Petra Kmetikova

Petra was a great guide - always helpful, cheerful and with very good knowledge.

Petra was outstanding. A week after booking this trip I got a Lyme disease diagnosis and I had underestimated how much it had affected my fitness, despite training over the winter. I did struggle with some of the walks and she was there for me (literally) every step of the way. I will also not forget her fantastic weather reading skills on the way to the top of Beinn Dhubh when she whipped out a rain shelter and got us all in with our rucksacks calmly and professionally ten seconds before huge gusts of wind, rain and hail hit us. The rest of the ascent and descent would have been miserable if we’d got a soaking at that point. And her driving and parking skills were just fantastic. I could not believe the spaces she could park that van into and her steady nerve on narrow single track roads. She was calm, professional and obviously had excellent technical knowledge and skills and despite my propensity for finding every rabbit hole and bog to fall into I felt completely safe in her hands. I also loved her enthusiasm for Scottish history, which is something I share as well. If I see Petra leading another trip (other than possibly Assynt until I get my fitness back!) I would sign up straight away.

Petra was truly incredible, as said earlier. I felt so safe and looked after even on wilder parts of each hike. She kept us all in great spirits, with fun conversation and motivation, while making sure we each felt safe and confident on the trails. Her knowledge of the local history was fascinating and added more cultural depth to each activity. Additionally, her knowledge of the area spread well to the weather; at the top of one peak, she read the storm clouds with such efficiency that she calmly led us through getting out the emergency shelter to shield us from the worst of the rain; in fact, we remained completely dry with seconds to spare thanks to her skill-set, and were all able to finish the tough hike after. Her driving should also be noted – very impressive on those winding roads! Overall I couldn't have been more thrilled with who I had as my first guide; if they're all like Petra, I so look forward to returning.