The grandeur of an open barren, of being nestled into a tight valley next to a babbling brook or under the dense canopy of a vibrant green forest. I, not unlike many others, romanticize the outdoors to the extreme. As I’m sitting in a coffee shop, well heated and well caffeinated and supported by my highly accurate Instagram algorithm, I dream of a warm breeze, bluebird days followed by burning sunsets and starry nights sitting around a non-smoky campfire. And of course in my dreams, bugs don’t exist.
Unfortunately (or fortunately if you enjoy type 2 fun like me) the perfect trail, weather, logistical planning, and days off rarely all work out. I’ve shivered my way through a hurricane, had 14 days of straight rain, rain in February, mosquitoes, and black flies in quantities that will send you to the hospital. I’ve spent 150+ nights in a tent over the course of a year, had gear malfunction and forgotten my headlamp (the most embarrassing mistake). Needless to say, things solemnly go as planned. We make silly mistakes and we learn from them; if not the first time then the 13th time (ref; the headlamp story). Being in the backcountry brings with it great reward and even more question marks. Through experience, proper training, and a little education maybe you will happily adopt what my mother calls my “campfire cologne”.
Nature is healing, and it deserves to be seen, respected and appreciated by as many as possible. The introduction into the outdoor community is happy, and welcoming! Through baby steps and following someone with experience you can mitigate the mistakes noted above to ensure your introduction to the outdoor community is as pleasant as possible.
A guiding service has many different layers to it (keep in mind that I am a guide, writing a blog on why guides are worth paying for). I will attempt to portray the information in which you see the value added by having a guide, both for yourself and for the environment.
To flash back to the romanticization of the outdoors anecdote, there's no reason you shouldn’t be able to experience all those happy, fairytale moments you read about in magazines. A wonderful method of building this experience level is by hiring a professional guiding service to help lead you through your backcountry experience from start to finish. From logistical planning, route planning, packing lists, navigation and education a guiding service brings value to the often high cost they come with.
So what are you paying for? Depending on where you grew up, and the access you had to the outdoors, your perception of the cost of a guiding service may differ. For myself, the outdoors often conveyed a resource which all humans were entitled to for free. Over the years however, I’ve acknowledged the benefits to paying for people to lead me through unfamiliar terrain. I’m paying for the peace of mind that I don’t hold the responsibility of things going wrong, and that the professionals will handle issues which arise. The cost associated with a guiding service breaks down into two different elements:
The first element of the cost is the basic cost of a trip. This includes the consumables such as food, snacks, fuel, transportation to and from trailheads, gear rentals, trail permits etc. These costs exist with or without a company, and the convenience of not making multiple trips to the store to buy food, fuel etc seems beneficial to myself. As well, when purchasing these goods as a group there are often discounts applied.
Secondly is the cost of the guides themselves. You are paying first for their time. These guides are responsible for you and are there to serve you 24 hours a day. You are also paying for their knowledge and experience both as outdoor guides and on the local terrain. These individuals have spent countless days in the backcountry, on courses, and on trips which have given them an information bank to answer all the questions you may have, from how to pack your bag correctly, what to bring, the history of the area, how to navigate, etc. In this sense, while paying for a guide you are also paying for the education that they will pass off to you. I’ve found through my experience that this knowledge is invaluable and has saved me from making plenty of mistakes because the guides have made them first. At Live Life Intents, the guides take it upon themselves to create a learning environment in the backcountry and enjoy passing off this knowledge to help build your experience level. Our goal is for you to leave a better outdoors person than when you arrived. From tips and tricks to more complex skill sets such as navigating via map and compass. It is our intent to sell you an experience and knowledge you can carry with you for the rest of your life and NOT to simply have you follow us for multiple days.
There is also the added insurance of a guided service. When things do go awry, you have the assurance that these qualified and experienced mountain people will guide you successfully through extreme weather, obstacles, and problems that otherwise might result in a trip ruined. From gear malfunctions to rescue evacuations, we have the tools and skills to help you walk away from a crazy trip with a story you can tell to all the fantastic humans in your life.
Now, back to my daydreams of bright orange sunsets and cool breezes. With Live Life Intents, you can hang back and enjoy the present moment. We take the proactive thinking upon ourselves and leave the awe and joy of the environment around us to you. Ponder the peculiar lean of a given tree, the vibrant almost unrealistic colour green of the moss of the forest floor, and the pure magic of the sky and what it gifts us at all moments of the day. Escape that coffee shop, that stressful work desk, and let the other people take on the stress while you take advantage of the sweet, sweet air.
Written by: Alec LeFort