Categories: Travel

How Zuc’min Guiding is advancing Indigenous knowledge through hiking and education

Photo via Zuc'min Guiding

If you’re taking to the mountains this summer, consider taking an opportunity to experience the great outdoors through an Indigenous perspective.

Zuc’min Guiding is an independent professional Indigenous adventure tourism company that specializes in guiding hikes throughout British Columbia and Alberta. The name comes from the Nle’kepmxcin word for “red ochre,” which the people would paint on their faces as a form of protection before heading to the mountains.

Meet the experts

Owner and guide Tim Patterson has been an outdoor professional for over 15 years, but has more than 30 years of Indigenous Knowledge on the land.

In fact, all guides are professionally certified and operate within the certification and terrain guidelines of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and Interpretive Guides Association. Simply put, you’re in good hands when you’re with a Zuc’min guide.

Guests can book a half-day, full-day, or even multi-day backpacking trip. All journeys are customized based on your group’s skills and availability, and can take place in Kananaskis, Revelstoke, or Fraser Canyon. Having a guide takes the stress and guesswork out of planning your hike, and as a bonus, you’ll get to experience Indigenous knowledge systems for a unique perspective of the mountains.

Plus, this summer, Zuc’min Guiding is partnering with Athabasca Glacier IceWalks to conduct Big Ice Tours. On these three-hour tours, guests will learn about the critical role the Athabasca Glacier plays in supporting ecosystems and communities across North America, and how the mountain passes were used by Nations pre- and post-European contact.

You can also book educational courses on topics like land-based learning, mountain weather, Indigenous relations, and more.

Visit Zuc’min Guiding online to book your tour or course. Happy exploring!