Volunteer as a trekking guide
At Quetzaltrekkers, we are all working as volunteer guides and we manage virtually all aspects of the organization. In our office you won’t find a boss or a supervisor but you will find a tight-knit team of dedicated volunteers committed to the organization and the cause. We can’t think of a place where you’d be given this much autonomy and responsibility working as a volunteer. Life here can be hectic and the days can be long. Ultimately, though, working as a Quetzaltrekker guide is an incredibly rewarding experience and, well, a lot of fun.

Work description
As a trekking guide, you will be guiding (and soon leading) groups of people on our treks. This entails much more than just showing people the way up a volcano. You are there to make sure the trek runs smoothly and safely and your group is fed, watered and content. This is not always an easy task. You will also develop an awareness of the people, culture, history and ecology of the areas through which we trek and will share this knowledge with your group of trekkers (and with newer guides).

Guiding people on adventurous treks is just part of the job. At least half of your week will be spent in the Quetzaltrekker office, doing behind-the-scenes tasks to keep the whole operation running. These tasks might include food and equipment prepping, cleaning equipment, promoting treks, signing people up for treks, putting in time with the kids, shopping for treks, cooking, washing dishes, doing finances, answering phones and emails, updating the website and so on and so forth. It’s a long list.

You might also find time to come up with new ideas and new systems to make Quetzaltrekkers a better organization. Who knows what these ideas will be? The more successful we are, the more successful our projects can be and the greater impact we can make on the lives of Guatemalan children in need.

What we’re looking for
This is the kind of place where just about anyone with any skill set can come in and make their mark. We like to think we attract energetic and motivated volunteers that arrive with an eagerness to learn, work hard and take initiative. There are, however, a few minimum requirements candidates must meet in order to work with us:

  • A 3 month absolute minimum time commitment (not including a 10-day trial/training period beforehand);
  • Intermediate Spanish;
  • A first aid qualification;
  • Love of the outdoors, trekking, roughing it, (not sleeping) under the stars, getting wet, cold toes and lumpy oatmeal.;
  • Stellar people-skills, endless patience; and,
  • The ability to work and live as a member of a team.

What we offer volunteers
This isn’t one of those pay-to-volunteer type deals. On the other hand, the tangible perks on offer are minimal– this is still volunteering after all. Your biggest reward and motivation should be the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the children we support.

Although you will be expected to cover your own living expenses while you’re here, these costs are likely to be minimal. Each guide pays only Q200 (or about $25) rent per month to live in the guide house and tips from clients usually cover three shared meals a day. When you’re guiding treks, all of your expenses are covered.

Guides pool all tips and the money goes into our Breakfast Club account which normally, but not always, is able to pay for all communal, non-trekking meals.

Quetzaltenango is a cheap place to live in general and we guestimate guides can get by comfortably on between $150 and $200/month. As far as volunteering goes, we think this is a pretty good deal.

What you need to bring
Although Quetzaltrekkers boasts an extensive gear room, most of our gear will be going out on weekly treks. It is possible to borrow things every now and then, but it is best for volunteers to bring their own gear. Some important things to bring are:

  • Backpack (60 liters or greater)
  • Hiking boots and sneakers
  • Sleeping bag (32F/0C or lower)*
  • Sleeping pad*
  • Hiking clothes (shirts, shorts, pants, socks, etc.)
  • Headlamp (headtorch if you're English) - with spare batteries
  • Warm jacket (down, fleece, wool, camelskin, whatever you have...)

*If you cannot fit these in your backpack you can borrow them from the gear room, but again it is best to bring your own.

In addition to hiking accessories, remember you will actually be living in Xela. That means toothbrush. Toothpaste. Normal clothes. Underwear. It is possible to buy clothes for very cheap here in Guatemala, generally used clothes from the States. Used underwear is not recommended.

So what about electronics? You are welcome to bring a laptop if you wish, but it is not necessary. The guide house does not have wifi, but Casa Argentina, where our office is located, does. Guides are required to provide their own cell phones and keep them available to both make and receive calls. Frequently, but not always, old guides leave their cell phones behind for new guides, in which case you will not have to buy your own. Prices for the cheapest phones in Xela vary but can be as low as 125 Q (about $16) and used phones in the market can normally be had for less.

The cost for cell phone service will depend on your usage, but most of the time there is a 100 Q per month minimum (about $13) and a judicious user normally has no problem spending only this amount. Guide phones MUST use the TIGO network as it has the most extensive coverage in the remote areas where we hike. TIGO uses GSM technology so there is a chance your own phone will work here, but you should do some research on your own rather than assuming it will. In January 2012 a TIGO SIM card cost 50 Q (about $6.50) and came with with 50 Q in credit (25 to 75 minutes talk time).

The "Guide Selection Process"
Each prospective guide is asked to go through a trial week, which has three parts:

First, the client hike. Sign up for any overnight hike and...be a client. See how things work.

Second, the trial week. This is where you will spend some quality time in the office, meeting the other guides, brushing up on dishwashing skills, meeting the kids, promoting treks - pretty much everything a guide does. During this time we ask that you donate Q100 to the Breakfast Club - we do feed you after all. Also, you will need to provide your own lodging for trial week. You can stay in Casa Argentina for Q25 a night in the dorm, or Q35 for a private room.

Third, the trial hike. This is where you show us your skills and help out as a guide on a hike. Generally this is the same trip you did for your client hike. After the trial hike, you will occupy a prestigious spot on our Monday NIght Meeting agenda, where we see if you like us and we like you. If everything works out, then Welcome Aboard!

 

Volunteer at the Children’s Dormitory: Hogar Abierto
Hogar volunteers are there to assist the Hogar staff in the care, supervision and general education of the 15 kids that live full-time in our dormitory in the centre of Quetzaltenango. These kids are often former street-kids and come from difficult family backgrounds. Hogar volunteers are given a lot of autonomy to choose what activities they do with the kids with the main emphasis being on keeping the kids active, engaged and motivated.

Importantly, Hogar volunteers also act as a liaison between the kids and the Quetzaltrekkers guides. Because they have a much closer daily involvement with the kids, Hogar volunteers keep the guides updated on Hogar activities, attend guide-meetings and are an integral part of the Quetzaltrekkers team. It is also possible to combine volunteering at the Hogar with volunteering at EDELAC.

What we are looking for
Working as a Hogar volunteer is a challenging but rewarding job. We ask that volunteers meet the following requirements:

  • A 2 month minimum time commitment;
  • A minimum intermediate Spanish language ability;
  • Availability at least 5 days per week, 5-6 hours per day;
  • Experience in children’s education and/or social work; and,
  • A strong desire to work with children and youth.
Volunteer at the Street School: EDELAC
EDELAC volunteers primarily work as teachers’ aides and are typically placed with a single class of students during their time here. These volunteers vastly improve the quality of education that we can offer the kids. This is especially the case with those students that require more individualized attention when they are studying and learning. Once again, these volunteers are given a lot of autonomy in their jobs and are invited to liven-up the curriculum with activities like theatre productions and art sessions.

What we are looking for:
This is a great opportunity to directly help some of the region’s most underprivileged kids. We are looking for people with:

  • A 1 month minimum time commitment;
  • A beginner-intermediate Spanish language ability;
  • Availability at least 5 days a week from 8am to 1pm;
  • Experience in children’s education and/or social work; and,
  • A strong desire to work with children.

The next step...
Visit our profile on voluntrippin.com (external site) or omprakash.org (external site) for extra information and testimonials from past volunteers.
The next step is then to contact us. We’ll have a few preliminary questions for you as well as information about our induction process to get the ball rolling.