Are you considering becoming an outdoor adventure guide?

Like many cool jobs, they all sound pretty amazing from the outside looking in, but it's super important to have a think about the day-to-day life of someone in that role, to see if it really is the right thing for you. 

Being an outdoor guide is one of those careers. Travelling to amazing places around the globe might become an everyday occurrence for you - but are you happy to strap on your pack and head into the wilderness even if its forecast to rain for the next three days? 

Past Pure Exploration Adventure Guide Internship grad Kaylee Pickett talks us through an average day in the life of a rock climbing guide in Queenstown, New Zealand...

A day in the life of a rock climbing guide in New Zealand – hear what it’s really like

4pm: (DING!) Text message: “Half day rock session for you tomorrow. 2 clients. You’ll take the truck.

Heck yea! Dreams do come true. 
I’ve been working as a part time rock climbing and hiking guide for a couple of months now, and it just keeps getting better. I get to take people out two or three days each week, bringing them from Queenstown to Sunshine Bay for four awesome hours of introductory to intermediate rock climbing. 

I rock up to our office a half hour before the session starts to pack my gear and grab the vehicle. Two clients means one dynamic 60m rope, one semi-static 30m rope, two top rope set ups, a quick draw or two, two gri gris, a sling with carabiner, a prussik, and a few spare carabiners. I’ll also need a group first aid kit, some extra water, sunscreen, and a few layers if the weather looks like it will turn.

 I pick the clients up in town and have them sign into our system. I gather from a quick chat how much outdoor climbing they’ve done so I can mentally plan our session to best suit their needs.

We cruise out to Sunshine Bay after I get them fit with shoes, harnesses, and helmets. After a ten-minute hike up, we arrive at our first crag: Headspace. Safety briefing and a bit of information about the site done, I run to the top to set up our ropes for the first half of our day. The clients get a chance to chill out and enjoy the stunning views of Lake Wakatipu before I return to teach them how to tie into the rope and belay each other. We’re off! The first one is halfway up the rock and loving life, the second has just gotten the hang of belaying and is feeling comfortable. Yea, it’s gonna be a good day.

 Once they’ve climbed the 4-9 routes at Headspace, I run back up and clear all of the gear out so we can head to our next challenge.

 At Hero Wall, they get a chance to up their game on grades 16 to 21, after having a go on 12s up to 15s at Headspace. When we emerge from the covered trail to the base of Hero, their jaws drop. “This one looks a bit higher...” they’re either stoked or scared sh*tless. Again I run up and set up our ropes, then get them going for round two.  I love Hero because it really challenges even seasoned climbers. The rock type in Queenstown is quite different from anything people from overseas have climbed, so while they may have experience in the outdoors, they are often confronted with having to suss out this odd, beautiful combination of sedimentary and metamorphic rock.

Once the guys are good and pumped, and time has run out, we cruise back to Queenstown. After giving everyone heaps of lunch or dinner recommendations and activities to do for the rest of their time in town, I drop them off and head back to the office. I break down all of our gear, flake and coil the ropes, and fill out a trip report before shooting off. My endorphins are pumping, my hands are filthy, and I’m super stoked.

 If you'd like to know more about what it takes to become an adventure guide, check out our handy guide with heaps of tips on whats important when looking into training options, what qualifications you need and loads more! 

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