Mountain climbing is so much more than physical activity. When you climb a mountain, you experience breathtaking scenery while soaking up the fresh mountain air and ascending to peaks that were created millions, even billions of years ago. Certain areas of the Blue Ridge Mountains, for example, are over 1 billion years old!
It’s true that visiting the mountains is a fantastic experience all on its own. But with the right guide service to lead the way and point out the most amazing areas and vantage points the mountain has to offer, your experience will be better than you ever thought possible.
So how do you find the perfect mountain guide? Read on to find out!
Get to Know the Guides
So, you’ve done a bit of research into “climbing guides near me” and now have a few options to choose from. The first step is to get to know the individual guides.
Who will be leading the trip? Do they own the company, are they an employee, or are they a contracted professional climber? What certifications do they have?
Ask about their experience as well. Have they ever been on the specific trip you’re considering? How many times? What other trips have then been on?
Your guide should have absolutely no issue answering these questions and any others you might have. One who isn’t forthcoming about their credentials and other experience isn’t the right guide for you.
Ask About Fellow Climbers
If you have a close-knit friend group who loves climbing together, great! Otherwise, you’re likely going to have mostly strangers in your climbing group.
And, like your choice of guide, your fellow climbers can make or break your trip. You could end your trip with a group of lifelong friends or you could spend the entire trip refraining from pushing your peers off the mountain.
To avoid the latter scenario, find out everything you can about how your climbing guide service selects trip groups. A good climbing service will hand-select groups based on their expectations and level of experience.
If you’re a climbing newbie, you might not mind being surrounded by other inexperienced climbers. But if you’re an old hand at climbing, going through your trip with inexperienced, ill-equipped peers will become tiresome quicker than you might think.
Get the Records
Unless you’re considering choosing a climbing guide who’s newly certified, both the individual guide and company they work for should have safety and success records that you can see.
When you are shown the records, don’t take the numbers at face value. Ask more about what they define as success. For example, a company might claim a 100% success rate, but define success as at least one person in the group reaching the summit.
What makes them successful? What would make a trip unsuccessful? Have they had any unsuccessful trips?
It can be frightening, but you have to ask the hard questions as well. What does their safety record look like? Has anyone ever been injured on a trip? If so, why? Do they have insurance? Should you have insurance before embarking?
Research Reviews and Testimonials
In an ideal situation, you would have trusted friends or family members also interested in mountain climbing who could give you recommendations and mountain climbing guide service tips.
However, not all of us are lucky enough to have outdoorsy loved ones. When this happens, it’s crucial to get reviews and testimonials from strangers.
Look at every type of review you can. Don’t rely on the company’s website alone because they’re, of course, only going to post the most glowing comments. You can start with their website but then browse around Facebook, Google, Yelp, any review service you can find.
Ask About Altruism
This one isn’t going to be a deal-breaker for everyone, but it’s never a bad idea to choose a guide from a company that cares about giving back. If nothing else, it’s a good sign that there are at least a few compassionate, caring people working there.
This might not seem relevant, but wouldn’t you rather have a caring person guiding you through a difficult climbing patch than a callous one?
The best mountaineering outfitters are aware of their responsibility to both outdoor tourism and conservation of the natural areas in which they operate.
Listen to Your Gut
At the end of the day, the most important thing when choosing a mountain climbing guide service is to listen to your gut. If you have a bad feeling about a particular company or guide, it’s not the right one for you, even if everything checks out on paper.
As important as knowledge and experience are, there’s nothing like good chemistry. Don’t forget – you’re going to be spending a lot of time with your guide!
Let’s say you want to climb Kilimanjaro, for instance. This trek can take up to 10 days! Do you really want to spend that much time with someone you wouldn’t even want to grab coffee with?
It might sound silly now, but if you don’t gel well with your guide, you’re not going to have the best time you could.
Get the Most Out of Your Climbing Experience With the Right Guide Service
For those with an adventurous spirit, few things are more rewarding than mountain climbing. You get to experience all the wonders the great outdoors has to offer while getting a great workout and a bit of an adrenaline rush to boot.
Whether you’re new to climbing or you’ve been exploring the mountains for years, having a good guide service is key. Taking the time to find the perfect service and specific guide for you will make your experience that much better.
Looking for more tips for getting the most out of your next adventure? Be sure to check out our blog!
