Instructors & Program Providers

 Declan is based in Northern Ireland and is a Mountain Leader in Ireland and the UK, and earlier this year qualified as an

IML (International Mountain leader). His background and love of the mountains comes from his passion for trail running and

ultra marathons having completed UTMB (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc)  Western States Leadville 100 the past 15 years.

He loves guiding people in the Mountains of Ireland, England Scotland and Wales and now in the French and Swiss alps, and giving them an all round positive experience through environment, nature, geology and navigation. He also guides for Wilderness Ireland on trekking and cycling trips on the Wild Atlantic

Way of Ireland. Declan is a Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) and loves to climb locally and all over!

 Cody’s passion for the outdoors began in the Ozark Plateau, where he grew up hiking, backpacking, caving, and canoeing. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he earned a degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership from Colorado Mountain College and has been a professional guide and outdoor educator since 2015. He also worked as an interpretive Park Ranger for the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Utah Department of Natural Resources.

Cody’s expertise spans ecosystems across the U.S., including extensive time in the Florida Everglades, where he has led hiking and canoe trips and worked on conservation efforts such as removing invasive Burmese Pythons. He has also guided backpacking trips in the Ozark Plateau, Ouachita Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Rocky Mountains, and Sonoran Desert, as well as caving expeditions nationwide. An accomplished long-distance hiker, he’s thru-hiked the Ozark Highlands Trail and tackled sections of the AT, PCT, Florida Trail, and Colorado Trail. Cody has also guided multi-day canoe trips in Voyageurs National Park, the Boundary Waters, and the Ten Thousand Islands, summited 12 of Colorado’s 14ers, and navigated Class V rapids.

Now based in Eastern Tennessee near the Great Smoky Mountains, Cody is a skilled wildlife and adventure photographer. He’s passionate about conservation and sharing his love of nature and adventure with others.

 Ray is the founder and owner of Dallas based Hike-ALOT, where the mission is to help the hikers of Arkansas , Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas safely and confidently make the transition to overnight backpacking. Additionally he co-owns the Texas Survival School, the premier wilderness survival school in the region for both modern and primitive survival.  Between the two, he has helped a multitude of students progress on their outdoor journey.  

As a AHGA certified hiking guide with a keen focus on outdoor safety and stewardship, Ray is a SAR volunteer and instructs on Leave No Trace, Stop The Bleed, CPR, as well as Wilderness First Aid for both the Red Cross and the National Rescue & Response Institute. At Hike-ALOT they even have a veterinary professional teach canine and equine wilderness first aid for your trail companions because hikers can have 4 legs too.  Additionally he has current applicable certifications in Swift Water Awareness from Texas A&M, Avalanche Fundamentals from the American Avalanche Association, Outdoor Ethics and Fundamentals from Tread Lightly, and is a official Bear Safety Resource. 

 Tara completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 2016 and the Northville - Lake Placid trail in 2018. She's been an active volunteer on her local Search and Rescue team for over 10 years. Tara is a licensed social worker and therapist to youth and families. Her goal is to connect people with nature in a safe and meaningful way. She enjoys camping, backpacking, trail running, kayaking, snowboarding, and crafting with nature in her free time.