Australia & New Zealand Outdoor Adventure Forum

In one tv documentary on Tasmania, the foreigner took a hike with a guide. I was wondering because the foreigner was presumably alone although we know that there were his cameramen. He said that he needed a guide because he might lose his way. Besides, the guide can tell him the dos and donts in the forest. That got me thinking because when we were going on a hike during my boy scout days, all we needed was the sketch of the destination. But I guess a guide is necessary to avoid accidents and mishaps particularly with the insects and animals that can harm us.

Certainly. A guide is a great help. I have hiked with and without guides but I found the terrain very difficult to hike without the guide you could loose the way and end up exhsusting yourself.

A guide is definitely a good idea in newer areas.

Having a guide is always a guarantee of having a bit more security, but I particularly don't like it. I think my main reason is that often when you are with a guide, you have to follow all the rules imposed and I always like to go the unusual ways (knowing the limitations, obviously)... So it doesn't end up being - most of the times - annoying to me.

However, I've done some hiking trails accompanied by a guide and it was a cool experience.

Alexandoy wrote:In one tv documentary on Tasmania, the foreigner took a hike with a guide. I was wondering because the foreigner was presumably alone although we know that there were his cameramen. He said that he needed a guide because he might lose his way. Besides, the guide can tell him the dos and donts in the forest. That got me thinking because when we were going on a hike during my boy scout days, all we needed was the sketch of the destination. But I guess a guide is necessary to avoid accidents and mishaps particularly with the insects and animals that can harm us.

Yes local guide is important. I remember one of my experience when we were total 15 people in the group during hiking. It was totally new way for us. There was guide with us but he wasn't that good and we lost in the jungle area. Unfortunately we couldn't able to find the way at that day and we had to spend whole night in the jungle by doing campfire. It was though good experience but sometimes it may create problem. So better to have proper guide on unknown route.

naruto100 wrote:
Yes local guide is important. I remember one of my experience when we were total 15 people in the group during hiking. It was totally new way for us. There was guide with us but he wasn't that good and we lost in the jungle area. Unfortunately we couldn't able to find the way at that day and we had to spend whole night in the jungle by doing campfire. It was though good experience but sometimes it may create problem. So better to have proper guide on unknown route.

I'm sure that was one experience you wouldn't forget. Getting lost in a hike is just fine when the environment is friendly. But considering that you are in the woods and that anything can happen then that is scary. Even if there are many of you in that hike, I cannot imagine spendin the night in the jungle simply because you had lost your way. In my hiking days, we only hike without a guide when the area has clear pathways that would be our landmark so we wouldn't get lost otherwise a guide is imperative.