After changing careers over 20 years ago, Gideon moved into outdoor education and guiding, starting in secondary school outdoor programmes before progressing into tertiary education, professional guiding, and technical instruction. Qualified through both the NZOIA and NZMGA, Gideon has worked throughout New Zealand as a guide and mountaineering instructor, while also contributing to international expeditions across Antarctica and other remote environments. Through his work, he has developed extensive experience in field operations, risk management, and decision-making in high consequence environments, as well as a passion for wilderness medicine.
Extensive expertise
In addition, Gideon combines his expedition experience with emergency response skills as a Senior Trainer for Land Search and Rescue New Zealand and a frontline ambulance officer. Together, these roles allow him to combine expedition experience, wilderness medicine, and emergency response in both operational and training environments.
For Gideon, equipment is not just about performance; it is about trust. Knowing that his gear will do its job allows him to focus on the actual hazards of his role and frees up mental bandwidth to engage with the environment. His long standing Grivel Jorasse 2.0 ice axe is a perfect example. It has proven itself over years of use on New Zealand's solid ice and snow while remaining light enough to never be left behind.
Built to last
When choosing gear, he values thoughtful design, durability, and reliability over constant reinvention. Equipment that continues to perform season after season is a sign of a well developed product and a brand that understands real-world use. Those are exactly the reasons he trusts brands like La Sportiva, Edelrid, Grivel, and Ortovox. From Antarctica's polar extremes to New Zealand's alpine environments, Gideon brings a wealth of practical knowledge and experience to every adventure, making him a trusted voice for the equipment he relies on.
