At Peak Pioneers, our amazing mountain guides are the at heart of everything our kids experience.
Our guides are not just normal camp counsellors; they are passionate, qualified mountain guides. They have spent several years training for a job where the weather, the terrain and the people all change by the hour, and they have learned to spot a problem long before it turns into one. On average, it takes around five years to get their AMM qualification which enables them to lead groups in the mountains. They have a true, unmatched love of the mountains, and they love nothing more than sharing this love with our Pioneers. When you hand your child over for the day in the mountains with us, you know they’re being looked after by the very best.
Our unique model means that every guide works alongside a qualified animator, who holds a diploma in childcare. The guide looks after the mountain and builds the plan, and the animator looks after the children. We keep our groups small, with a maximum of one guide for every five children, and no group is ever left with fewer than two qualified adults. Our small group size also allows our guides to adapt the day to the groups’ needs, interests and abilities.
Our guides are also good at teaching, because they use these skills themselves. When one of them shows a child how to read a map, build a shelter or light a fire safely, they are passing on something they do for a living. Children notice that quickly; they listen differently when the person in front of them clearly loves the mountains and knows them well.
On the days we have specialist activities like rock climbing or mountain biking, the children get extra support from a specialist guide, on top of their usual guides. We do this both to ensure safety and to ensure that kids truly get the most out of being taught by real pros.
Our director, Val, has over 30 years of experience and leads the hiring herself. She looks for people who are excellent in the mountains and who also enjoy being around children. That combination is harder to find than you might think, but when we find the perfect guide, we just know. And this is the reason we take our time over every guide we take on.
If you are choosing a camp from abroad, it is worth asking who will actually be with your child on the mountain. At Peak Pioneers, it is a qualified, passionate guide, and we are proud of that.
