Leaders and Trainers

Leaders and Trainers

MountainSkills.Ca

Contact: China

Vince Poulin
Vince has spent a life time in the mountains pursuing a passionate interest in alpine wilderness, wildflowers, hunting, fishing, mountaineering and ice climbing. As a registered professional biologist in Canada, he provides consulting services on forest restoration, environmental best management practices, identification and classification of streams, lakes and wetlands and teaches professional and technical development courses on many aspects of environmental practices. Pragmatic, practical, and committed to helping others describes his interest and approach to safety in the mountains. His training in mountain skills began as a smokejumper in western United States and Alaska. His skills were further developed as a working biologist/forester in remote wilderness areas of Alaska, the Canadian Arctic and British Columbia. His environmental career has spanned nearly 4-decades. Vince took his first formal mountaineering training in New Zealand in 1971 and refresher training in 1998. Since then, mountaineering has taken him to the summits of sixteen peaks including the largest in North America - Denali (Mt. McKinley). He has summited many Cascade peaks including Mt. Rainier 5-times, and multiple routes on Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. Baker, and Mt. Shuksan. In British Columbia memorable climbs include Mt. Waddington, Mt. Wedge, Mt. Weart, and Mt. Garibaldi. He is an avid ice-climber whose interest is only limited by air temperature. A commitment to “life-style” fitness makes his active and healthy life possible. Resistance training, indoor climbing, running, cycling, sport rock climbing, and hauling (hiking with weight) are his means of maintaining peak body fitness and good health.

Ping Ho
Ping graduated from the University of Hong Kong in Geography 1988. He spent 3-years conducting research and serving as a teaching assistant at the University. A Scout since childhood, Ping loves to stay close mountains and streams. He enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities and is always prepared to share his passion with others. He joined the Scout Association of Hong Kong in 1991 as a Professional Scouter and began a career designing, co-ordinating and conducting both indoor and outdoor experiential learning programmes. He is now the Senior Instructor of the Leadership Training Institute, Scout Association of Hong Kong and also co-owner of Kids Experiential Learning Ltd. He is expert in experiential education and an effective outdoor leader with polished english speaking skills. His clientele ranges from senior government officials to university students. Ping is passionate about wilderness, and argues that nature offers the best opportunities for personal growth and development. Years of experience in outdoor teaching qualified him as a Snow and Ice Climbing Coach, Rock Climbing Coach and Sport Climbing Coach by the China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union. He has led successful expeditions to China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Nepal, France, Switzerland and the United States. To him, nothing could be better than sleeping under the stars and waiting for the sun rise!

Darrell Bondzuk
Darrell has lived in China for the past 6-years cycle touring and studying the chinese language. Two of those years were spent in Yangshuo where he cycled extensively. His interest in cycling comes from a life-long interest in the outdoors. Darrell has put thousands of kilometers under the wheels since first stepping into the saddle. His tours have taken him across Canada, the US and into Mexico. He’s ridden from Vancouver to Ft. McMurray twice and completed a grand tour from Canada to Baja California and into Mexico. In China, Darrell has done multiple tours throughout the Guilin-Yangshuo area, cycle toured Hainan Island twice and in 2011 toured the Yunnan Province, one of China’s most scenic and ethnically diverse areas. Touring miles and 20-years of experience as a ski instructor in Whistler, BC, has given him the knowledge and inter-personal skills for an effective and fun tour leader and cycle guide. First time visitors to China will find Darrell’s choice of cycle tours around Yangshuo unparalleled. They come from having ridden virtually every road, trail and backyard village track in the area. When not cycling his advise on what to eat, where to go, and local customs is invaluable. He is patient, understanding, and has a strong desire to share his experience with others making him an excellent choice for your China cycle guide.