Guide Profile: Guy Cotter of Adventure Consultants
Age? 46 years young.
Where did you grow up?
My formulative years were in Christchurch in the south island of New Zealand. It is only an hours drive from the mountains of Arthurs Pass, which was an ideal mountain range in which to develop my skills. The crags around Christchurch provided some great opportunities to gain technical skills that could be applied to the mountains. In those days, cragging was all about preparing oneself for the mountains and it was really only after the arrival of British rock climbing legend John Allen who made us aware of the joys of pushing our own standards on rock that we began to raise our grades.
Where do you live now?
I live in Wanaka, New Zealand. It is close to the Mt Aspiring and set on the shores of the beautiful Lake Wanaka. We have several ski resorts, lots of crags, rivers, paragliding, mountain biking galore and everything you could ask for in providing an adventurer’s daily fix. Oh yeah, we have great coffee here too!
What is your rock climbing experience?
I really only started rock climbing seriously when I traveled to Australia in the early ‘80’s. I spent several months at Mt. Arapilies over a couple of years, which was an exquisite place for a young climber to hang out. Living in a tent and living the ‘feral’ life of a crag rat was very cool. I then moved to the states for a couple of years living around Lake Tahoe where I worked on a ski resort in winter and as a raft guide in summer. I went to Yosemite and did the Nose on El Cap as my first wall which we climbed in two days. We did it quickly because we didn’t have any gear, seriously, we only had two sets of wires and two cams and 25 ‘biners so we didn’t have to stop to put gear in very often. I think my mountaineering background helped me with my commitment and I fell in love with wall climbing. It’s just so user- friendly compared to alpine climbing, so I went on to do a few more walls and cragging around the Lake Tahoe region. I enjoyed taking the wall skills into the mountains and in ’89 made the third ascent of Uli Biaho in Pakistan’s Trango group. Probably like all climbers who get caught up by life, I’ve always felt like it’d be good to do more alpine walls but I’ve been committed to another direction for quite some time but I do always dream about getting back. These days I climb rock recreationally and find it a very good way to enjoy the outdoors and maintain skills.
What is your training background?
I don’t train for the sake of it, I just get out and do things.
Where do you guide?
I became a guide in New Zealand starting off as a heli-ski guide for a major NZ operator, a path I was to follow for 12 years. I was initially reluctant to get into mountain guiding as I saw a lot of guides lose their interest in their own climbing once they became guides but I kept doing my own personal climbing trips. When I became a guide there really was not too much of a future in it but the entire industry has changed and guides can now work in a whole myriad of genres. There are so many opportunities open to guides and my own path moved away from strictly guiding in New Zealand to working as a high altitude guide and now I guide all over the globe. I’ve been lucky enough to guide the Seven Summits and make seven successful ascents of 8000m peaks. A few years ago I chartered a yacht to transport a group to the Antarctic Peninsula where we made a whole bunch of first ascents and skied off peaks whilst whales frolicked in the waters below us. So I consider myself extremely lucky to have become absorbed into a career that keeps me stimulated and motivated.
What is your favorite part about this job?
The people; the locals I encounter in far away lands, the guides I share the challenge with, and the clients. I’ve made great friends of many of my past clients who are people I may not have otherwise met had I not been guiding them.
Most gripping or scary time on a climb?
There’s probably been a few but I have a special mechanism that wipes them from my memory.
What success are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of building up my company Adventure Consultants that I took the reigns of after my predecessors, Rob Hall and Gary Ball, died. Those guys inducted me into high altitude guiding and after they passed on I built the company up from the four expeditions a year that they were running to around 25 expeditions per year now. I think the reason this gives me satisfaction is that I share a passion with my staff to be the best that we can be at what we do and we all get a lot out of seeing our clients have the best experience of their lives.
On a more climbing related perspective I’d have to say my ascent of Makalu stands high in my mind of wonderful successes. It didn’t come easy but to put the route through to the summit with no certainty that we would reach the top made arriving there that much sweeter.
What makes you a good guide?
Having a passion to be in the mountains, being cautious but motivated to succeed, enjoying the company of people and being physically and emotionally strong.
What is the most important part about being a guide?
Being focused on the clients needs and their strengths and weaknesses. You really do have to be a psychologist because we are taking people into an environment that will push them further than they’ve ever been pushed before and this can raise some issues for them. Keeping your sanity and turning every situation into a positive is your best attribute. Being able to handle long periods away from home, tough assignments, dangerous situations, big loads, rough living conditions and low pay can be of benefit too!
What type of climbing is your favorite? Why?
I love expedition climbing because there are so many components involved that require your full focus and commitment, that when done correctly, can lead to successful outcomes. I relish the challenges that get thrown at you all the time and the need to be able to think on your feet yet still focus on the goal in order to succeed. Being a ‘big picture’ person with the ability to focus on the necessary detail suits my personality.
Where is your favorite climbing destination? Why?
My favorite climbing destination is one I haven’t been to yet because I love the mystery of a new climbing area and the intrigue of finding out the true ‘essence’ of a region.
Why should a climber hire a guide?
Hey, I accept that being guided may not suit all people and that’s fine. But I’ve frequently seen experienced people come along and complete a climb with a guide that is at a higher standard than what they can achieve with their own peers. This often elicits a response in them they did not expect. Probably a bit like me recently when I reluctantly tried eating olives and realized that I actually really liked them and that I’d missed out on years of gastronomical pleasure!
There’s also the safety and efficiency factor. Good guides are able to achieve an objective with the minimum of resources and fuss and help people achieve their goals but also steer people into what goal is appropriate for them.
What advice do you have for climbers who hire guides?
Only get good ones! There are a lot of people out there who call themselves guides yet are really just people wanting you to pay for their holiday. Choose a guide who is appropriately qualified and see if someone you know can recommend a guide they have knowledge of or experience with. The type of objective has a lot to do with the type of guide you need; a quick ascent of the Matterhorn is not going to have the same demands as a 3 month expedition to Mt Everest. There is a reason that established guides or guiding companies have the reputation that they have, it’s because there is sufficient information out there about their previous track records and modus operandus. Be very aware to not base your decision about a guide or guiding company on price alone, cheap means cheap, and nowhere more than with a guiding service. After all, would you shop around for the cheapest dentist or doctor before having surgery done?
How can customers prepare for a guided expedition?
You need to be ‘pack fit’ for an expedition, which means putting a swag on your back and carrying it for long durations whenever you can. If you turn up unfit and overweight you’ll have a bad time of it and it is unfair to the other team members (let alone the poor guide). You don’t have to be a superhuman to climb mountains, you’ve just got to have stamina. Stay active, do as much exercise that is similar to climbing and uses the same muscle groups as often as you can.
Where do you recommend that rock climbers travel with guides?
Anywhere you can. Just being out there is what it’s all about. Travel different places and see different things along the way. Climbing allows us to connect with the environment wherever we go and the people who live there. Don’t hold back, time is running out.
Visit: adventureconsultants.com for more info
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