Meet The Guides

At Guided Outdoor Adventures, we believe that the right guide can transform a great trip into an unforgettable experience. Our ‘Meet the Guides’ page is dedicated to the heart and soul of our adventures, the passionate, skilled, and knowledgeable people who lead you on every journey.

Each of our guides isn’t just an expert in their field, whether it’s navigating challenging peaks, scaling sheer rock faces, or leading tranquil paddleboarding excursions. They are also storytellers, educators, and champions of the outdoors, committed to sharing their love for nature and adventure with you.

They bring a wealth of local knowledge, a deep understanding of safety protocols, and a friendly, encouraging spirit to every trip, ensuring you feel confident and inspired from start to finish.

Our team is as diverse as the adventures we offer, with unique personalities and specialties that cater to every type of explorer, from seasoned adventurers to those just beginning their journey.

Alexandra

van

I'm a Hill & Moorland Leader with a background in dog walking, combining my love for the outdoors and dogs through guided, dog-friendly walks with my companion Leia. I also work as a Group Services Coordinator at an outdoor centre in Derbyshire, supporting school groups, charities, and corporate teams. I love taking people out with their dogs to show them how enriching and restorative the outdoors can be for both humans and their four-legged friends. Leia has been by my side for seven years, joining me on countless adventures across the UK and beyond.

Andy

Gigg

Hi, I’m Andy a qualified Mountain Leader with a passion for the great outdoors and a background in countryside management. I spend much of his time exploring the hills, valleys, and open moorlands of the Peak District and Lake District. I combine practical expertise with a genuine love for helping people connect with nature. I'm especially passionate about teaching navigation, giving others the confidence to explore safely and independently.

Anne

Kemp-Eyre

Anne is a qualified Hill & Moorland Leader with a lifelong passion for hiking. From completing her first long-distance walk at age 11 to trekking in the Alps, Rockies, and Himalayas, she combines global experience with a warm, supportive approach to guiding. Anne specialises in creating mindful, wellbeing-focused hikes that encourage people to slow down, connect with nature, and enjoy the many benefits of being outdoors.

Brian

Hall

Brian is a qualified Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor with over 20 years of professional experience. He has taught and guided hundreds of people, managed a climbing centre, volunteered with Search and Rescue, and now runs Rockyventures Ltd, offering climbing, walking, first aid, and navigation training. Passionate about safety, inclusion, and community, Brian makes every adventure both educational and inspiring.

Bryn

Hughes

Bryn is a Mountain Leader based in North Wales, guiding groups safely across the rugged peaks and valleys of Eryri (Snowdonia). He specialises in bringing the mountains to life through Welsh mythology and storytelling, offering walks that are as rich in culture as they are in scenery.

Craig

Dyson

Craig is a qualified Hill & Moorland Leader with more than two decades of hiking experience. Having rediscovered the power of the outdoors during a period of personal challenge, he’s passionate about making wild spaces accessible to all, whether for adventure, wellbeing, or community.

Neil

Slater

Neil has been leading adventure activities and outdoor education programmes since 1988. As the founder of Cycle4Adventure, he’s a qualified Mountain Bike Leader, Mountain Leader, and Bushcraft Practitioner who loves helping people of all ages discover the confidence and wellbeing that time outdoors can bring.

Ilaria

Petrucci

I’m Ilaria, a UK-qualified Mountain Guide passionate about guiding women into the outdoors. I lead beginner to intermediate to challenging hikes in the UK and abroad (group trips abroad are mixed groups), helping you experience the beauty of nature, build confidence in the mountains, and connect with like-minded adventurers.

Richard

Gale

Rich is a qualified Mountain Bike Guide and Coach with more than 10 years of experience leading rides across the UK. His focus is on safety, skills, and confidence helping riders of all levels enjoy the trails while building their abilities. Patient, knowledgeable, and passionate about the outdoors, Rich makes every ride both rewarding and fun.

Dolomite

Training

Dolomite Training has delivered safe, exciting outdoor adventures since 2009. Their expert team provides climbing, abseiling, mountain biking and paddleboarding experiences across the Peak District and beyond, ensuring every session is led by the right specialist guide.

Innocent

Kessy

Innocent is a licensed Mountain Guide and Safari Leader with 13 years of experience guiding expeditions on Mount Kilimanjaro and safaris across Tanzania. Starting his career as a porter, he worked his way up through the ranks, gaining a deep understanding of mountain safety, teamwork, and guest care. Today, as the Founder of Local Crew Expedition, he leads a dedicated team focused on providing safe, sustainable, and authentic adventures that celebrate Tanzania’s landscapes, wildlife, and culture.

James

Wilkinson

James is a qualified Mountain Leader with a lifelong love of the outdoors. From early days exploring the Peak District to guiding groups across Eryri, the Brecon Beacons, and beyond, he combines deep knowledge of the landscape with a supportive, inspiring approach to leadership. James specialises in creating adventures that are both challenging and accessible, helping people of all ages discover confidence and joy in the mountains

John

Figiel

John is a qualified Hill & Moorland Leader from Whaley Bridge, on the edge of the Peak District. Passionate about nature, foraging, and local history, he transforms guided walks into immersive experiences that blend stunning landscapes with fascinating insights. Alongside his guiding, John also works as a freelance event medic, ambulance first responder, and qualified mental health first aider — ensuring safety and wellbeing are always at the heart of his walks.

Julia

Hartley

Julia is the founder of Guided Outdoor Adventures and a qualified walk leader. Passionate about community and the outdoors since childhood, she loves helping people feel confident, safe, and inspired on every adventure.

Kate

Rhodes

Kate is a Chartered Marketer turned Hill & Moorland Leader who walked the Pennine Way solo in 2023. She now hosts inspiring multi-day hikes, netwalks and corporate walkshops designed to encourage more women and teams to do things differently outdoors.

Mark

Killala

Mark is an experienced Mountain Leader and accredited Duke of Edinburgh Assessor with over 30 years in the outdoors. Calm, patient and safety-focused, he specialises in confidence-building mountain walks, navigation skills and expedition leadership across the UK.

Louise

Earnshaw

Lou is a qualified Mountain Leader, artist, and teacher whose love for adventure began at 13 in the Peak District. She now leads hikes across the UK and overseas, teaches navigation, and shares her passion for creativity through walk-and-sketch workshops. Quite simply - Lou is happiest outside.

Douglas

Walker

Dougie is a lifelong adventurer with more than four decades of mountaineering experience. Based in Cumbria, he leads groups across the Lake District and Yorkshire, helping people of all abilities enjoy the outdoors with confidence. Calm, approachable, and highly knowledgeable, Dougie specialises in making adventures both safe and enjoyable.

Emmanuelle

Tulle

Emmanuelle is a Scotland-based Mountain Leader and Munroist with a lifelong passion for hill walking. Calm, thoughtful and skills-focused, she supports people to feel safe, confident and more self-sufficient in the hills, with a particular interest in supporting older women.

Marc

Douglass

A Hill and Moorland Leader based in Swaledale, with a lifelong love of maps, routes and the outdoors. With decades of experience and deep local knowledge, this guide leads relaxed, informal walks that focus on wellbeing, discovery and enjoying the journey.

Mark

Eddy

Mark is a Lake District–based Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor with over 30 years of climbing experience. A published author and multi-activity guide, he delivers calm, expert-led adventures across mountains, rock and canyons.

Nick

Rowe

Nick is a highly experienced outdoor guide whose journey began with childhood camping trips and grew through 24 years of service with the Grenadier Guards. With expertise in mountain walking, climbing, canoeing, kayaking, and mountain biking plus international experience in the Alps, Rockies, and Mount Kenya Nick combines technical skill with a patient, supportive teaching style that makes every adventure accessible and inspiring.

Nicola

Merrett

Nicky is a Lake District–based Mountain Leader living at the foot of Helvellyn. Specialising in Nordic Walking, navigation coaching and themed guided hikes, she brings deep local knowledge, hidden paths and storytelling to every journey in the fells.

Sean

Schofield

Sean is a Mountain Leader based in the North of England with a lifelong connection to the outdoors. Growing up on the Isle of Arran and later working as a sailing instructor across Europe, he now guides mountain adventures across the UK while also serving with Teesdale & Weardale Mountain Rescue.

Deborah

Parker

Debbie is a Scottish Mountain Leader based in Edinburgh with a calm, supportive approach to guiding. Passionate about making the hills accessible to everyone, she specialises in confidence-building walks and helping people reconnect with the mountains safely and enjoyably.

Lee

Campbell

Lee is a Mountain Leader, DofE Assessor and navigation specialist who delivers skills-led adventures across the UK. Passionate about wellbeing and confidence in wild places, he supports people to explore the outdoors with curiosity and assurance.

Luke

Thornton

An experienced Mountain Leader and International Trek Leader, this guide supports people to explore the outdoors safely in the UK and abroad. With global expedition experience from the Himalayas to the Alps, they’re passionate about building skills, confidence and unforgettable adventures.

Ruth

Finney

Ruth is one of the few female Advanced Mountain Bike Leaders in the UK and founder of Recce. She leads expertly planned rides across Shropshire and the Welsh Borders, uncovering hidden trails and creating safe, fun adventures for all abilities.

Reece

Robinson

Reece is a qualified Mountain Leader, Rock Climbing Instructor, Paddle Sport Instructor, Navigation Tutor, and DofE Assessor, with over five years of experience running outdoor adventures in North Wales. Originally from Hertfordshire but now an “honorary Welshman,” he’s deeply connected to the landscapes, heritage, and language of Eryri (Snowdonia). His mission: to make every adventure safe, educational, and unforgettable.

Sara

Ginn

Sara is a Hill and Moorland Leader based in West Sheffield. Passionate about helping others feel safe and confident outdoors, she blends her skills as an artist and life coach to create uplifting guided hikes and creative nature experiences across the Peak District.

Sarah

Lister

I’m a Hill & Moorland Leader based in Edale, Peak District. I lead beginner, intermediate and challenging walks on and around Kinder Scout, which is my local mountain. I’m the author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout by Vertebrate Publishing which provides 15 routes for the area. I sometimes team up with Ilaria Petrucci to co-lead walks including the Edale Skyline, Yorkshire Three Peaks and her Healing Through Hiking events.

Craig

Birch

Craig is a qualified Mountain Leader (Summer) and Mountain Bike Guide/Instructor with more than three decades of outdoor experience. From his first ascent of Snowdon as a teenager to leading groups across the UK today, Craig has dedicated his life to the outdoors. His warm, supportive style and wealth of knowledge make every adventure safe, inspiring, and memorable

Tom is a world-travelled International Mountain Leader with two decades of guiding experience. As Chief Guide of AlpsAdventures, he leads trekking, hut-to-hut hiking, Via Ferrata, snowshoeing, and alpine ascents including Mont Blanc. Based in Switzerland, Tom specialises in helping people take on their first multi-day hut-to-hut adventure in the Alps, making dreams of high mountains, glaciers, and cosy alpine huts a reality.

Tony

Lowe

Tony is an experienced hiking guide whose love for the outdoors was shaped by his military career, which began when he joined the army at 16 in 1991. Since 2018, he has been leading groups across the UK, specialising in adventurous and unconventional routes. Known for events like the Helvellyn Linear and the Wales 50km, Tony creates challenges that inspire confidence and push boundaries, all while keeping safety and camaraderie at the heart of the experience.

Robert

McGrady

Rob is an experienced climbing instructor and outdoor leader with a background in teaching, coaching, and personal training. From early adventures in the woods and fields as a child to a career inspiring others in the outdoors, he brings enthusiasm, skill, and encouragement to every session. Rob’s passion lies in helping people challenge themselves, grow in confidence, and connect with nature.

Ingrid

Lohr

Ingrid is a qualified Hill & Moorland Leader and Lowland Leader who leads guided walks in South Wales’ Bannau Brycheiniog. Originally from Germany, she has spent decades exploring the British Isles, drawn to their wild coasts, moors, and stories. Ingrid’s walks are perfect for those who want to enjoy the scenery, connect with nature, and even learn a little navigation along the way.

Jonathan

Smith

Jonathan is a qualified Summer Mountain Leader and the founder of Where2walk, where he shares his extensive walking knowledge through routes, navigation courses, and guided walks. With decades of experience from climbing his first mountain, Blencathra, as a child to completing all the Munros in Scotland Jonathan now specialises in reflective, enriching adventures that celebrate the journey as much as the destination.

Damien

Kennedy

Damien is a friendly and knowledgeable Wicklow hiking guide with years of experience exploring the mountains, forests and coastal tracks of Ireland’s east. Passionate about making the outdoors accessible, he leads relaxed, confidence-building walks for all abilities.

Ready to Meet Your Guide?

Now that you’ve had a glimpse into the expertise and passion of our team, we invite you to explore the unique profiles of our individual guides.

Each one has a story to tell and a deep commitment to making your next adventure truly special. Whether you’re planning a challenging climb, a scenic cycling tour, a relaxing paddleboarding session, or an unforgettable European adventure, you can rest assured that you’ll be in the hands of a true professional.

Ready to find the perfect guide for your next journey? Simply click on their profiles to learn more about their experience, specialties, and the adventures they love to lead.

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