I get it. You’re a savvy traveller, you’re independent and a leader in what you do, but even YOU should hire a local guide. Let me tell you why.
Have you ever wondered what an ouzel is? Or the relationship between a Clark’s Nutcracker and White Bark Pine? Perhaps you don’t know the best trails or how to get off the beaten track to really experience the Canadian Rockies.
Mostly, I imagine, you don’t even know what you want to know.
That’s a job of the guide. Guides immerse you in the culture, create curiosity and answer questions. They tell stories of the first explorers in the area, of the peaks that were a race to climb in the early 1900’s, of why Bison were reintroduced.
I’m a professional hiking guide. I can rock up to any wilderness around the world and know how to navigate it. But, find me in Los Angeles or Paris and I’ll be as lost as if a helicopter dropped you off in the middle of the backcountry without food or water and days from civilization. Even I hire a guide when I go to big cities. Not only will I then actually leave my hotel room! But I’ll learn the history, architecture and the narrative of that area.