Frequently Asked Questions

Most of our participants are from Europe, North America and Australia. We have also hosted participants from South America, Asia, New Zealand and South Africa.

We have a range of people join our programs, for a number of purposes. Some are school leavers wanting an active, enriching break before university. Some people take a career break, for personal development or simply a break from the rat race to recharge. The ages and nationalities of the group depend entirely on who signs up and when, so it's a potluck who you will find yourself on the program with. But you know they will be equally as keen for adventure and the outdoors, with a passion for the environment and an eagerness for self improvement and boundary pushing!

You must be a minimum of 18 years old to participate in our Adventure Guide Programs and our Work and Train Program.

You must be a minimum of 20 years old to participate in our Outdoor Adventure Program.

Most participants are aged between 18-35 years old.

We generally aim to give you a bit of time off when possible to allow you to integrate, explore and socialise in your new home. That said, we are either training or out exploring for a fair portion of the program! The programs are based on modules, so after each module, there is a bit of allocated free time. During the break, participants go exploring in groups or solo, and many use their newly discovered passions while they're away! When you get days off,  will vary from program to program.

Included within the Adventure Guide Programs:

• 12 Weeks of accommodation (a mixture of the main "basecamp" house, camping, and mountain huts)
• All technical rock climbing equipment - except climbing shoes
• Group tents and cooking gear
• Transportation while on the program (Arrival and departure flights are not included)
• Outdoor First Aid course
• 12 Weeks of tuition and instruction from industry-leading instructors
• Mentorship on logbook building
• Industry networking opportunities
• Swift Water Rescue Skills
• Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding

Included with Work and Train Program:

• 10-12 weeks of paid employment with local tourism provider (subject to interview)
• All technical rock climbing equipment - except climbing shoes
• Group tents and cooking gear
• Transportation while on the program (Arrival and departure flights are not included)
• Outdoor First Aid course
• 12 Weeks of tuition and instruction from industry-leading instructors
• Mentorship on logbook building
• Client days, taking real clients hiking and rock climbing, and instructing them
• Industry networking opportunities
• Swift Water Rescue Skills
• NZOIA Bush Leader
• NZOIA Rock Leader
• Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding

Included on Outdoor Instructor Program:

• All technical rock climbing equipment - except climbing shoes
• Group tents and cooking gear
• Transportation while on the program (Arrival and departure flights are not included)
• Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Course and Certification (Advanced Outdoor First Aid Course)
• 12 Weeks of tuition and instruction from industry-leading instructors and 14 Weeks of mentorship through an individually crafted professional development plan.
• Mentorship on logbook building
• Client days, taking real clients hiking and rock climbing, and instructing them
• Industry networking opportunities
• Swift Water Rescue Skills
• NZOIA Bush 1
• NZOIA Rock 1
• NZOIA Bush Leader
• NZOIA Rock Leader
• Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding

For more information about program inclusions, contact explore@pureexploration.com or check out our programs.

No, flights are not included.

While most in-program transport is provided for you, the flights to and from the destination are not included in the program cost. To assist you with your flights and travel insurance needs Pure Exploration has partnered with The Travellist Co., a full service travel agency that can arrange everything from flights and pre/post trip accommodation to comprehensive travel insurance for our participants. Partnering with the most recognised, respected and trusted suppliers worldwide, The Travellist Co. can guide and advise you on all aspects of your travel experience. They have all the flight requirements for our programs and offer 10+ years direct industry experience, enabling them to create and deliver independent and expertly cultivated journeys.

Absolutely. We will require proof of your travel insurance for the period of time you will be on program. In the unlikely event you have a medical illness or emergency while away with us we guarantee you'll want to be covered!  

To make things easy for you, we have partnered with The Travellist Co., a full service travel agency that can arrange everything from flights and pre/post trip accommodation to comprehensive travel insurance for our participants. Partnering with the most recognised, respected and trusted suppliers worldwide, The Travellist Co. can guide and advise you on all aspects of your travel experience. They have all the travel insurance requirements for our programs and offer 10+ years direct industry experience, enabling them to create and deliver independent and expertly cultivated journeys.

It’s essential for all participants to have comprehensive coverage for the duration of the program. Your travel insurance should include:

• Medical coverage (including emergency evacuation and repatriation).
• Personal liability (in case of accidental injury or property damage).
• Trip interruption or delay coverage (to protect against unexpected changes).
• Coverage for adventure activities (specific to the program, such as hiking or climbing).

Depending on your country of origin and which program you are participating in, you may require a visa. To learn more about visa requirements we recommend you visit the chosen country's immigration website for further information about visa requirements from your country of citizenship.

Our sales team will discuss this with you during your interview and follow-up calls in the lead-up to departure.

Check out our upcoming program dates HERE.

It is possible that a program itinerary may be subject to small changes, or an entire re-routing depending on the global or environmental situations. Our first priority is always customer safety, secondly is meeting the educational and developmental goals of our programs.

If we feel for any reason that the itinerary booked will not offer the highest level of health and safety or deliver a life-changing experience for our customers, we will be looking to offer alternative locations that deliver a similar experience. 

Changes to program itinerary will be discussed with you prior to the change happening.

For our programs no technical outdoor experience is required, however, we strongly recommend you are comfortable carrying a 15kg/33lb backpack for multiple days hiking, prepared to deal with varying weather conditions and ready to be outdoors for majority of your program days.

All we ask for is a positive attitude and a willingness to participate in the activities we engage in throughout the program. 

Due to the unique environmental challenges in each country we visit, our Program Advisors can help guide you in the direction of the most suitable program and destination.

To get the most out of your program, we recommend you have a moderate level of fitness, this will allow you set yourself up for success over the coming weeks.

Participants will engage in activities like rock climbing, hiking, swimming, and general outdoor experiences. Prior experience in these activities is not necessary, but participants should be comfortable in carrying a 15kg/33lb backpack for a minimum of 7-8 hours on undulating terrain over multiple days.

Terrain you will cover may include, loose rock, snow, ice, mud, river crossings, off trail, on trail, and exposed alpine environments. These variables depend on the location of your chosen program.

There will be varying fitness levels throughout the group. If a participant’s lack of fitness/ability severely affects the running of the program or poses safety risk to self and/or others the participant(s) will be asked and supported to sit out certain activities.

Our instructors are capable of supporting of supporting a number of physical or medical conditions. Please discuss with us any physical or medical conditions so we can offer the best advice. 

RATIOS

• We maintain a ratio of 1 leader for every 6 participants for adventure travel, and our ratios change based on the industry best practice standards for our delivery of adventure activities. This means we prioritise personal levels of support available to you at all times!
  

EXTERNAL AUDITING

• Pure Exploration is audited by AdventureMark. We are also a partner organisation of the Department of Conservation New Zealand.
• We strive to exceed New Zealand’s rigorous and proven standards of excellence in tourism and adventure.  

Entry level outdoor qualifications are specific to individual countries. Pure Exploration is a New Zealand company therefore our syllabus is aligned to that of NZOIA (New Zealand Outdoor Instructor Association) level. This association offers comprehensive educational outcomes, that are similar to standards in other countries. Pure Exploration offers the Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding, equipped with a learning rubric that showcases all of your competencies learned while on program.

Additionally we will give you the opportunity to build your logbook. Your logbook is your resume of experience in the industry and shows the places and skills demonstrated on each individually logged day.

Adventure Guide Program New Zealand:

• Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding
• Advanced Outdoor First Aid Certificate
• NZOIA Bush Leader
• NZOIA Rock Leader
• Swift Water Rescue 3

Adventure Guide Program Nepal:

• Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding
• Advanced Outdoor First Aid Certificate
• Swift Water Rescue 3

Adventure Guide Program Patagonia:

• Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding
• Advanced Outdoor First Aid Certificate

Work & Train Program New Zealand:

• Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding
• Advanced Outdoor First Aid Certificate
• NZOIA Bush Leader
• NZOIA Rock Leader
• Swift Water Rescue 3

Outdoor Instructor Program New Zealand:

• Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding
• Pre-hospital Emergency Care Advanced Outdoor First Aid Certificate
• NZOIA Bush Leader
• NZOIA Rock Leader
• NZOIA Bush 1
• NZOIA Rock 1
• Swift Water Rescue 3

Adventure Guide Programs:

• 12 weeks of accommodation is included in all of our Adventure Guide Programs.
• Accommodation throughout the program varies. For the our New Zealand & Patagonia Adventure Guide Program, you can expect a house/lodge as your base with shared facilities, you will also be camping in tents, huts and occasional hostels.
• The Nepal Adventure Guide Program will also include accommodation, but will not have a home base due to its nomadic nature. You instead will find yourself moving between tents, huts and hostel style accommodation.
• Expect close quartered living conditions with other program participants, where you will learn valuable skills in collaboration, community living, group cooking and co-exisiting. Working together to respect each others privacy.

Outdoor Instructor Program:

• Accommodation is not included in the Outdoor Instructor Program.

Work & Train Program:

• Accomodation is not included in the Work and Train Program.

Meals are not included on any of our programs except for our Nepal Adventure Guide Program.

Yes! Your newfound understanding of the adventure tourism industry, adventure recreation as well as destinations, activities, and culture will certainly be appreciated by all over the world. On our Adventure Guide Programs, students will not only leave with the hard skills required to take on the guiding industry but also leave you with experience applying a variety of soft skills which will be transferable and desirable no matter the path you choose to take. Soft skills include attributes such as learning to communicate effectively, managing group dynamics, modifying your teaching style to situations or individuals, problem-solving, adapting plans on the go and conflict resolution.

Throughout all of our programs we endeavour to create opportunities for you to network with local tour operators to get a sense of the industry and pathways within it.

Yes! Participants join our programs for a number of reasons, and many aren't focused on simply attaining outdoor qualifications. Our programs are designed to accommodate all wild travellers. You will meet people from all over the world, build a strong connection with the land and environment around you, travel to unique locations that aren't on typical travel itineraries, and experience things you never knew existed.

There is a wide range of roles available post program, below are a few of the roles which our Alumni have gone on to do:

• Outdoor education roles
• Guiding and instructing for outdoor companies or brands
• Expedition leader or liaison roles
• Guiding for a range of different pursuits e.g. Via feratta, kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, rafting, zip lining, snow sports and more
• Office based roles: sales, marketing, operations, logistics

For more check out our Alumni stories HERE.

To secure your place on one of our programs we only require a program deposit to lock in your spot. After this, your final payment covering the balance of the program cost will be due 90 days before program departure, unless you are making a booking for a program that begins in less than 90 days. 

Bookings made less than 90 days before departure

Bookings accepted less than 90 days prior to departure can be secured with the deposit; full payment must then reach us within a further 14 days, unless otherwise specified in writing by your Program Advisor.

Bookings made more than 365 days before departure

Bookings accepted for a program that commences 365 days or more in the future must have 50% of the full balance paid 180 days prior to departure, and the full balance must be paid 100% 90 days prior to departure.

We created payment plans to allow students to break up their remaining payments into smaller, more manageable chunks in a way that suits their current situation or lifestyle. This could look like weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly payments depending on how far in advance they booked onto the program. You can always talk to one of our program advisors on a call to discuss this in more detail.