What Is An Adventure Guide Program?
We believe in experiential learning; education that happens through hands-on experience. In our outdoor guiding courses, students take the lead in real-world challenges, like navigating group treks or managing logistics during outdoor expeditions.
Our focus is on building practical, transferable skills like leadership, decision-making, and teamwork. These skills not only prepare participants for outdoor careers but also create lasting personal growth. Lessons learned in the outdoors are applicable to work, study, and everyday life; and their impact lasts far beyond the course itself.
Download Our Program Catalogue
Why This Program?
We sought something beyond the typical tour bus experience, something that combined the thrill of adventure with the excitement of travel. Not too extreme, yet far from ordinary, a journey that offered progressive learning, a tight-knit community and a wide range of outdoor activities.
Driven by our passion to truly understand the world and immerse ourselves in its environments, we created the Pure Exploration Adventure Guide Programs. These programs were born out of a mission to transform everyday travellers into lifelong adventurers through skill acquisition and life-changing experiences.
Who is it for?
Our Adventure Guide Programs are perfect for those seeking a chance to gain the required skills and qualifications to confidently explore the outdoors, or create a career within the outdoor industry. These programs offer a chance to connect with like-minded adventurers from around the globe, develop essential personal and professional skills and experience truly transformative travel.
Qualifications you will gain:
- Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding
- Outdoor First Aid
- NZOIA Bush Leader (New Zealand)
- NZOIA Rock Leader (New Zealand)
- Swift Water Rescue 3 (New Zealand & India)
Our Approach
We believe in progressive learning experiences; allowing you to build skills and leadership qualities you never knew you were capable of. Our intentional and guided outdoor education modules are made up of different activities that encompass specific components, each designed to progressively elevate you from learner to leader.
Skills you will learn:
- An introduction to the outdoors, including group safety, backcountry cooking, camp craft, navigation, interpretation, leadership and personal growth (and more!)
- How to become a guide in the outdoors
- Depending on the course you choose, your technical skill acquisition will be in rock climbing and/or hiking
Program Outcomes
All activities on our programs are designed to build transferable skills and attitudes. Our guiding programs and courses focus on helping you gain confidence in the outdoors to decide on your future direction.
Program outcomes:
- Confidence within yourself and with groups to make effective decisions
- Experience leading your peers and guiding them in the outdoors
- Increased resilience and determination
- Become a competent outdoor guide with both hard and soft skills
- A calmer attitude and approach when under pressure
- A collaborative and team-based approach to challenges
Choose Your Program
Our courses range from 6 to 28 weeks, with a variety of locations and outdoor disciplines to choose from; each program has been designed to ensure you gain the required skills, qualifications and mindset to become a competent and confident outdoor guide.
Patagonia Adventure Guide Program
Length: 12 Weeks
Start/Finish: El Chaltén, Argentina
Intakes: Jan or Oct Yearly
What: Hiking & Rock Climbing
Nepal Adventure Guide Program
Length: 12 Weeks
Start/Finish: Kathmandu
Intakes: Feb or Sept Yearly
What: Hiking & Rock Climbing
New Zealand Adventure Guide Program
Length: 12 Weeks
Start/Finish: Queenstown
Intakes: Jan or Sept Yearly
What: Hiking & Rock Climbing
New Zealand Rock Leader
Length: 6 Weeks
Start/Finish: Queenstown
Intakes: Jan or Sept Yearly
What: Rock Climbing
Nepal Trekking Leader
Length: 6 Weeks
Start/Finish: Kathmandu
Intakes: Feb or Sept Yearly
What: Hiking
New Zealand Trekking Leader
Length: 6 Weeks
Start/Finish: Queenstown
Intakes: Jan or Sept Yearly
What: Hiking & Rock Climbing
Thailand Rock Leader
Length: 6 Weeks
Start/Finish: Change Mai
Intakes: Jun & Dec Yearly
What: Rock Climbing
India Trekking Leader
Length: 6 Weeks
Start/Finish: New Delhi
Intakes: July Yearly
What: Hikin
Outdoor Instructor Program
Length: 28 Weeks
Start/Finish: Queenstown
Intakes: Sept Yearly
What: Advanced Hiking & Rock Climbing
Beyond The Program
Franzi has always loved the outdoors and travelling in new countries; she saw Nepal as the perfect place to combine these two passions! Enjoying every experience from trying the local food, learning technical skills and embracing the Nepali culture she has finished the program with a newfound passion for exploration in wild places.
After completing the program and realising her potential; she has gone on to confidently travel to far off places like Mongolia, hike remote trails in California, volunteered with adventure programs in South America and work as a trekking guide on a sled dog farm.
"You will experience and learn in breathtaking environments, spend most nights in shared tents in stunning areas, make friends from different parts of the world, immerse yourself in the simple way of life and learn a lot through action and experience."
- Franzi H. Germany