Summer Guiding Life
“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life”.
I’m not sure where this quote came from, who said it, or what their job was, but I’ve come to the conclusion that they were definitely lying!
As a mountain bike guide who gets to spend months at a time out in the Alps each Summer, it probably looks to most people like I’m on a permanent holiday, and yes it’s true I do have a job I absolutely love, but I’d be lying if I told you it felt like none of it was work! At the end of the day, work is work, and it is still challenging at times, even when you love it.
However, I’m not really complaining, I appreciate there are far worse jobs to have, and the office views are rarely better, plus the fun bits of “work” include riding my bike in beautiful places, sharing amazing trails and meeting people from all over the World every week. Things that many people would feel highly envious of.
Let me shatter the idyllic illusion that my instagram feed may have created for you this summer, and remind you that unfortunately, I’m no longer just a freelance bike guide (it’s not that easy to make a full-time living out of this!), so “work” also means running a tour operating business and all the many hours, days, weeks and months of behind the scenes admin, paperwork, emails, and logistics organisation that entails, as well as the constant anxiety during the season that everything will go to plan and people will have a good time, and the stress when it doesn’t!
Funnily enough, none of these things are particularly photogenic, exciting or interesting, and the algorithms don’t seem to like photos of damaged vehicles, broken clients, emails, paperwork, or me screaming with frustration behind a computer! So mountains, glaciers, singletrack, smiles, and the fun bits of the job are what you’ll see!
Having said all this, and now I’m sitting behind a computer again each day (where I’ll pretty much be until next spring), with the physical and mental fatigue from the busy season receding, I find myself looking back and thinking overall it was a pretty great summer. Despite the tough bits (and I know all jobs come with these), I’d swap sitting here now to be back there in the mountains in an instant!
Those four months went by in a flash. And the good bits were really good….
Waking up each day to views of towering mountains and glaciers. Long (very) hot days of dusty trails and endless singletrack descents. Impromptu lake swims. Lunch stops sat on high passes, taking in 360 degree views and feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin. The shared elation and high fives after whooping down a fast ribbon of singletrack in a group. Seeing the amazement on people’s faces at the incredible beauty of the places we take them. Watching Golden Eagles soaring high above cliffs and Chamois sprinting across rocky mountain slopes.The excited chatter in the bar at the end of the day as everyone re-lives their favourite moments of the day. Hearing guests tell you they’ve had the best week of riding in their lives. The special connections made with people through a week spent riding trails and sharing an adventure together. And of course the delicious french food, Italian coffees and gelato, and cold drinks enjoyed on sunny terraces!
These are the things I’m storing in the memory bank to keep me going this winter as the ratio of riding time to admin time tips firmly in a direction I enjoy a lot less! Unfortunately though, those Summer trips don’t organise themselves…
Running a guiding business isn’t easy, but when it all goes to plan and people have an adventure they’ll remember for a lifetime, I get to feel immensely proud that all the work and time in creating those experiences was worthwhile. And even better, I get to share those special moments with them.
After two very difficult Covid years spent fearing for the future and feeling disillusioned about the business and whether it was worth the effort to run it, I’ve been reminded this summer that it is, and things are finally getting back on track. I’m excited for the future and continuing to be able to do a job I really do love.
For now though I’m enjoying sleeping in my own bed and not living out of a bag, and catching up with the friends and family I haven’t had time to see all summer. I’m missing the mountains and awesome long trails of the Alps, but I’m not missing riding with a heavy guiding pack, or the stress of being responsible for anyone other than myself! And my bike is finally getting some of the overdue servicing and attention it needs after being my faithful and reliable companion all summer long!
Thanks to Hope for making trusty, durable (and beautifully shiny) components that can stand up to the abuse of a long alpine guiding season …one less thing for me to stress about!
Words and pictures: Julia Hobson
