Speaking

There is often a romantic image of the guide lifestyle. Effortlessly summiting peaks, gracefully sliding on snow, spending days upon days in the freedom of the hills… from the outside looking in it is not always clear that such experiences come with a lot of hard work, risk and a great deal of sacrifice.

Strain on relationships due to long stretches away from home, death, crippling accidents, post traumatic stress, and depression can creep into this seemingly fun and carefree lifestyle. There are few professional guides who can escape at least one of these harsh realities throughout their career. Fridjon knows these realities all too well. By sharing his story he hopes to bring awareness to these issues and help others who may be struggling.

When you are making safety decisions in a high risk environment on a daily basis it is incredibly important to have emotional balance in your life.

With dark humour, personal accounts and candid conversation, Fridjon explores the topic of Situational Awareness. This discussion is well received by individuals who are immersed in the adventure community. It is reflective, insightful, entertaining, and effective at opening up the conversation to the dark side of living the dream.

Brands I've worked with

About Fridjon

 Fridjon Thorleifsson is born and raised in Iceland but has been living in western Canada since 2002. He teaches multiple courses for Thompson Rivers University, TRU Iceland and Collage of the Rockies. Past teaching experiences also include the Canadian Armed Forces, US Marine Corps, and Indian Navy. 

Fridjon teaches:

• ski touring, rock climbing, multi-pitch climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, glacier travel, and risk management.

Fridjon has previously guided trips in:

• Italy, Switzerland, France, Norway, Greenland, Germany, Austria, Canada, United States. Along with guiding he has done logistical work for Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Elbrus, etc.

Fridjon is a professional member of the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA), Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, and Association of Icelandic Mountain Guides.

Offerings

Courses and Adventures

ATC Guides offers a wide range of outdoor adventures. 

Speaking

Fridjon speaks on situational awareness and depression in the mountaineering industry for private companies and conferences. Previous speaking engagements include: Canadian Mountain Holiday (CMH), Thompson River University, various global Search and Rescue organizations, etc.