Testimonials
“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after”
– Ann Morrow Lindbergh -
Paramount Guides in the Media
What people are saying…
Great Day
“Thanks for organizing and thanks to Pancho for a fun and very challenging day! I think the kids will definitely be sleeping in tomorrow.”
Rita A (Calgary, Canada)
Completed the 1day navigation course with Francisco last weekend and am quite pleased with all the information and experience. I learned so much and am much more confident with my combining of information from my maps, apps, and compass!
R V Newby (Written September 22, 2021)
My family of 4 had such a great time doing a full day hike with Francisco. He was so nice and interesting. He made the day very special and educational. All of us highly recommend.
Dan S (Written June 4, 2022)
Great training for backcountry beginners
My wife and I were happy with the course. We came away feeling we had a decent understanding of how the expert’s assessed things and how to use our new Avi gear with some confidence. It was nice to see an instructor so clearly above the content they were teaching. This isn't a formula, this is a guy who clearly knows this stuff as a pro, with stories to back it. If you’re on the fence, then I would take it. I feel better about venturing further and the instructor was great.
A Myles (Written January 21, 2023)
Pancho (Francisco) taught my AST 1 and I can't imagine doing it with anyone else. His in-class content was very engaging, and he used lots of videos to demonstrate the topics covered. Our field day was a great adventure with a really nice tour up to some moderate terrain where we were able to practice snow science on different slopes and to really learn about the factors influencing the snowpack. Pancho was extremely patient with our group and gave us many bits of information throughout the day.
Jenya S (Written January 16, 2023)
Best vacation
Best vacation in the mountains I’ve ever had. The highlight was rock-climbing. Francisco made me feel like a rockstar - and I managed to do more than I had imagined but still felt secure.”
Jody N (Edmonton, Canada)
Storytelling
“Pancho always knows where he is. He’s great at giving little tid-bits and interesting facts. He’s a great storyteller, but knows when to be quiet.”
— Griffin P. (Age 9)
Went for a sunrise hike in Kananaskis Country with Pancho and had an incredible time. We started in the dark, hiking with headlamps, and made the summit of Smutwood peak shortly before sunrise. Had plenty of time to enjoy our prize and take pictures before the return hike. Pancho was an excellent guide, keeping us safe and on track, as well as making sure we made the summit in time. On the way he was great to chat with, sharing lots of personal anecdotes of his many mountaineering adventures. Would highly recommend Paramount Guides for any sort of hiking or climbing adventures in the Rockies, so you can focus on enjoying the experience.
Andrew L (Written August 2, 2022)
We took our AST1 Course with Pancho in November 2022, and he was absolutely fantastic! He was so knowledgeable, and it was great to learn about avalanche training with real examples from his vast experience in guiding, touring & mountaineering. He never got sick of answering our questions both in the online classroom courses and in the field day, and he was really great at helping us understand how to apply 'textbook knowledge' to real life scenarios. Even though it was still early in the season, we were able to get a great understanding of the snowpack and different avalanche terrain. An extra plus was having the field day at Nakiska Ski Resort as it was a short drive from Calgary, and we were able to have a warm lunch inside. I would highly recommend Pancho & Kathryn from Paramount Guides if you are looking to do any courses or guiding that they offer. Kathryn was very responsive with booking and answering any questions we had, and as I've said Pancho was just great during the course - patient, knowledgeable and so pleasant to be around. Hoping to be able to use Paramount again for guiding or additional courses in the future!
Kara D (Written November 30, 2022)
Fantastic
“I spent a couple of days climbing with Pancho. He was fantastic - he reviewed all the safety procedures and provided some excellent technique tips as I jumped back on the rock after a few years away. I felt very safe and well-cared for during our days out - lots of laughs, stories and photos. “
Lara S (Canmore, Canada)
Did an AST 1 course with Paramount last weekend. Kathryn did an excellent job helping us organize a large group of people.
For the classroom day, Pancho did an amazing job of condensing a lot of information in a very interesting manner. He managed to keep us all engaged for the full classroom day.
For the field day, Pancho was not only insightful, but also very patient with the group. Could not ask for a better instructor.
Tyler (Written January 16, 2023)
Great guide to go into the back country with.
We ski toured with Francisco for a day in Kananaskis Country. He came to our pre-tour meeting fully prepared and is an excellent communicator. His consensus approach to pre-trip planning and to decision-making in the mountains was much appreciated. Pancho is a real pleasure to be with in the mountains and I would not hesitate to hire him again.
Thomas N (Written February 11, 2022)
Best place to learn about outdoor safety
I took an AST 1 (Avalanche training) last week and it was better than I expected. Francisco is doing an amazing job in training and sharing his experience in the subject. The zoom classes are quite efficient, interactive, and engaging while covering a lot of important topics. The field day was full of opportunities to practise real-life situations.
I felt like Francisco personally cared about our safety, so he made sure to cover every detail and answer all our questions. I learned a lot and I believe that everyone going out there should take this course with Paramount Guides.
Lastly great communication! Kathryn was very fast, responsive, and helpful over emails.
Thank you!
Iryna (Written January 30, 2022)
Highly professional guides at very very affordable rates.
3 friends of mine and myself flew over from Toronto in search of some adventurous stuff to do at Canmore/Banff. After navigating a few groups on Facebook, I was intrigued by the beauty of the view from Ha Ling Peak but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to summit it due to harsh winter conditions.
I looked up for guides to help my team and I to achieve our goals to summit Ha Ling and was referred to Paramount Guides by Laura from Canadian Rockies Experience.
Kathryn and Francisco from Paramount Guides were an absolute joy to talk to and they were also so willing to give us suggestions on what we could and should do in Banff and Canmore. Eg. sharing with us which ski resorts might be better for beginners like ourselves and what we should do when we get there, all of these information was shared to them willingly.
For our summit to Ha Ling, they initially advised against it due to weather conditions that even to me were really bad.
We were ready to call the hike off when we received news from Kathryn that Francisco, who does Avalanche Controls in the area, mentioned that there is a window where we could do an ascend safely. He took care of our rentals and made sure we were fully equipped for the hike and we managed to ascend to the top of Ha Ling Peak! I am eternally grateful for the professionalism of Paramount Guides and their patience to provide us with more than was asked of them.
Trust me, Francisco is one of the best guides I've ever worked with, and it definitely gives you huge confidence when you do mountaineering/hiking with him. Thank you, Paramount Guides, for making our trip to Banff/Canmore so much better than it would have been!!!
C Koh (Written December 25, 2021)
