HIKING GUIDE

Certainly the first question every hiker asks themselves: who will I hike with? Who will be my guide in the Queyras? Who will accompany me to Crévoux, Embrun, Serre Ponçon? These legitimate questions invite you to discover me.

I'm Nicolas Djerekian [aka Nico or Djé], a hiking guide (mountain leader), former soldier, and firefighter. Yes, all of that in a 1.80-meter frame. To find out more, join me, follow the trail markers, and let me guide you on a private path.

 My life is like a hike

My life doesn't follow a marked path. Rather, it unfolds along an unpredictable route, offering different itineraries as I take each step. Track to the right, path to the left, which way have I gone? What GPS track have I left behind?

Starting point / My childhood

 Originally from the Var region, and deeply attached to my home, I grew up in Saint Maximin la Sainte Baume. It was in this reassuring and peaceful setting, surrounded by my family, that I spent my childhood. As a child, I had many ideas about my future (firefighter, elite athlete, soldier). But even then, Sunday family hikes in search of mushrooms were a source of great joy for me. I explored the surrounding mountains of the Hautes-Alpes with insatiable curiosity, feeling the rhythm of each step.

 Slight detour / Firefighter

 In 2000, I hit the road, heading for Marseille. I chose to join the Marseille Naval Fire Brigade (a unit of the French Navy) for its intense pace and the strong sense of camaraderie and brotherhood that prevails there. I stayed for a decade before transferring to another unit and eventually retrained after 22 years of service. Being in excellent physical condition is essential in this profession. So I played sports, lots of sports, and I really enjoyed it. Kickboxing at a professional level, swimming, road cycling, running, but also in my free time, mountaineering, rock climbing, ski touring, and ice climbing. As you can see, the mountains are never far away.

    The Ascent / Hiking Guide / Mountain Leader

 But the idea of ​​returning to the Embrun region, a place I love so much, kept nagging at me. So, a major change of direction in 2018! I ventured down a less traveled path, steeper and more challenging, but one that better suited my aspirations. In September 2018, I registered for the entrance exams to obtain my state diploma as a mid-mountain guide. In April 2022, I reached the summit and earned the coveted mid-mountain guide diploma. It was then that I definitively left the rescue field and settled in Embrun, in the Durance Valley, where I founded NatureXplore. 

Arrival point / NatureXplore

 Starting your own business is like venturing off the beaten path, traversing a ledge, or hiking along a hillside. It can quickly become daunting and a little stressful. In these circumstances, it's best to be well-equipped and prepared. Fortunately, in my backpack, in addition to my compass, water bottle, and Gore-Tex jacket, I carry a range of skills useful for successfully completing this adventure: courage, perseverance, good interpersonal skills, composure, and a good dose of humor.

 I invite you to join me on a journey through NatureXplore, discovering the magnificent landscapes of the Embrun, Queyras, and Écrins mountain ranges, including the Verdon Gorge; hiking or snowshoeing; in summer and winter; day and night. To give you a glimpse of the breathtaking panoramas we'll visit, I invite you to browsemy photo page.

 In my opinion, hiking is synonymous with…

Freedom.

When you're walking in nature, when the pebbles crunch under your shoes and the wind whistles through the treetops, you forget everything. Personally, I leave behind constraints, the incessant ringing of my phone, my unreliable internet connection. Hiking embodies this nomadic spirit, this letting go that breathes fresh air into our lives, a parenthesis outside of time. 

Humility.

When you hike in the mountains, when your eyes marvel at the peaks that touch the sky or are lost in the vertiginous voids, you feel infinitely small in the face of these immensities, humbled before the power of these colossal giants. How can one not feel this modesty in the face of the grandeur of the nature that surrounds us?

Respect.

The mountain opens its doors to us, allowing us to discover its fauna, flora, forests, valleys, silence, and intimacy. Like a discreet guest, we owe it respect.

Hiking in the mountains also invites us to respect ourselves, our own limits, but also to consider others, those who hike near us.

 Solidarity.

If there is one place where solidarity is clearly expressed, it is the mountains. Faced with someone struggling, sweating, with trembling legs, the famous "team spirit" manifests itself and translates into kindness, safety, friendship, mutual aid and listening. 

It's time to lace up your hiking boots, head for the mountains, discover new horizons, and share strong human values. Explore the   SUMMER  or  WINTER  to find the perfect option for you, or  send me a message  to discuss your project.

 So, wearing a good pair of (hiking) shoes, I say see you very soon in the mountains near Embrun or elsewhere.

 Nico