Jeffry Oonk - International Mountain Leader & Wilderness Guide

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Jeffry Oonk - International Mountain Leader & Wilderness Guide

Jeffry works as an International Mountain Leader, Canadian Wilderness Guide, and as a photographer. Let’s start making your dreams become reality today.

Jeffry works as a professional guide all over our beautiful globe

He is passionate about living a life in the outdoors, embracing the forces of nature. Wit a strong background as a qualified International Mountain Leader and Canadian Wilderness Guide he has the technical skills to safely guide you through the the world’s wildest places. Share you dreams with Jef and let him lead you through your

wonderland. He will evaluate your dreams, effectively plan your trip, and guide you on a journey of a lifetime.

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.

24/10/2023

After 13 weeks of guiding in the breathtaking Dolomites this summer season has come to an end.

I have shown over 200 international guests the gigantic scale of the mountains, the beauty of nature, the relationship of organisms and the raw history of mountain warfare.

trusted me to host all those lovely guests and together with .dolomites and I have tried hard to create life long memories.

Thank you all my dear guests for your lovely company and I hope I have inspired you to see the world around with a different view. Keep on exploring the natural world!

Be kind and live well.

17/10/2023

Colour blue: exploring the Morvan in France. The air was cold and damp and the ground muddy. Good to@know you can always rely on !

25/07/2023

10 x the Drei Zinnen.
These iconic mountain peaks are the highlight of any trip to the Dolomites. The changing seasons and weather make these steep mountains look different every time.

06/04/2023

Have you ever spend the night high up in a tree?

I like the idea of not growing up. Staying young at heart and mind and make adventures that any kid would like to do. Why would I be too old to play around even though it is most likely that I have pasted the halfway mark of my life.

Can you imagine a massive oak tree, standing solitary in the fields along a slow moving river, with stairs winding around its trunk. And high up in that tree somebody has build a platform, a platform that looks like an old English garden. You have to see this with your own eyes, it’s fabulous!

After an exciting afternoon, a good friend got married, we went to that majestic oak with sleeping gear in our bag packs, along with a good bottle of wine. The light of the setting sun was just so fitting with this particular moment.

We just sat there on the iron bench to watch the night fall and enjoyed the quietness. When it got dark we rolled out our sleeping bag and slept like babies.

With the first sun rays softly touching our face we woke up and welcomed a new day. A thin mist hung over the fields. We had a simple breakfast while enjoying the moment. Then we packed our stuff and walked down the tree and into the fields.

Sounds like a dream, but it all happened for real!

03/04/2023

24 hour Vision Quest

When did you last spend 24 hours by yourself without talking to anyone else?

I picked a tree, beautifully coloured at the end of autumn, in a small nature reserve less then an hours walk from my home and sat at it’s trunk in solitary for a day.

I brought a meditation pillow, a tiny insulation mat, one thermos flask with tea and lots of warm layers. Weather forecast was about 5°C at night.

And there I sat, quietly. Meditating for hours on end, only to stand up every hour to stretch my legs, and sip a little tea every now and then.

Slowly the evening fell in and the leaves above me we dancing in a ghost like manner. All the birds went silent and there I sat, fighting my sleep.

So I laid down for a few hours, curled up like a baby, trying to ignore the cold. My mind was calm, not worried at all. I was there, just by myself, very much like a rite of passage that young Native American boys undergo, a ritual that is called a Vision Quest.

In the morning I was visited by an unwary deer, followed by a red fox half an hour later. They both passed me at less then five meters. Or they might have sensed me but instinct lay knew I was no threat.

The sun rose for another day to come and her warmth was more welcome then ever before. Drinking my last bit of lukewarm tea.

My mind was clear, not wanting anything for that moment. I meditated for one last hour and then, after being here for 24 hours I silently slipped out of the forest.

The world around me had not changed but I did, only by sitting stil and let the emotions come.

21/03/2023

Throwback to the last two weeks of 2022 which I did spend in the far north of Sweden.
Driving sledges through a remote area with a team of energetic huskies is the best there is.
Especially when there is an instant deeper understanding with your lead dogs, whom you can trust and make you understand what they want.

This connection, between men and husky, is something that you have to experience yourself to fully understand.
When these loyal four legged creatures trust your commands and lead you and your guests through deep snow, whiteouts, snowdrift and the vast frozen tundras, only then you realize that we can’t do it alone as human beings on this earth.

02/01/2023

We first met almost five years ago and we both are as energetic and good looking as that time (at least I do not see any difference between the two photographs, do you?).

Both Vilja and I love the cold winters high up above the polar circle and we love to go sledding finding our way through the deep snow.

Vilja is a dogsledding husky and I am happy she found the best caregiver in my friend . They live near Kiruna in northern Sweden. From their home they are overlooking the Kebnekaise Mountains, the highest peaks in Sweden.

I am glad to be spending a few days with them and Vilja is happy to spend the night with me, all curled up on my bed.

She is a truly amazing creature, being funny, smart and good looking.

19/11/2022

Winter is in the air. Minus 5°C here tonight in the Netherlands. No snow forecasted but still nice to have sub-zero temperatures.

Longing for some real winter conditions but this is pretty rare in the Lowlands.

Hope those of you who are up in the north of in the mountains elsewhere will soon have winter in full swing!

Enjoy it.

16/11/2022

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
BY SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE

'The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk, below the hill,
Below the lighthouse top.

The Sun came up upon the left,
Out of the sea came he!
And he shone bright, and on the right
Went down into the sea.

And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold:
And ice, mast-high, came floating by,
As green as emerald.

The ice was here, the ice was there,
The ice was all around:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,
Like noises in a swound!

At length did cross an Albatross,
Thorough the fog it came;
As if it had been a Christian soul,
We hailed it in God's name.

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.

Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone on a wide wide sea!
And never a saint took pity on
My soul in agony.

#

14/11/2022

I love the autumn colours in the Dutch forests, I love the snow covered mountains in Scandinavia, I love the culture in Nepal, but if it comes to wildlife, very few places on planet earth can beat east Africa.

For years I lived and worked in east and central Africa and all the memories are still clear and vivid. The thrill of being just meters away from a large herd of elephants on foot is hard to beat. Observing the graceful giraffe at short Africa dusk while birds fly over is just mind blowing.

In wildlife photography I never felt the urge to document the animals in a static way. I used to work with long exposure times to get this blurry feel, placing the focus point in unusual corners of the frame and work with large flash units.

Every now and then I scroll through my large archive of wildlife images on my computer and this brings me back to that wonderful time on ancient ground, where our human history began and which is home to some of the richest and most varied wildlife on earth.

All these images are taken more than a decade before appeared, and hence cropped to fit this format. Most of the wildlife photographs were taken in a horizontal frame, which is more natural to our eyes and brain compared to the vertical position in which we hold our mobile phone. Still I hope you enjoy watching these images.

22/10/2022

Autumn is Beautiful!

The decaying natural world turns into a colourful display every year after summer. The days are getting shorter, the temperatures drop and still this is an truly amazing season to be outside.

The mountains in Tuscany and the Aosta valley in Italy slowly turn into the most vibrant painting you can imagine. The mist just adds to the mystical feeling.

I love this season for different reasons. Trying out new outdoor clothing and new concepts. In summer I normally wear shorts and a technical t-shirt but I love to wear different layers in colder and wet conditions and feeling warm and cosy.

What is your favourite outdoor layering system? Do you prefer synthetic insulation over down? What is your most preferred winter outdoor activity?

05/10/2022

Bike packing adventure on the Dutch Utrechtse Heuvelrug

Two months ago, in the heat of the Dutch summer we ventured into to wood of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug with our bikes. It was in middle of my busy guiding season and I was happy to travel home to my love for week. Embarking on a micro adventure seemed to be the perfect way to add some quality time into this week.

We are lucky enough to live close to the forest and we can cycle from home into the city of Utrecht almost entirely on gravel roads, a good 45 kilometres.

I love going back to basics on micro adventures but this time we made a more luxurious trip. We had coffee and an nutritious lunch on-route and spend the night in an old church beautifully converted into a boutique hotel ( check out this concept if you happen to be in the Netherlands!).

Two days on the bike felt like a short holiday and I feel we should add more micro adventures into our daily life.

When do you have your next adventure planned?

05/09/2022

Mont Blanc trail running paradise

I am fortunate to work in the world’s most beautiful regions as an International Mountain Leader. This last 10 weeks the Mont Blanc was my playground where I guided guests on different hiking holidays.

Despite guiding groups back-to-back and the long working hours I managed to squeeze in some amazing trail running trips. When there was not enough time to run I would find myself a quiet spot to meditate for half an hour or so. This “time off” is important to me during a busy season.

Sometimes I just took it easy and ran on the undulating trails along the river ‘l Arve to Les Houches. It’s a good hour up and down, just enough to clear my head.

One day I ran over the Col de Salenton to the rarely visited valley of La Diosaz, a truly stunning place with good views on the Mont Blanc mountain range. This 38km long run was a good “day off from work”.

Sometimes I would run after having dinner with my guests. When they went to bed I would venture out into the night for a few hours of solitude in the forests and the mountains. It sometimes is definitely worth to sacrifice a few hours of sleep.

The longest run I made was a evening and night sleep run from Courmayeur in Italy to Col de Forclaz after a day guiding. While my guests went back to Chamonix I started to run back “home” following the trails. I only met a few hikers in the first kilometres but when the night fell the mountains where mine.

It is always special to be in the mountains just by yourself in the night. At 01.30 am, after 48 kilometres I lay down in the forest for a couple of hours sleep and a was up and running again before sunrise. Logging in over 60 kilometres at night is the way to go!

How do you keep going while working hard?

02/09/2022

A long summer season guiding around the Mont Blanc has come to an end. It was great to be guiding many different groups this year. The area is just breathtaking with the highest mountain of Western Europe always in the background.

This past 10 weeks I have guided over 80 guests from 7 different countries (8 if you count Scotland as a separate country..🤣). I have treated at least 50 blisters and used 3 rolls of tape to cover blisters and hotspots.

It has been super dry here this summer, with only 4 days walking in the rain. Luckily it was raining heavily on many rest days, which is so much needed for nature.

My feet have covered close to 700 kilometres and 36000 altitude meters this summer.

I am grateful that all my guests left Chamonix very happy and proud. Most of them are already dreaming of their next adventure!

Now it is time for a short rest and have a holiday myself! Travelling to Italy with my love next week, something I really look forward to.

A big thanks to all my guests! Keep on walking and enjoy the mountains.

18/08/2022

Check out this outstanding new Haglöfs collection, the L.I.M. series Z|T. A unique outdoor layering system that will keep you warm, dry and comfortable in rough weather.

01/08/2022

A few weeks ago we spend some time in the wild mountains of the Italian Dolomites. The impressive mountains make you feel alive but insignificant at the same time.

The sharp peak reached to the sky. But eventually rain, wind, snow and the ever changing temperatures will tear down these majestic mountains too until nothing is felt but sand. Nature is a strong force!

For as long as we live, we should admire the raw beauty of nature.

21/07/2022

Love you to the moon and back!

Sharing 32 years with you has been the gift of my life.

22/06/2022

A few weeks ago I set out on a recce of the with and .

The Bob Graham Round is a challenging and famous 110km long round over 42 peaks in the Lake District. It involves over 8000 meters of altitude (up and down!) and has to be finished within 24 hours.

Not sure when or even whether I will attempt to try to cover the round within a day, the three of us set out on a three day reconnaissance since we were told that knowledge of the route and terrain is a must.

I had never been in the Lake District and sure enough the area showed us it’s full potential. Sun, rain, stormy weather, mud, hail and relentless ups and downs were all-inclusive these days. And hey, that what we were here for isn’t it!

We managed to clock a few sub 7-minute kilometres but more often it took us 12 to 15 to cover a single kilometre (not to mention 25 minutes….).

Massive smiles on our faces all days long, even when facing the last climbs of the days.

Will I try to run the BGR in a day?
Well, maybe.

27/05/2022

Few things are more inspirational and satisfying than a Micro Adventure.

If you have two spare days to spend and you are looking for some quality time with your friends you should seriously consider spending it outdoors.

Together with my friend we made a plan to get out on a bike packing trip through the largest forest in The Netherlands, de Veluwe. This area is a mixture of pine and broadleaf forest intersected with dynamic sand plains. The are is home to a huge variety of animals, including a healthy wolf population that has made this their home in the last 10 years.

It is such a joy to discover our own country, (although technically Ruurd lives in the USA) and we were surprised how quiet it was on the dirt roads and trails of the Veluwe. We only took a tarp to make camp and we found a perfect spot on the edge of an open field, hidden between some trees. In the evening wildlife was buzzing around our bivouac, with foxes sniffing around, wild boar digging in the earth, a badger passed by and “said hello”, and so did a barking red deer in the middle of the night. We didn’t see a wolf, but just knowing it surely was roaming around somewhere nearby was part of the pleasure.

After two wonderful days we were fully recharged and planning some more adventures together.

26/04/2022

I finished my long winter season with an adventurous Mush & Ski tour. And what a tour it was!

Together with I guided an energetic family on their dogsledding assisted ski touring trip on the southern flanks of the Jotunheimen National Park. With sledges loaded with food (both man and dog), tents, stoves and ski equipment we ventured into the empty mountains of Norway.

We had 34 dogs for 5 sledges and this involves a lot of care taking. (Have you ever tried to make water by smelting snow?)

The three bivouac spots were beautifully located and from here Tim took our guests on ski touring trips.

Have a look at the images and you understand how much we all enjoyed this tour!

07/03/2022

A four day husky trip presented in ten images. No more words needed. Would you like to join me? # sports

07/02/2022

The art of running.

There is so much beauty in the trotting legs of our huskies in front of a sledge.
While we steer our wooden sledges through the snow covered woods or over the endless frozen plains I get mesmerized by the seemingly effortless movement of the dog’s legs. There truly is so much beauty in it.

As a professional guide the whole world is my playground but in winter there is this strong urge to work with the Alaskan huskies at Beito Husky Tours in Norway. This place is home to 60 of the most amazing dogs in the world, each one so friendly, yet all of them with such a different character. I love them so much that even on my rare days off I have to cuddle each one of them.

With a small team we guide guests from all over the world on what I call a teaser, a short morning tour, to week long expeditions in the mountains the surround us. And it doesn’t take a lot to have our guests fall in love with the huskies too. Being out on an expedition is what I like most, to be out there with my guests, traveling from hut to hut through this wild landscape with a team of eager huskies and to be fully self-sufficient is just the best winter experience anyone could wish for.

The conditions vary a lot around here, with sunny days and clear blue skies and the sun casting shadows that are 20 meters long to raging snow storms when visibility closes down to almost zero. On days like this I fully trust my dogs, and teamwork becomes most important, both between me and the dogs and between me and my guests. The last thing I need to worry about is my own well being. Just as I fully trust the dogs, I know I can fully rely on my outdoor equipment. And then, in the snow storm, I know: This is where I belong.

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Videos

Do you believe in wonders? Spending your winter holiday in Norway is already a once in a lifetime experience, but travelling with your own husky team through this winter wonder land is beyond imagination. Mushing your way through the snow with the most beautiful dogs in the world will bring a long lasting smile on your face! Join me on a true winter expedition (shorter family trips are possible too of course). Send me a message and let me know what you would like to experience. #outdoorpassion #adventure #outdoorgear #thinksmalllivegreat #campinginwinter #theimportanceoflife #mynextadventure #buitenisbeter #getoutside #winterexpedition #wintersports #dogsledding #huskytocht #huskyavontuur #mushing

Guiding a trailrunning week around the Mont Blanc for MudSweatTrails (MST). Fantastic area to be running. #haglofs #trailrunning #julbo

Out in the fields for two days. The Dutch coast is know for their extensive flower fields, bordering nice dune valleys. Sure we will enjoy this micro adventure. #microadventure #haglofs #microavontuur #passionforoutdoors

Private tour with Henrik Lovendahl, gotta love it! #beitohuskytours #haglofs #dogsleddingnorway

Loke and Lilemu in lead on the morning tour at Beito Husky Tours. #haglofs #dogsledding #lifeisbetteroutside

Can’t beat this! Challenge me if you dare...... #beitohuskytours #haglofs #dogsledding #winterinnorway

It’s crazy out here, still much snow, so much fun and so many lovely dogs! Join us on a dogsledding tour at Beito Husky Tours

Husky train on the lake

Only few things can beat a trip with Beito Husky Tours in winter time. Cruising over the frozen lake with eager huskies pulling your sledge.

Man and Dog

Men and dog in perfect harmony. Our eager Alaskan huskies are super happy to guide you through this winter wonderland. Come and join us!

In preparation of the Grizzly 100km trail. #haglofs #trailrunning #mudsweattrails

Life in slo-mo. Lyna, Jonathan, Kazan and Jack in action on the frozen lake @beitohuskytours #haglofs #beattheelements #mushing #noorwegen #wintersport #beitohuskytours #dogsledding

High on the local fjells near Jotunheimen National Park, Norway. Super cool sunset and great dogsledding out here. #dogsledding #wintersport #noorwegen #mushing #beitohuskytours

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