You knew this blog entry was coming since we are a guide service after all. You have probably heard all the reasons before and read articles about the reasons why a guide is a good thing  and I do agree with the points they make. A guide does add value to a hike by shedding light on the history, geology, flora and fauna of an area. Smarter Travel had an informative blog post by Molly Feltner about the subject that gives her first hand accounts of reasons to hire a guide. A good guide knows all of the highlights of a trail or places of interest that are just off trail; the kind of things that you may miss if you were hiking a trail on your own.

In this article, my approach to the question of why hire a guide comes from a practical point of view. I’m going to list the questions that you need to answer for yourself before you go for a day hike. These are all questions that a guide service has already answered for you.

• What trail should we hike?
• How do we get to the trail head?
• How long will it take to get there?
• What is the best time of day to go?
• How long will this hike take?
• Is the trail well marked and is my map or guide book reliable?
• What snacks will we take?
• How much food should we bring?
• What should we bring for lunch?
• How much water should we bring?
• Is there water along the trail?
• What shoes do we need? Do I need hiking boots or will just running shoes do?
• What clothing should we bring? How heavy a jacket do we need?
• What are the weather conditions and do they change quickly?
• What is there to see on the trail?
• How do I get ready for the hike?  Should I train for this?
• What happens if someone gets injured?
• How far is the nearest help?
• Do we have a ‘Plan B’ in case of an emergency and are we prepared to stay on the trail overnight?

Guests Enjoying a Guided Grand Canyon Day Hike

You may not have realized all of the questions you actually ask yourself when you go out for a hike, even a day hike. If you are an experienced hiker on a familiar trail,  then you should have the answers to all of these questions. If you are hiking a trail that is new to you, it takes some time, research and planning to come up with the answers and create a back up plan in case your research sources were off. A professional hiking guide will have all of the questions answered and make the day flow smoothly. The guide will make it look easy since that is his or her job and you may even question why are we paying for this service?  Just remember the effort it took for the guide service to make your day enjoyable without hassle. That is the true value of a guide and why we are worth it.