When you arrive on day one and take you first steps into the Pure Ex house, little do you know what you're stepping into. Maybe you were excited by the itinerary, or the chance to see places of the world seldom seen, but never did you expect to be walking

out three months later with a whole new attitude on life. The greatest strength of this program is not the sights you see, but the personal growth achieved, with the great outdoors as your backdrop. The depth of course immersion is crucial to this. You will be picturing climbing great rock walls when your eyes glaze over, and counting isobars (instead of sheep) to fall asleep. Although seemingly intense, progression in the course happens naturally, with no one being left behind. Each week they up the ante, just a little each day, and by the end of the course you'll be achieving things you never though possible. After three months those things that scared you (whether sending it on hard lead climb, or smashing a multi-day off trail hike) will begin to excite you. That learned ability to conquer fears bleeds through the rest of your psyche, and you will leave with more confidence to conquer the world than you imagined when you took those first steps through the door.

I had such an awesome time with Pure ex on there adventure guide program! the passion and knowledge of the instructors are second to none and the number of skills and abilities you learn over the 3 months in unreal whilst having fun at the same time! If

you like the outdoors and want to experience the best of what NZ has to offer I would highly recommend Pure Exploration and their adventure guide programs!

If you like the outdoors, being active, traveling and furthering yourself, then I reckon the Adventure Guide Program through Pure Exploration NZ is for you! I really enjoyed the experience of seeing New Zealand as a local and gingo off the beaten path,

unlike a tourist. The instructors where extremely knowledgable and legit! Looking back at where I started, what I accomplished, and where I am now after this 3 month program is crazy!

I went to pure exploration without any real experience in outdoor adventure but they provided a fully immersive 3 months training which provided me with a lot of new skills and knowledge, bringing me to a place where I now feel ready to be a leader. It

also brought me the opportunity to make such great new friends while living in Queenstown.

As I applied for this program I had no idea what I want to do in my life, but I wanted to get more into Rock Climbing and Outdoor Sports in general. Also, New Zealand was on my bucket list for years, so I couldn’t help myself and cancelled the job I

had lined up at a husky farm in Norway and booked my place at Pure Ex. And man, I can tell it was a good decision. I would recommend this program to anybody who is interested in rock climbing, hiking, or generally the outdoors. No matter if it is to enhance your personal skills or learn, how to deal with clients, groups and instruct other people. The two main aspects are Rock Climbing and Hiking/Tramping. My experience in Rock Climbing was basic before I came here. I had climbed top rope once outside, had a few lead climbs inside and went indoor bouldering every now and then. But I was just too afraid to go climb outside, because I had no Idea what to do. Now after this program I’m going out at least once a week and do intermediate (multi pitch) lead climbs and take my friends and can explain them how things should be done. Also I feel way more confident since we learned almost everything about sport climbing, if it is setting up an anchor at the top, where there are bolts or using a tree – I can do it. I can safely abseil a route to retrieve gear or set up top topes. And I can ensure my personal and the groups safety is guaranteed. In terms of hiking/tramping I had a bit more experience. I did a 5-day hike and multiple one or two day hikes before I came here. But once covering the topics in the program I realized that what I was doing before wasn’t wrong but I was missing so much knowledge. The two most important skills I took away from the tramping module was the navigation with map and compass, and making my own weather forecasts. Besides that, we covered plenty of other skills like good, cheap & light food on the trail, group management and leader ship, shelter building, fire lighting, emergency procedures, safe river crossing, how to pack a bag. Besides all the above we did a swift water rescue course and hand down the best pre-hospital emergency care course! For me the learning was the perfect mixture between hands on, practical learning, and a bit of theoretical information. And all that was mixed up or during nice trips around the South Island. With the 3 moth of work experience I would recommend this program to anyone who is thinking about getting a foot in the outdoor industry or is not sure if this is the right path for you. I’m quite sure that after this program you will know it! And even if you just want to spent a good time in New Zealand and learn a plenty of cool skills, you should join. If you think all this sounds good and you want to join don’t overthink it – chances of meeting a great group of awesome, likeminded people is super high, you might even end up as a climbing/outdoor nerd and invest in your own gear!

After studying Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism at uni and doing an internship learning about the business side of a guiding and tour operating company, I wanted to check out the other side of the industry to see if I could hack it as a guide.

The AGP provided the perfect opportunity for this, to start from the basics and train up to a leader position under the world-recognized NZOIA qualifications. I gained so many technical skills in rock climbing, abseiling, and trekking, as well as personal and group skills living, working, and training with the other interns over three full-on months. We got to experience some of the most amazing parts of New Zealand in ways many don’t get the chance to, namely by being fully in and amongst it in the outdoors. There’s nowhere quite like New Zealand, from its landscapes to its people to its never-ending possibilities for exploration. I am so happy with this program and everything it gave me, and am so looking forward to continuing in the outdoor industry thanks to the confidence and competence Pure Exploration’s AGP has provided me.

I got to spend 12 weeks traveling New Zealand and trying out new activities. while I have been here I have gone from a beginner to lead climbing on intermediate routes in stunning scenery, I have hiked several trails and seen glaciers, waterfalls, and

stunning views. I have traveled the length of the south island visiting Queenstown, Wanaka, Golden Bay, Dunedin and many other places. It has been an amazing experience, with great people and I recommend it to anyone who can find the time.

I chose this program as something to help me gain entry into the outdoor education and guiding industry, and I could not have been more thrilled about how things worked out here. I learned so many new skills that are going to help me secure jobs in an

industry that I never dreamed I would be able to get into, and now I'm prepared for anything the wilderness recreation jobs can throw at me. I worked directly with experts in the field that taught me how to keep myself and others safe, but also gave me incredibly useful advice through real work experience. I can honestly say I now feel super confident in my ability to apply all this new knowledge to navigate a tough job market and come out exactly where I want to be. Not to mention, New Zealand is beyond beautiful and every day spent working outside here has been so much fun. Through this program I got to see so much of the South Island, and really immerse myself in the natural beauty of the areas I visited.