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Here’s a snapshot of the best hikes in New Zealand.
Hiking in the Himalayas evokes long lines on Everest, donkey trains teetering on cliffsides and faded prayer flags flapping in the wind.
Liz Lucas participated in our Queenstown Adventure Guide program a few years back and has since gone on to work for Pacific Discovery as an Instructor and a multi-day backpacking guide all over the US.
Our field instructors are inspiring people who provide a safe and transformative experience for our students.
Expedition Leaders are humans who love the outdoors so much they’ve decided to turn it into a career.
Rather than writing a blog chronicling my day-to-day experience and meandering thoughts while trekking, a task I leave to my fellow team members, I’ve opted instead to share some of my observations or learnings from the Annapurna Circuit.
This last week our team of 12 plus a new guide drove out in our van to the Kepler track, one of New Zealand's Great Walks.
Our field instructors are inspiring people who provide a safe and transformative experience for our students.
So you've decided that you want to lock in an epic adventure in New Zealand, but you're not quite sure how to stretch the bank to make it work?
The gap year, it can be a time in your life when you are just graduating college but have no idea what to do to take your next step.
You asked, we delivered.
Can you make it to the top of the rock?
Are you passionate about bringing unique outdoor experiences to people’s lives?
Now that high school is nearly coming to an end, you might be thinking about your next steps.
Are you thinking about going canyoning?
Day 1: Mulharka & Chisapani
When I thought of coming to Nepal the first thing that came to mind was my expectationof beautiful scenery, epic mountains, and challenging trekking.
Mountaineering is a sport like no other, it’s as difficult a journey as they come.
Tourism has taken a big hit since the COVID-19 outbreak started and is among the most affected sectors with a massive fall in demand and revenue.
Greeted with snow and with the finish line in sight, the Nepal group continues their challenging but rewarding descent in the Himalayas.
Do you have a passion for the outdoors?
The holy water Of Gosaikunda Lake takes the Nepal group's breath away as they continue their 12-day hike through Langtang National Park.
The Nepal group progresses on the 12-day hike in Langtang National Park, experiencing spectacular views of the Himalayas, Nepalese prayer flags and some unfortunate altitude sickness.
Read all about our Nepal group's magical experience trekking through the Himalayas on a 12-day hike in Langtang National Park.
As we made our way through the dust filled and packed streets of Kathmandu, I couldn’t help but wonder “What will Hattiban look like?”.
Adventure can be found in any country in the world.
Rosie joined the Adventure Guide Program back in 2018 and has since joined the Pure Exploration team as a marketing intern.
Before every big hiking adventure comes the most important part; the planning and the packing.
Today marks the 1 year anniversary of the 2019 Queenstown Adventure Guide Program, so we caught up with a program Alumni, Summar Tasker, to get her take one year on...
Coralie writes one last letter to her teammates, reflecting on their abbreviated time in Patagonia...
Coralie gives us the down low on their first month in Patagonia:
Let's catch up with Caroline as they complete week one of climbing:
It’s Tuesday morning here and we’ve been starting our first climbing week.
I’m Caroline.
How do we feel a few days away from starting the Adventure Guide Patagonia Program?
Thailand has been a must visit destination for decades, as tourists flock to the beaches, temples and crowded markets to get a small taste of these exotic lands and experience some of the best that street food and cultural experiences Southeast Asia has to offer.
Dreamy Patagonia… Land of the free!
I have come a long, long way from home.
Chloe was one of nine participants who joined us on our Expedition Leader Program in June 2019, to embark on a 12 week adventure through Ecuador, Galapagos, Peru, China, Laos, Thailand and Nepal.
We are stoked to announce the newest addition to our Adventure Guide Program – canyoning!
When traveling the world, learning about different cultures, learning about oneself, and pushing limits every day, AH HA!
By: Chloe Saulnier, 21 y/o, Canada
Growth, vulnerability, pushing limits, authenticity, connections.
54 km, 5 days, 3 course meals, spectacular views, alpacas for days, chilly nights, and very dry hot days.
The Expedition Leader Program is truly one of a kind in the world.
That's a great question.
Exciting news!We are very excited and proud to be announced as one of the top 3 overall gap year providers for the 2018 Go Overseas Community Choice Awards!
It's time to say our farewells to the group of legends that joined us in New Zealand for the Adventure Guide Program for the last few months of 2018.
Did you know New Zealand has a native parrot that resides within the highest mountain peaks?
As the year comes to a close, the group that joined us in September for the Adventure Guide Program in New Zealand are also finishing up their time with us.
New Zealand is renowned for its varied landscape, beautiful at every turn.
One of the most important parts of our Adventure Guide Program is our Pre-hospital Emergency Care (PHEC) qualification.
People decide to join the Adventure Guide Program for many reasons.
Next up on the Adventure Guide Program itinerary is a week in the legendary NZ adventure region, Mt Cook.
As the Adventure Guide Program progresses, alongside the curriculum, the nature of the hikes and climbs the groups get progressively more complex too.
Ken's back!It's time for the Adventure Guide Program crew to get their boots on and experience the New Zealand back country.
Ken Shaffer is a talented videographer and photographer who is currently on our Adventure Guide Program in New Zealand.
Ethan joined us in March 2018 for the Adventure Guide Program in New Zealand.
Dana Ester was one of the inspiring students that joined us in 2017 for our Adventure Guide Program based in New Zealand.
Ken Shaffer is one of the awesome crew who are currently with us in New Zealand for the Adventure Guide Program, which began in September.
We love hearing what our program alumni are up to after their time with Pure Exploration.
Whether you are looking to get into the adventure tourism industry, or nabbing yourself an awesome break from study or working, our three month adventure guide programs are the ideal place to hone in those outdoor survival skills, clear your head and prioritise your goals in life.
If you're keen to gain confidence hiking at altitude and in developing world regions - you're in the right place.
Here at Pure Exploration we are all about self-love, taking time to focus on yourself, developing skills and working through challenges.
My upbringing in Colorado ensured a fierce love for snow and all the ways to slide down it, a desire to spend most my time outside, and a refusal to sit in an office working the traditional 9 to 5 spirit-crushing job.
Highlights from the bush module from the 2018 March intake of our Queenstown (New Zealand) Adventure Guide Program.
8 weeks down and we come to the end of the training phase, finishing on a high with another awesome week of rock climbing training lessons!
Not sure your fitness is up to a three month adventure education program?
Ethan Kaandorp is one of the interns taking part in the Pure Exploration Adventure Guide Internship in New Zealand in March 2018.
When you're on a Pure Ex course we remove the hassle of accommodation by housing all the participants together.
Ethan Kaandorp is one of the interns taking part in the Pure Exploration Adventure Guide Internship in New Zealand in March 2018.
VLOG#5: We're back!This vlog we cover a few days of anchor building in Wanaka before heading back into the beech forest of Mount Aspiring National Park.
And as if I didn't have enough to look forward to, I've also accepted a seasonal position in the Fall back in California, doing wilderness field trips for a company called Naturalists at Large.
VLOG#4:Things are kicked into high gear for the second bush/hiking module, as we head into Mount Aspiring National Park for a 3 day adventure.
We were lucky enough to have Michel Affkerbach join us in New Zealand for the September intake of the Adventure Education Guide Internship in Queenstown, New Zealand.
VLOG#3: We spend the week in Wanaka, New Zealand's rock climbing training mecca.
VLOG#2: The Pure Ex gang jumps headfirst into the first week of training.
VLOG#1: Meet the new crew for the March intake of adventure guiding program, Pure Exploration, which commenced this weekend in Queenstown NZ.
For Queen and Country, Ivor summits 6000-meter peaks, dangles from ropes, and conquers white water.
What's it like to live and train with people from around the world in a foreign country?
The final update from Kaylee, one of our adventure guide interns based in Queenstown.
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve had the opportunity to practically use the skills and knowledge we have gained through our guide training program thus far.
The rise in millenial volunteering programs has been rapid in recent years, as has the profile of international development as a discipline.
The latest update from Kaylee Pickett, one of our adventure guide interns based in Queenstown:
Michel Affkerback was one of the team taking part in the Pure Exploration Adventure Guide Program in New Zealand in September 2017.
One of our upcoming Adventure Guide participants, Kaylee Pickett, has been loving her time experiencing adventure travel in New Zealand.
It’s not difficult to make the argument to go for a gap year abroad.
The concept of volunteering overseas is one that has grown in popularity in recent years, as has the profile of international development as a discipline.
The fire crackles away happily on the soft pebbled beach and as the sun drops behind the stunning New Zealand high country mountains that surround you, you huddle in closer to your new mates and laugh about the days’ activities.
Sure, university summer breaks in Spain and Thailand are fun!
While it’s not that common in the United States, taking a gap year is considered the norm in some countries like the United Kingdom and Australia.
Pure Exploration loves using adventure, nature and outdoor sport as opportunities to build our participants self leadership.
Four German travel bloggers have discovered that a winter adventure in New Zealand offers so much more than snow and skiing, after visiting in June.
Any Students from Germany interested in Work and Travel; Adventure Travel; International Trekking Guide Training Programs; English language or just having fun?
recent research undertaken in the UK has identified an increasing role in 'soft skill' development, and extra-curricular activities, in the admissions to university and the likelihood of success in studies.
