Jeffry Oonk - International Mountain Leader & Wilderness Guide

28/10/2024

Before the turn of the century I cycled a lot, mostly on the road, training for Ironmans. I rode an old steel bike, worth less than €100, upgraded with a triathlon handlebar. In winter time I normally changed to and old steel frame MTB which gave me lots of fun cycling gravel and forest trails. At the time, there were no designated MTB trails in the Netherlands.

For twenty years I did not touch a bike. Okay, I sometimes jumped on an old 3-speed bike to do shoppings, but apart from that no cycling for me in those years. But an extensive MTB trail system has been developed in the Netherlands over the last two decades, and one starts just a couple of hundred meters from our house. So the itching started and I bought myself a mountain bike and within weeks I was hooked again.

Four years down the road, I spend a lot of time on two wheels, both on a mountain bike and a gravel bike and I love it. The MTB trails in the Netherlands are super fast winding trails and the trees are never far away. This means that full concentration is needed while basting through the woods. There are also tons of dirt and gravel roads around here, winding through the woods and fields, and these are perfect for a long ride. As an avid trail runner, cycling is a perfect addition to my trainings.

10/10/2024

Nurture your body, feed your soul. Nature provides the best ingredients for a healthy life.

Finding solitude in the woods and fjells of Scandinavia.

08/10/2024

17/08/2024

It’s mid August and half of my summer season is done. I am on my way home for a one week break.

The Mont Blanc guiding season started with lots of rain and still many snowfields on the trails. This added an extra dimension to the walks for both my guests and me.

The flowers were abundant and vibrant when most of the snow had melted and this is the season that I like the most I guess.

The days are already getting shorter and looking forwards to the autumn part of my season!

07/08/2024

Time flies, that’s what they say. And it seems so true, because I never took the time to write some final words about our bike packing trip through Europe earlier this year.

While in northern Italy we enjoyed cycling the rolling hills of Tuscany, fresh seafood along the touristic coast, flat roads of the Po-planes and the renowned wines of Piedmont. Days just seemed to pass by without ever thinking of having to go back to work. If this bike trip could go on forever.

As a teenager I thought to spend my life as a nomad, just travelling forever, never having to earn any money, just do what I like. How ignorant I was. Here I am, 50+, paying my mortgage, insurance bills and tax every month. Earning my money by being away from the one I love most several months a year. It’s a big sacrifice, even though I love my work as an outdoor guide.

We continue cycling north entering the groomed and organised country Switzerland with smooth cycling paths. Ahead of us was the 2000 meter high snow bound San Bernardino pass. In between some rainy days we found a short window to climb up the steep roads leading to the north side of the Alps to the source of the River Rhine. It felt great cycling through snow fields after six hours of continuous climbing (and a handful of Mars bars). What followed was a 150 kilometre descent to the Bodensee.

From here it was a final 800 kilometre push home, which we thought we could easily cover in a week. But the weather gods had different plans, sending a massive depression over the region. We cycled a couple of days in continues downpour, still smiling of course. Wild camping was not really an option anymore since all field were flooded (have you ever seen ducks swimming in corn fields..?). So we ended up staying more nights in B&B’s than we wanted, and one morning, after cycling in pouring rain for a couple of hours we had enough of it. The weather did not seemed to improve over the next fours days, and we lost the desire to ride in the rain.

Two days later we arrived home after a long train journey. Our heads not only full with memories and emotions, but also with more ideas for next adventures.

28/04/2024

I am not even sure when one of us launched the idea; having a long holiday and embarking on an adventure.

Many people think that working as a guide like I do, means I am always having holidays. Sure, I work in some of the world’s most beautiful places and yes, I spend my days out in nature in an active way. And even though I love my work I definitely do not consider this to be a holiday.

So, a long holiday, let’s say two months. It been over 30 years that we travelled just for fun for such a long time (we travelled for 4,5 months through east Africa in 1991). The time was there to just be bold and leave.

We explored different options and Marleen Azink decided to safe free days by working more hours than her contract for over a year. This way she could go on a paid leave for two months. I just did take not any work for two months and will work for the rest of the summer, guiding groups back to back in the Mont Blanc area for Exodus.

For those of you who know me well know that I have no shortage of ideas when it comes to adventures. So we had to make a decision what to do with two free months. I really wanted to make a long trekking in Nepal or a long bike trip. Marleen preferred a long bike trip so we opted for that’s.

There are so many amazing places to choose from, but we did not want to fly to the other side of the world for just two months holidays. Cycling through southern Europe seemed just perfect for the time of the year. Italy turned out to be our destination! A great variety of landscapes, mostly sunny, good food and good wines, what else could we wish for?

We designed a tour starting in the south and cycling north, following the sun while it travels north in spring. The route that we made was ambitious, with lots of dirt roads and lots of altitude gain to cover. Since Marleen is still recovering from a nasty shoulder injury (two surgeries and over a hundred visits to her physiotherapist in the last 4,5 years), we were well aware that we might had to change our plans on-route.

(Story continues in the comments)

09/01/2024

I have been fortunate enough to spend years of my life in some of the world’s most beautiful forests to photograph the great apes.

Between 1994 and 2010 I lived, studied and worked in central and eastern Africa and in Indonesia among the most amazing creatures that resemble us so much: the orangutan, the gorilla, the chimpanzee and the bonobo.

Being close to them or, even better, looking them in the eyes, makes you understand that there is only a very thin line that separates us from the great apes. We share the same emotions, the same humour, the same empathy, the same frustration, the same fears and the same love.

Great apes make and use tools, they are able to find natural medicine in the forest, they actively teach their offspring, they seek help when needed (even help from our own kind), they are able to differentiate between good and bad and they show cultural diversity.

Despite the fact they the great apes are among the most intelligent animals on earth and the fact that they resemble us so much their existence is under serious threat. Will the world be a worse place to live without them? Yes it is!

We need to protect the great ape’s natural habitat, where they and roam and thrive unrestricted.