Our team
This is Sidetracked Adventure. A women-owned adventure travel company, dedicated to providing unforgettable wilderness adventures in wild places. Our team is comprised of passionate guides, each with their own unique character and expertise, ensuring you're in safe hands every step of the way.
Together, our team is dedicated to providing you with an unparalleled experience in the wild. Whether you're seeking thrills, relaxation, or a deeper connection with nature, we're here to make your adventure dreams a reality.
SOPHIE | FOUNDER | INTERNATIONAL WILDERNESS GUIDE
What started off as a hand-drawn map, an old pair of Finnish army skis, and a group of reliable buddies willing to follow me up to the Arctic has now turned into my dream job. I fell in love with Lapland in my early 20s and returned home where the stability of a graphic design job failed to drown out the call of adventure. It was the best thing I ever did. Finding amazing places and then getting to share them with other cool people is what it’s about. I’ve been able to put everything into Sidetracked that I was missing beforehand - adventure, community, experiences, creativity, challenge, and a way to give something back. It’s a part of me, and I’m incredibly proud of that.
We do things differently, that’s why we’re called Sidetracked. You won’t find us following the crowds - you’ll see us dropping back and heading the other way.
Explore cool places with cool people!
Meet our guides
Chris | INTERNATIONAL WILDERNESS GUIDE
I'm drawn to human powered expeditions through wild places by kayak, bike, skis or on foot. Moving through nature by your own power and sleeping in the wilderness immerses you in your surroundings. It allows glimpses into nature's subtleties, it's rhythms, it's balance, it's brutality. You go to places physically and mentally not accessible in everyday life. It's a pleasure to be in a position where I can pass on these experiences to others and I look forward to spending time with you in the wilderness.
Sirpa | INTERNATIONAL WILDERNESS GUIDE
Living on an island, in the middle of nowhere, I'm literally surrounded by the sea, forest and wildlife. My passion is to explore and find beautiful places up in Lapland. I've been going there all my life. I love the peaceful atmosphere and endless landscapes. I can't wait to bring these experiences to you. You might get caught by it (or it might catch you and not let go)
Lotta | INTERNATIONAL WILDERNESS GUIDE
Cold temperatures, pouring rain or gusting and howling wind might sound terrifying or even unpleasant to most, but as a wilderness guide, I like to encourage people to welcome those with a smile and laughter and consider them as an extra spice that will make all the other flavours pop. Those are the exact things that will keep making the trip - and your life around the trip even better.
On my guided trips, I hope to bring this mental state of mind to others and help to find that same enriching spice from within.
See you out there!
CARRY | INTERNATIONAL WILDERNESS GUIDE
Deciding to go after what creates inner peace and a happy heart has always been the path that suited me the most. Not always a smooth and easy one, but definitely very enriching, rewarding and packed with big adventures. In a nutshell that means I have spent more time away from my home town Munich, to be able to turn my passion into a lifestyle. There were many sacrifices to face along the way in order to do now what I do for a living, but every step was oh so worth it: Taking people into the wild!
I accomplished my first Wilderness Trekking Guide course in Germany several years ago. Took it one step further another couple of years later, moved to Finland and trained for a year to become a fully certified Wilderness Guide. And here the seed was planted for a new direction in my career. Here I also met my powerful friend Sophie.
Together it is our vision to bring you closer to nature on our trips. To challenge yourself, step out of your comfort zone and to open your senses for wild places. We believe, only when you have such experiences in your back pocket you can really understand what it means to value the environment.
Justin | INTERNATIONAL WILDERNESS GUIDE
From Cape Cod, Massachusetts originally, I then went on to spend most of my adult life living, working and studying abroad. I wandered from Hawaii and Boston, to Scotland and Nepal before I eventually found myself in Finland, a country that I love deeply and a nature that I am constantly challenged and enchanted by.
I am a member of the Finnish Survival Guild, a passionate hunter and fisherman and an avid canoeist in the summer and a skier in the winter. I hold a special place in my heart for the windswept and far-flung places that take an extra bit of effort to experience.
I bring my international background, my interest in wildlife, my skill as a cook and my fluffy street dog Jura from Nepal on my trips into the backcountry.
eva | bushcraft guide
I’ve always been an avid lover of the outdoors but it was my experience taking part in Channel 4’s survival show Alone which really sparked my passion for all things Bushcraft and wilderness. Spending over three weeks alone, living purely off the land just below the Arctic circle allowed me to connect with nature in a way I had never done before. I’m passionate about guiding trips and experiences that allow others to gain an appreciation of natures power and beauty in the same way
Jen S | International Mountain Leader
Jen grew up about as far from the mountains and nature as you can get—in Birmingham, UK. An avid climber and environmentalist, Jen’s passion for the mountains and the natural world is contagious. When she’s not guiding, Jennifer spends her free time climbing, skiing and travelling. Sociable, caring and always smiling, Jen is the perfect guide to keep you laughing and motivated on your adventure.
Emily | International Mountain Leader
Emily, is originally from the UK and now living in Zermatt, Switzerland. She spends her time exploring the mountains in every different way - Cycling, Running and Skiing. Emily’s energy is hard to rival and her love for adventure is infectious. You will be in very capable hands with Emily guiding you.
Jen M | Arctic Nature Guide
Jen loves being in the cold but does not love suffering for the sake of suffering! Her favourite things about her experiences in the Arctic and Antarctic have been the amazing things to see in nature and the really cool people you find in these places too.
Her mission as a guide is to help you also enjoy nature and the time in the Arctic and to be able to live in these extreme places but be comfortable and, most importantly, have fun!
Ted | UIMLA International Mountain Leader
Originally from the flat country of the Netherlands, Ted decided to follow her love for the mountains and moved to the French Alps. This love started at a very early age as her mother still roamed the mountains when she was 8 months pregnant. Ted has worked as a trekking, climbing, and canyoning guide all over the world exploring remote places in the Australian outback, Nepal, Vietnam, and Morocco, to name a few. She loves travelling to new climbing places in her cosy homemade campervan. As a behavioural analyst specializing in nonverbal behaviour, Ted is committed to providing (outdoor) professionals with the people skills they need to have great interactions with others. Besides this, she works as an executive coach in wilderness settings to enhance personal and leadership development. She loves writing and has recently published her first book about an amazing five-week cycling journey she undertook with her autistic brother.
Ted | UIMLA International Mountain Leader
Charlie has come a long way from the day he fainted after testing how sharp his birthday Swiss Army Knife present from his sister was during a family camping trip to Chamonix when he was 13.
Growing up in Shrewsbury, he lived within a Nature Reserve that offered woodlands for building dens and a peat swamp for constructing makeshift rafts and bridges. The Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) and The Long Mynd were Charlie's stomping ground as he started venturing into the hills and mountains.
Somehow completing a degree in Mechanical Engineering in Sheffield after the many running, mountain biking and hiking distractions in nearby Peak District, he found himself in the Italian Dolomites putting it to good use taking groups out on hiking, road cycling, snowshoeing and skiing adventures.
After 10 more years exploring the Alps and guiding groups on all sorts of hiking adventures, he now calls East Tyrol in Austria home - positioned in his mountain utopia between the unique pale mountains of Italian Dolomites and the largest National Park in the Alps, Hohe Tauern. A UIMLA certified International Mountain Leader and aspiring member of his local mountain rescue team, his longing for adventure now brings him to Finland to share with you his passion for exploration, the tranquility of nature and a good game of cards
