“I realized guiding was another path in the industry and a blend of passion, sense of purpose, and being in nature,” said Jeff when we asked him why he wanted to become a guide. Smile Mountain Guides was founded on trust, caring, and respect for climbing. It’s a small but mighty team and we got the chance to hear from Meg, Michael, and Jeff about their experiences as guides. Why did you want to become a guide? Michael: I think at first it was seeing a lot of the people I looked up to in the climbing community working as...
Marketing for guiding companies doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, you can keep it super basic if you want. We’ve previously written about all the aspects of digital marketing in our Journal, but it helps to put it together in a digestible way. So, that’s what we’re going to do here. Here’s a simple strategy for marketing that should help you get started marketing for your guiding company. In other words, to spread the word about what you do and who you can guide. 1. Determine Your Target Audience Figuring out who your ideal customers are will help you...
Becoming a fishing guide is more than some certifications and a day on the water doing what you love. Being a fishing guide means you’re not the one fishing. Instead, you’re helping your clients catch fish. We asked Stephen Balough, of Riffletrip Outfitters, to share his experience and what you can expect from life as a fishing guide. Why Did You Want To Become A Fishing Guide? I became a fishing guide in college. I always had a passion for fishing since I was a little guy. Now, after nearly 14 years of guiding, I have realized that I am...
Plogging, a not-so-new radical idea. We’re celebrating Earth Day with Outdoor Prolink by plogging! This year we are teaming up with Outdoor Prolink to give away two National Parks Passes to reward acts of plogging. HOW TO ENTER: - Post a picture of your trash on your Instagram feed or story - Tag @outdoorprolink and @exploreorigin - Use hashtag: #AdventureTrash - For more entries, tag your friends in the comments of our official posts (coming out every Friday) - Enter between April 8–April 28, 2022 Head to our Instagram to enter! Not sure what plogging is? You came to the...
Becoming a ski guide through the AMGA certification program is no walk in the park, but it’s the best way to become a certified Mountain Guide—and a legit one at that. We had the opportunity to chat with Jake Gaventa, ski guide and AMGA’s Partnership Manager, to learn more about what it really takes to become a guide, and what it’s like once you’re certified and employed. What kind of outdoor guide are you? There's a very strict term on the international scale. So, I'm not a capitalized “Mountain Guide.” It would be best if I was referred to as...
Becoming a Climbing Guide sounds like the perfect job, right? Having the chance to climb routes all over the country, or heck, even all over the world? Waking up on the side of a mountain and peering out your portaledge to see the sunrise. Getting paid to do what you love. It sounds amazing. And it is. But there’s a vast amount of work that goes into earning your certifications, making enough money to survive, finding enough work throughout the year, mitigating risks for yourself and for your clients, and creating a solid reputation as an expert Climbing Guide. We...
The guiding season is non-stop. There’s always an adventure to go on with an expert guide, but some guiding companies only operate during a specific season or two. For those preparing for their upcoming season, here are eight tech aspects to have dialed before you take clients on their next adventure. Review Or Update Your Liability Waivers Have liability waivers for your guided trips? It’s a good idea to review your liability waiver text and make sure they’re up-to-date. If you have a new trip that requires an additional waiver, it’s important to upload that before the season. Origin users...
Jump to a section If you’re looking for adventure grants and scholarships for guides, then you came to the right spot. Below, you’ll find a list of all types of adventures (in alphabetical order). We’ll continue to add to the list as we find more opportunities for guides. If you know of one, send Jessica a message: jessica [at] exploreorigin [dot] com Adventure Guide Scholarships American Alpine Club An organization committed to providing climbers with the opportunity to engage with each other in respectful discussion and debate on our platforms. Catalyst: A Grant For Change Its Purpose: To provide BIPOC,...
Online resources for outdoor guides are few and far between. Either it doesn’t exist or it’s so dispersed that it’s easy to give up to find all the information you may need to know what’s happening in the outdoor industry, and more specifically, what’s impacting guides presently. This isn’t a final version of the best online resources for outdoor guides and tour operators, but it’s a start. We’ll keep adding to this list as we find more online resources. Outdoor Organizations & Associations Organizations and associations that cover all sectors of the outdoor industry. America Outdoors Association (AOA) The American...
The outdoor guiding industry, like other adventure travel sectors, has seen its fair share of dramatic changes over the past two years. We don’t expect that to level out any time soon. Instead, consider going into 2022 with your pivoting feet because there’s sure to be a consistent change in guiding (and travel in general). So, if there’s anything we’ve learned since 2020, it’s that “the only constant is change” for tour operators. Here are 9 outdoor guiding and adventure travel trends coming our way in 2022: Outdoor Guiding Trends Coming in 2022 1. End of Reserve With Google But...
Have you ever wondered what your booking process says about your business? Imagine this: You’re seeing a return of travel, but your bookings are lackluster. You’re open for business. You get a decent amount of interest from travelers, especially after COVID, but you’re ready for more bookings. In fact, you need more bookings. There’s one thing: You haven’t touched your booking process in ages. You may not even realize that’s likely the problem for the small number of tour reservations filtering through. Maybe you’re still blaming COVID (which is fair). But the fact is, if you’ve been struggling to increase...
Tour deposit functionality, especially those that are higher-priced, makes it more appealing to customers when they can book now and pay later. With the uncertainty of travel currently, especially with airlines, deposits give travelers peace of mind —knowing that they don’t have to pay in full right now in case a trip is canceled outside of their control. The Problem - Without Deposit Functionality When you don’t have automatic deposit functionality, you can take the initial deposit, but collecting the rest is a pain. It becomes a manual and insecure process of charging a credit card. For tour operators who...
October may be one of the funnest months — if you like exploring the scariest outdoor spots, that is. There are a lot of haunted bridges, battlefields, and of course, houses. If you’re like us and enjoy scaring yourself silly by snaps of twigs in the woods, odd orbs floating by, or blood curdling screams, then this post is for you. We’ve found everything from haunted roads to mines to trees. Check out 50 legends of the scariest outdoor spots in the United States. Alabama: Nancy's Mountain Trail While Nancy's Mountain Trail at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Haines...
There’s an attitude with the backcountry skiing crowd that hiring a backcountry ski guide is for newbies, and backcountry skiing is a do-it-yourself sport. When you hire a guide to take you into the backcountry, you discover new places to shred, you stay safer, and you improve your skills. It doesn’t matter whether you’re learning how to start backcountry skiing or you’re an expert, there’s always something to improve upon. Skiing with someone who’s better than you will make you a better skier. Period. Skip Craigslist and backcountry skiing forums for someone to take you out to learn, and hire...
(Photo/state of Oregon) President Biden Nominates Charles Sams for Director of the National Park Service By National Parks Conservation Association President Biden nominated Charles Sams III to be the director of the National Park Service, a position that’s been vacant for the past four years. This is historical because Mr. Sams would be the first Native American to lead the national parks. He is Cayuse, Walla Walla, and a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Mr. Sams is also a Navy veteran and co-founder of the Center for Diversity and the Environment. While he’s never managed...