We’re all experienced mountain bikers, aren’t we? So do we really need mountain bike guides? We can all follow a map or a GPS trail, surely? There seems to be a reasonable reluctance in the UK to hire a guide, whereas in the US and Europe, there are hundreds – maybe thousands-of qualified guides making a living from riding their bikes.
In the UK, guiding qualifications seem to be sought after by outdoor instructor types and those who have ambitions of spending itinerant years guiding clients in the Alps, or the mountains of Greece. However, this has been changing over recent years – especially after British Cycling’s adoption and envelopment of Scottish Cycling’s MBLA programme. Now there are guides aiming to get their ‘ticket’ for the purposes of showing small groups of riders the best of British riding, with riders lining up to be shown around. And others, like myself, who want to get the experience, with the qualification coming as a bonus.