General
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
- Client days, taking real clients hiking and rock climbing, and instructing them (New Zealand only)
- Packrafting (New Zealand only)
- Employer networking event (New Zealand only)
- White Water Rafting (Nepal only)
- Introduction to mountaineering (Patagonia only)
Included with Work and Train Program:
- 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
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)
- Outdoor First Aid course
- 26 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
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. However, 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.
Travel Insurance & Visa
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.
Depending on your country of origin and which program you are participating in, you may require a visa.
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 situation. 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 yet better experience.
Changes to program itinerary will be discussed with you prior to the change happening.
Fitness & Experience
For our Adventure Guide Programs and our Work and Train Program no professional experience is required, however, we strongly recommend you are comfortable carrying a 15kg/33lb backpack for multiple days hiking, prepared to deal with extreme weather 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.
If you are unsure about this, we can discuss your suitability for the program on enquiry and point you in the right direction.
For our Outdoor Instructor Program, you are required to meet specific program pre-requisites which you can find here.
Participants will engage in activities like rock climbing, tramping, and swimming, and should be comfortable doing such.
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 multi-day hikes.
There will always be group members who are fitter and stronger than the majority of the group, and some who are a bit slower. In a group instruction situation, if a participant’s lack of fitness/ability severely affects the running of the program the participant(s) will be asked to remain at the hut or other location for certain activities. The guide is the final arbiter in these decisions.
Please discuss with us any physical or medical conditions so we can offer the best advice.
Safety & Security
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.
Educational Qualifications
Contrary to what most people believe, when it comes to getting qualifications for hiking and climbing, there are actually no internationally recognised qualifications at the entry level for guiding in these disciplines.
The good news for everyone getting started in the outdoor industry is that most guiding companies often have some grace for those just beginning their journey, and recognise that although international qualifications may not hold weight in their country, professional and personal experience in the field does. This is where the importance of a logbook comes in. We have had many students join our Adventure Guide Program and continue on to their home countries with a logbook full of hikes and climbs, training hours and client days. Your logbook is your resume of experience in the industry which is why we believe it is so important for you and your career to keep this in focus.
Location specific qualifications:
- Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding (All locations)
- Outdoor first aid certificate (All locations)
- NZOIA Bush Leader and Rock Leader (New Zealand only).
- Swift Water Rescue (New Zealand only)
- White-Water Level 1 Rescue training (Nepal only)
Note: In Nepal and Patagonia you will be trained to the NZOIA standards however because your program is taking place outside of New Zealand you are not able to sit the program assessments.
- Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding
- Advanced Outdoor first aid certificate
- NZOIA Bush Leader and Rock Leader
- Swift Water Rescue
- Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding
- Advanced Outdoor first aid certificate
- NZOIA Bush 1 and Rock 1
- Swift Water Rescue
Each country has its own framework of outdoor guiding certifications. So it is important to get yourself certifications that are going to be well recognised, well known and well respected!
Our Pure Exploration Certificate of Guiding is the perfect example of a qualification that will show future employers what you have achieved on our programs and what skills you have.
The NZOIA certifications (gained from out New Zealand programs only) look very good on your CV, particularly in the likes of North America and Europe as they are well regarded by employers.
All of our Adventure Guide Programs and Work and Train Programs follow the NZOIA structure which is key to you finding future employment in any country.
Accommodation & Food
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.
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, due to the nomadic, off the beaten track nature of the program. On this program, we do cater for most requirements – vegetarian, vegan, celiac, however this is always worth discussing with us on application.
Employment Opportunities
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.
Note: On our Queenstown Adventure Guide Program, we host a networking event for our students to meet some of Queenstown's biggest tourism companies. Our vast network of New Zealand tourism operators, guides, and outdoor education centres allows us to help you get connected to the right employer when possible.
No, although it is a training course that up-skills you in two core disciplines, 50% of people also use it for their own personal development and to build up their self-sufficiency in the outdoors. As well as that, our programs allow people to experience travel in a completely unique way - whether it be taking in the landscapes of New Zealand, Patagonia and Nepal whilst dangling from a rope or camping with your crew at the end of a multi-day hike.
Program Payment
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.
NOTE: In order for a program to go ahead, everyone signed up must be fully paid by 90 days before the program's start date. This is when we confirm with everyone that the program will 100% go ahead. It is also the point that we confirm numbers with all operators and partners for the programs, and to do so we need everyone fully balanced.
Many of our students have successfully found jobs in their chosen disciplines whether it be as a climbing guide, via ferrata guide, zipline operator, program leader, operations manager or working for a heliski company!
Some have gone on to be assistant instructors on programs like ours and others have used it to move on to further education options.