How it started
Wilderness Escape Adventures started with a simple realization: Alberta’s most famous places are beautiful, but crowded parks like Banff can feel regulated and commercial, not truly wild. When Jelmer moved to Alberta five years ago, he was blown away by the Rockies, yet the busy trails and booked-out campgrounds made real solitude hard to find.
Everything changed when a few locals showed him remote Crown land and quieter valleys beyond the usual tourist routes. In those forests and open landscapes, he found the freedom, wildlife, and star-filled nights he had been looking for, and that experience became the foundation of Wilderness Escape Adventures.
Jelmer saw that many people wanted this kind of deeper wilderness experience but did not know where to start. They were unsure which areas were safe, what gear they needed, or how to explore off the beaten path around Kananaskis and the Alberta Rockies without stress. Wilderness Escape Adventures was created to bridge that gap with small-group and private wilderness trips that remove the guesswork while keeping the feeling of being truly out there.
The goal is simple: give guests access to the real Alberta wilderness, not the crowded version, but the quieter, wildlife-rich country on Crown land and in lesser-known valleys that remind people why wild places matter and why a guided wilderness camping trip is worth the effort.
About your guide
Jelmer grew up in the north of the Netherlands and have lived in seven countries, including South Africa, Aruba, Curaçao, Australia, and New Zealand before settling in Alberta, Canada. I have seen and lived in a wide range of landscapes, but Alberta and its beautiful wilderness have captured my heart the most. It is where I feel most at home, and the place I chose to make my home.
For 16 years, I worked in high end restaurants and hotels as a sommelier, chef, and hospitality manager. That experience taught me how to pay attention to detail, maintain high standards, and take care of people properly. I also guided in New Zealand, where I first blended hospitality with backcountry experience.
Since moving to Alberta, I have spent much of my free time exploring the Alberta Rockies, Kananaskis, crown land, and areas like the Livingstone and Ghost. I know what it feels like to stand over a map unsure where to begin, and I also know the reward of finding the right valley on the right day.
Certifications
To guide professionally, I made sure my training matched my experience.
I am Advanced Wilderness First Aid certified, trained in fire and bear safety, IGA-certified as a 4-season hiking guide, and food-handling safety certified. Just as importantly, I have years of real hiking and camping experience in the same areas I now guide, so my decisions come from experience, not guesswork.
Wilderness Escape Adventures brings all of that together. It is built on international experience, strong hospitality values, and a real love for wild places. I keep groups small, plans realistic, and the atmosphere relaxed and personal so people can experience guided hikes and wilderness camping in Kananaskis and Alberta’s crown land in a genuine way.
What a trip feels like with us
Our guided wilderness trips are built to feel both real and comfortable. You stay in a spacious 16‑foot bell tent on insulated sleeping pads with warm sleeping bags suited to cool Alberta nights, and camp is fully set up with shelter, seating, cooking equipment, and a well‑planned basecamp so you don’t have to bring a full kit or worry about logistics. This is remote Crown land camping in the Alberta Rockies, not a serviced campground with shower blocks or built toilet facilities.
Days are shaped around the weather, the group, and the landscape. Most trips include guided hikes, off‑trail exploring, wildlife spotting, time by the river, and campfires when conditions allow, with room for guests to fish, swim, take photos, or simply relax at camp. It is not a rushed tour with a fixed schedule every hour; it is a small‑group wilderness experience designed to feel personal, relaxed, and properly connected to the land.
Because groups are small and guide‑led, we can adjust the pace and daily plan to match your energy and comfort level, whether that means more hiking, more camp time, or a balance of both. The aim is always the same: a genuine Alberta wilderness experience with enough structure to feel safe and looked after, and enough freedom that it still feels like being truly out there.
FAQ
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Why did you start Wilderness Escape Adventures?
I kept meeting people who loved the idea of real wilderness camping but were held back by three things: not knowing where to go, being unsure of themselves and not wanting to invest in all the serious gear. Wilderness Escape Adventures exists so you can borrow my years of scouting and kit-building and just show up to a comfortable, remote camp that’s already set up the way it should be. -
What makes your trips different from regular tours in Banff or Kananaskis?
Instead of big groups on well‑known trails, I use the routes, camps and systems I’ve refined over years of exploring: secluded Crown land spots, thought‑through camp layouts, reliable gear and food, and flexible plans based on conditions and the group, so the trip feels polished rather than improvised. -
Why should I trust you to guide me in remote areas?
I’ve invested years into hiking, hunting and camping in these exact areas, testing gear and setups until they’re dialled, and I back that with Wilderness First Aid, bear and fire safety training, IGA hiking guide training and a professional hospitality background so guests feel genuinely safe and looked after.