s going to be. They will help you avoid the crowds and take you to the most suitable places, taking into account your level of experience and ability, and the conditions on the day.
Meet like minded people
Kim Jackson (centre) planning which routes to climb next at sport climbing crag L'Ocaive, Costa Blanca
You can hire a guide on a one to one basis, but joining a group means that you can meet like-minded people, as well as lowering the cost. It's an opportunity to share encouragement and moral support, meet people to have a drink with in the evening, and to make friends for potential future adventures.
Learn skills and build confidence
Kate Ayres (left), gearing up for a multipitch sea cliff climb at Morro Falqui, Costa Blanca
Whether you want to make the move from climbing indoors to outdoors, want to learn navigation skills, or want to push your limits in a safe environment, a qualified guide or instructor will support you to develop your skills. It's a great way to build confidence so that you can go out on your own and with friends in the future.
Read our interview with Kate Ayres, joint owner of Mountain Journeys along with her partner Mark Eddy. Offering bespoke guided mountain activities in the UK and abroad, they invited Outdoorista to join them on a multi activity trip with a group of mountain loving female climbers, runners, and mountaineers to find out more about guided adventures.