The Wildland Trekking Company is committed to delivering outstanding hiking adventures to the best desert and mountain regions of North America. Our commitment to this is reflected in our mission statement:

"To provide unique, life-enriching adventures in North America's most beautiful and wild landscapes, and to contribute significantly to the conservation of these special places."

We have over 25 years of owner experience leading unique journeys that have lasting positive impact on people's lives and, as importantly, on the regions and cultures we visit. (Read more about our mission.)

Brad Ball, owner and co-founder, has over 25 years of professional experience in wilderness and adventure travel. As a long time senior instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), the executive director of Sylvan Rocks Climbing School and Guide Service, and as a state, federal, and consulting forester, Brad has spent the entirety of his career in the outdoors. He is passionate about providing meaningful travel experiences that leave people with a sense of wonder with the natural world. Brad is also a strong voice for conservation, as it is a lifestyle and a mission for him. He is married and raising two young outdoor adventurers in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Bennett Barthelemy has been guiding and teaching experiential education for over a decade in. He spends as much time as he can outside, also working as a freelance adventure photographer and feature writer publishing both nationally and internationally. Bennett has a bachelors in Native American Studies and a masters in English literature. As an avid rock climber and backpacker he has traveled around the world to far-flung climbing destinations and wild natural areas but has recently landed, and at the moment is happily anchored in the Southwest.

Ron Bubb has been living, working, hiking, backpacking, skiing, kayaking, and canoeing in the four corners region for more than 14 years. He has an MBA and worked in state government before leaving his home state of Illinois for the west in 1996. Since that time, he has opened three outdoor gear shops and continues to own and operate one of them in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. "I want to help people get into the backcountry. That's what I feel I was put on this planet to do." Whether it's guiding with Wildland Trekking or outfitting people at his store, Ron lives his purpose.

Scott Cundy, owner and co-founder, has a degree in English and has been in the adventure travel profession for most of his career. He has ventured professionally to 13 countries throughout North America, Europe, the South Pacific, and Central America. Before co-founding the Wildland Trekking Company, he was a professional ski patroller, snow cat ski guide, Alaska sea-kayaking guide, and hiking guide. "For me, one of the best indicators of a fulfilling life is when there is no line between personal and professional. When someone asks me whether I'm traveling for business or fun, and I can honestly say 'that's a great question!"

Steve Cundy, owner and co-founder, worked as a natural resources specialist for federal and state governments before really discovering his passion for leading people into wild places. After this revelation, he spent his working life as a wilderness counselor for at-risk youth in Utah and as an outdoor educator and guide, before co-founding the Wildland Trekking Company. Steve is a personable and attentive owner and guide who is dedicated to seeing that his guests get as much out of their wilderness experience as possible. Also an avid rock climber, he can usually be found scaling the cliffs of his usual haunts when not in the office or the field.

Eb Eberlein is a "Grand Canyon Guru." He has spent over 1300 days in the inner canyon on overnight treks and day hikes. He owned his own guide company, Sky Island Treks, until 2006 and now works as a freelance guide for the Canyon's top tour companies. With a B.A. in Forestry and Resource Management, he has the knowledge and experience to lead quality trips into literally any area of the Canyon.

Margie Erhart leads trips for us in the Grand Canyon and in Utah. She has been a river and hiking guide in the Grand Canyon and on the San Juan River for years. She has hiked in several countries all over the world, including Chile, Burma, and Ireland. She is the author of five novels, countless essays, and her commentaries have aired on National Public Radio. She has been swinging a butterfly net since the turn of the millennium and has a working knowledge of the bugs of the Colorado Plateau. She lives in Flagstaff, Arizona and teaches creative writing for the Navajo Nation.

Shayne Hall grew up in Tucson, Arizona where he found a passion for the outdoors during his first backpacking trip, a solo excursion into the Rincon mountains. In 1998 he spent 105 days walking 720 miles from the border of Mexico to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. While passing through the Canyon on this life-changing journey, he met a guide who sparked his interest. In 2001 he began his guiding career. "I love to see people blown away by the intense beauty of the Canyon. Also seeing friends and families bond during their time in the Canyon is the most rewarding part of my job."

Jill Hewins has been guiding wilderness backpacking, biking, hiking and travel journeys since 1986. In the outdoor adventure industry, she has worked as a Program Director, Trip Planner, Guide and Staff Trainer. She has a Masters Degree in Higher Education and certifications in Wilderness First Responder and Advanced First Aid. Jill loves bringing together groups of individuals for self-growth, play, laughter and adventure. She has been working at being a good yoga student for over ten years, and in her free time she is an avid cyclist, hiker and student of life.

Shelly Cundy grew up in the mountains of Colorado and attended college in Wyoming, so she has never been a stranger to America's western wilderness. She has, however, ventured far beyond it, especially in 1996 when she hiked the 2,000 mile-long Appalachian Trail over a 6 month period. She says that it was on the 'AT' that she cinched the deal with being completely in love with hiking. Since then, she has completed several 100-mile thru-hikes in Colorado. Shelly helps with administration and assists guests in any way she can.

We joke that when Bob Kraus started guiding in the Grand Canyon it was only a couple hundred feet deep. As a 30-year veteran guide of the Canyon, Bob offers a rare wealth of knowledge and experience to his guests. He's one of two "Grand Canyon Gurus" that Wildland Trekking is privileged to have as part of it's staff. These two "gurus", Bob and Eb, have more than 50 years combined experience venturing below the rim. Bob is also a fly-fishing fanatic and escapes to the north in the summer season to lead backcountry Yellowstone tours and fly-fish between trips.

Elaine Maier was raised in Arizona and has spent much of her time hiking and backpacking the Southwest. For over 20 years she has hiked extensively in the Grand Canyon. Elaine has been professionally guiding at the Grand Canyon for 8 years, spending 100-plus days on the trail each year. She also works as an instructor for the Grand Canyon Field Institute and now makes her home as a Grand Canyon resident year-round. She has also taught backpacking and hiking classes for several Parks and Recreation Departments in the Phoenix Area.

Scott Moore is one of our core Yellowstone guides. He lives in Missoula, Montana and has been an outdoor leader for more than seven years. From the hills of Romania to the peaks of Montana and Wyoming, there is nothing he enjoys more than backpacking and exploring new, beautiful places with others. To mention just a few highlights, he has taught leadership for Outward Bound in Costa Rica, instructed at Outdoor Education centers, and rode the high seas on an EPA environmental survey ship. Reliable, friendly, and knowledgeable, Scott is a huge asset to the Wildland Trekking team.

Matt Nelson is a professional outdoor educator, wilderness guide and international adventurer. Guiding the Grand Canyon is one of his favorite occupations, as he absolutely loves sharing his passion for the Canyon with others. He also works as an outdoor education specialist for three high schools in Arizona, and has been the leader of Tucson’s Inner City Outings program for the past five years. Matt is also a nature writer and outdoor columnist for a variety of local, regional and national publications. An educator at heart, Matthew shares his impressive historical, botanical and environmental knowledge with everyone he hikes with.

Anna Lauer Roy has loved going places on foot since she was about two years old and her parents strategically placed M&M's on the trail to motivate her. These days equally delightful, but less edible rewards inspire Anna. She has been guiding people to use their feet, skis, boat paddles, and bike pedals to get to cool places since graduating from Fort Lewis College in 2004 with a degree in Spanish and French. And while she may not use M&M's to coax clients forward, she certainly has been known to concoct more classy chocolate enticements to serve up after a long day of getting from there to here.

Rohan Roy can be found exploring the mountains and canyons of the Four Corners area with skis, bikes, ropes, backpacks, boots, and running shoes. As a ten-year instructor and course director with Outward Bound, there is nothing he would rather be doing than sharing the beauty of the mountains and canyons with others. With a degree in Geology, he is particularly passionate about the natural history of the Grand Canyon. Though when not talking about rocks, he's not afraid to tell some of his many bad jokes. So Rohan may be gneiss, but don't take him for granite.

Originally from Wisconsin, Becky Switzer has found her true home to be in the Yellowstone region. As a kayaking, hiking, and climbing guide all over North America, Becky has lived her passion for sharing the outdoors with others. After finishing her Masters degree in Science Education at Montana State University, Becky found Bozeman, Montana to be an adventurous and fulfilling place to reside. Along with her husband and two German Shepherds, Becky lives to ski in the winter and climb, bike, and backpack during the rest of the year. When she's not recreating and guiding, Becky teaches kids and coaches soccer.