Emma is a qualified IML (International Mountain Leader) and has been leading expeditions for the last 17 years. She’s led the Tour du Mont Blanc over 40 times, the Everest Base Camp trek 27 times, Kilimanjaro 10 times, and has also led trips in Nepal, Peru, Cuba, India, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, the Alps, the Pyrenees, Russia, Uzbekistan and Madagascar, amongst others.

A passionate skier, in 2009 she made the first ski descent of Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world (8156m).Fluent in French, Russian and Spanish, she also works as an interpreter and loves to chat.

Peter is a qualified International Mountain Leader, a rock climbing instructor and an open canoe guide. His dual passions are nature and adventure. Having been drawn into adventure travel by seeking out wildlife in Africa in the 90s, Peter was inspired to make traveling through the natural environment a way of life, be it on foot, on 2 wheels or on the water. He has trekked and climbed to high altitude in North and Central Africa, cycled across of North America, canoed in Scandinavia and established new rock climbs in the Middle East. Besides introducing countless young people to the challenges and delights of the outdoor life, he has led expeditions to Africa and Asia as well as guiding hikers and trekkers in the Alps, the Highlands of Scotland and the Dolomites to name but a few. After years of living on the road wherever it may of taken him, Peter finally settled in the French Pyrenees and uses this as his springboard into the mountains of Europe where most of his guiding work takes place these days.

Simon is a qualified International mountain Leader. He joined Her Majesty’s Royal Marines  in 1985 where he specialised as a Physical Training Instructor. After 22 years of service Simon retired from the Royal Marines and became an International Mountain leader and Ski Instructor working and living in the Bavarian Alps, where he met and married his wife Jen, who is also an International Mountain Leader and Ski Instructor. After working out in Bavaria they moved to the Swiss Alps where Simon worked as a freelance instructor for International Schools and various trekking companies based out of the Chamonix valley. After a few seasons he started specialising in Guiding Ultra distance trail running trips and this is where he found his passion for life, running trails all around the world including back in his now home country of Scotland where both Simon and Jen reside in the small village of Dalwhinnie, famous for its Whiskey distillery which is yet another added passion of his.

 

 

 grown

Sam is a fully qualified International Mountain leader, and having grown up in the Lake District, in the North West of England, the “Fells” are in Sam’s blood. From a young age Sam has been wandering around in the mountains having adventures, and this seems to have grown into a career! 

Based in the Swiss and French Alps and the Lake District of the UK, Sam also travels for work across the globe. Not only is Sam an incredible trail runner he also competes in a lot of big races around Europe and in 2019 Sam entered and completed the PTL (Petite Trotte à Léon) the 300 km and 25,000 mtrs ascent race of the UTMB. Sam is a great running coach and his talents do not end there. Sam is an exceptional film maker and photographer and was actually the force behind making the Big Smile Adventures introduction video. We feel very lucky to be able to have Sam as one of our Big Smile Adventures guides.