Guide Profile: Mark Sedon of Adventure Consultants
Age? 39.
Where did you grow up? Christchurch, Auckland, Ohakune, Wanaka, still in the process…
Where do you live now? Wanaka.
What is your rock climbing experience? From new routes in New Zealand to the big walls of Yosemite, never that technically difficult, but I don't mind a bit of loose rock, or run outs, and I love exposure.
What is your training background? Ski Patrol for many years, avalanche instruction, Search and Rescue, which all led to my IFMGA Mountain and Ski Guide qualification.
Where do you guide? New Zealand, 7 summits, 8k Peaks in Nepal/Tibet.
What is your favorite part about this job? Getting the opportunity to guide in places I have never been. Exploring and going on life adventures with enthusiastic people.
Most gripping or scary time on a climb? Watching a Sherpa from another expedition with an oversized pack flip upside-down on the vertical Yellow Tower of Ama Dablam. He was screaming for help while his pack was choking him and his harness was coming off. I rapped down and got to him as his harness was down to his knees with about 30 seconds to spare before a 1000m fall…
What success are you most proud of? Sailing to Antarctica and guiding some first ascents without maps or any knowledge of the area. Just climbing what you can see, following your nose.
What makes you a good guide? Having my own summit ambitions subdued below the two most important things on an expedition/climb. Safety first, followed by the client's enjoyment, the summit comes third.
What is the most important part about being a guide? Being completely comfortable on the terrain and working well within your own personal ability. Never extending yourself too far and always having a big reserve to help your clients if things happen to go wrong. You see and end up helping a lot of unqualified guides working on the 7 summits trail who are at their limits and then something goes wrong and they either are out of juice, or just don't know what to do because something un-expected happens.
What type of climbing is your favorite? Why? I love exposure so enjoy climbing and guiding technical ridges with rock and ice steps in them where you can move fast over small difficulties.
Where is your favorite climbing destination? Why? Antarctica, because I can gaze and dream about so many unclimbed lines. It is clean and pristine, 24hr sunlight and just SO spectacular. Picture this, skiing down perfect corn, sun sitting low in the sky with hours of alpenglow, icebergs floating in the bay with whales swimming by and an 80ft yacht waiting for us with a bottle of Malbec and an Argentinean roast beef…..
Why should a climber hire a guide? Some of my clients' wives insists on them hiring a guide. It increases the safety margins. Our classic line on summit day on Mt Everest is that “we are working for your families, not you”. Also, many of our clients are busy with their careers so have limited time to organize an expedition.
What advice do you have for climbers who hire guides? Try to always go with an IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guide. If not, then be very careful. You get what you pay for. Go for a respected company and ask around.
How can customers prepare for a guided expedition? It can be tough and depends on the spare time they have. Personally, I find long hill walks the best, or mountain bike riding. But it depends where you live. Exercising an hour or two a day, then going for something long on the weekends, like an overnight hike, or a 6 hour walk. Get used to living in a tent. Then resting the week before and ensuring a good diet.
Where do you recommend that rock climbers travel with guides? Remote alpine rock routes where you might have to travel over a glacier to get to the route. Long, committing climbs high in the mountains where only a small part of the climb is technical rock. There is still the access and the descent issues that need to be dealt with.
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