About • MB Guiding

Professional Certification

Mike Blake ACMG Hiking Guide — Mike guiding the team through temperate rainforest on the North Coast Trail in Cape Scott Provincial Park.

MB Guiding is an Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) certified guide service. Mike Blake, an ACMG Hiking Guide, is the lead guide and instructor on all trips, courses and workshops. Mike has been guiding and instructing adventure sports since 2004. Continuing professional development is an ongoing process. Every year he attends another professional level course or workshop. Mike achieved his Advanced Wilderness First Aid recertification for the fifth time in 2019.

Lara Campbell has a successful career as a professional pharmaceutical scientist. Lara spends a lot of time writing technical papers in her field of expertise. Looking to expand her portfolio, she trains to improve her outdoor skills. Lara will be attending her second Advanced Wilderness First Aid recertification in 2020. Lara holds the record for participating in the most MB Guiding trips, courses and workshops!

“The ACMG is a professional association of trained and certified Mountain Guides, Hiking Guides, and Climbing Instructors.

We are dedicated to protecting the public interest in mountain travel and climbing instruction.
We are the only internationally recognized professional association of trained and certified mountain guides and instructors in Canada.
We set and maintain standards for admission to, and the practice of, the professions of mountain guiding and climbing instruction.”

Reference: ACMG website

Dedicated Team

Tennent Lake Circuit Carwithen Lake Marine Fog — Lara appreciating alpine vistas across Carwithen Lake in the wild backcountry of Strathcona Provincial Park.

We are a team of two that found love in exploring and discovering the wilderness together. Inspired by each other’s devotion to growth, we created MB Guiding in 2014. We’ve pushed each other’s comfort zones and improved our lives more than we could have hoped.

Mike lives and breathes every day with a high-spirited love of the outdoors. He’s always eager to share his passion and enthusiasm with everyone around him. Mike has a particular interest in our diverse wildlife, geography, and history. He combines his technical expertise with wilderness education and natural interpretation. Mike delivers his outdoor knowledge in fun and entertaining ways. Since 1995, he’s called Vancouver Island home.

Lara was born and raised on Vancouver Island. She has a life-long appreciation for wild places and new adventures. Curious about the natural world, she loves the physical challenges of backpacking. Lara draws from her science background to learn outdoor knowledge and build self-confidence. Her newest hobby is studying evolutionary biology. Lara blogs about our adventures and inspires appreciation for the wilderness.

Repeat Alumni

Augerpoint Traverse Mount Albert Edward Summit Ridge Sunrise Hiking — Our enthusiastic alumni enjoy hiking to new destinations year after year. In 2019, we have fourth year alumni joining the team!

One of our greatest pleasures is helping repeat guests experience a new adventure. Sometimes past workshop participants book a guided trip to practice their new skills. Other times, guests desire new terrain challenges in different locations. Several of our guests are quite skilled in the outdoors, but enjoy the safety, camaraderie, and logistics advantages of joining our guided trips.

Our relationships with these folks span many years, evolving into friendships near and far. We help fulfill personal hiking dream lists. Our alumni always book well in advance for their next trip, often up to a year. We are a small company and they know that space is limited. We are always delighted when a past guest contacts us to see what we have planned for the next hiking season.

2nd trip alumni save 20% – Code ALUMNI20
3rd trip alumni save 30% – Code ALUMNI30
4th trip alumni save 40% – Code ALUMNI40

Vegan Lifestyle

Wolf tracks are a common sight on the North Coast Trail. On most mornings, we woke to a fresh set stamped along the beach. Laura Creek Camp had some large samples, preserved in the sand until the next tide. — One of the joys of a wilderness experience is seeing wild animals alive and happy in their natural homes.

Science has demonstrated that animal products are not necessary for optimal health. The Dieticians of Canada write that “a healthy vegan diet has many benefits including lower rates of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. It may take planning to get enough protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamins D and B12 and omega-3 fats from foods or supplements. A healthy vegan diet can meet all your nutrient needs at any stage of life including when you are pregnant, breastfeeding or for older adults.”

A plant-based or vegan diet includes grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), nuts, and seeds. It excludes meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, and products containing these foods. A vegan eats a plant-based diet, but also doesn’t use any products or gear that come from animals (e.g. leather, beeswax, down).

Lara has been vegan for 16 years and Mike for 5 years. When Lara went vegan in 2002, her family thought she was nuts! Living in Vancouver, she would return to Victoria for holiday dinners, only to be teased with curiosity. Her granddad would ask if she brought home her “wooden (tofu) turkey.” Today, Lara and Mike cook delicious vegan feasts for family members and share tasty baked goods with co-workers. Mike’s dad sends us articles about the rising demand for vegetables.

The vegan lifestyle is delicious and easier than ever! When Lara first went vegan, there was only one mainstream cookbook available. Today, there are hundreds of vegan cookbooks, how-to pamphlets, businesses, grocery stores, books, restaurants, documentaries, websites, blogs, and online videos to provide goods, services, instructions, evidence, and inspiration. Data from Google Trends shows that searches for the term “vegan” have exponentially increased over the last few years. Many professional athletes (including ultra-runners, body builders, and NHL hockey players) choose to eat healthy plant-based diets to fuel optimal performance.

We serve yummy plant-based food on our guided trips. But you don’t have to be a plant-based eater to join the adventure! In fact, most of our guests have been omnivores. Everyone brings their own personal snacks. You can refuel with our food at breakfast and dinner without missing your own favourites during the day. Our satisfying dehydrated vegan meals have impressed our most skeptical guests. The menus contain balanced nutrition to support intense hiking and recovery. Guests who are already vegan or vegetarian welcome an experience where their dietary preferences are taken care of.

We are often asked why we are vegan. The health and environmental reasons are important to us, but our primary reason is love of animals. One of the joys of a wilderness experience is seeing wild animals alive and happy in their natural homes. We love to answer questions and share what we have learned. We invite you to be curious and try something new during your adventure with us.

Family Of Partners

Nootka Trail Starfish Lagoon Air Nootka De Havilland Beaver — World-class adventures require world-class support. We appreciate our extended family of partners!

114 Shares

Professional Certification

Dedicated Team

Repeat Alumni

Vegan Lifestyle

Family Of Partners

Footer