About Us

We like to believe that our products are so good because of the passionate and friendly outdoor people who make Venture Forth work. Our permanent and freelance staff all work to the same high standards and together we form a team with diverse skills, broad adventure experience, unequalled ability and the highest qualifications.

All our guides are Registered Tourist Guides with the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism and all mountain guides hold qualifications in mountaineering from THETA and the SA Mountaineering Development & Training Trust (MDT). Venture Forth guides are all trained in first-aid and rescue procedures. Find us on Google+.

Remember: Ask your guide for his/her badge and qualifications!

Walther Meyer

Walt has lead the Venture Forth team since 1997 and is actively involved in all facets of the business. He has more than 21 years of mountaineering experience, gained since early childhood, and has a passion for the high, snowy places of the world. He is an accredited SA Mountaineering Development & Training Trust (MDT) Mountain Walking Instructor and Rock Climbing Instructor and a THETA (NQF) Mountain Skills Assessor; holding National Qualifications as an assessor, trainer and Mountaineering Guide. Walt trained extensively in the USA and Canada as a technical alpine leader (snow, rock and ice) and is a qualified paramedic (ILS, BTLS-A). He is an American Heart Association accredited instructor and is actively involved as a volunteer with the government emergency medical and rescue services. Tourist Guide Registration #: WC2921.

Richard Slater

Richard has a passion for the mountains which he has lived out from his very first trips into the outdoors as a young child. He has extensive hiking, rock climbing and ice climbing experience in the mountains of Southern Africa. Richard has managed South Africa’s top independent retailer of rock climbing, outdoor and mountaineering products, Mountain Mail Order, for the last seven years and is the co-owner and manager of South Africa’s largest climbing wall grip manufacturer, Gecko Grips. Richard holds the MDT Advanced Mountain Walking Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor Awards and has National Qualifications as a Mountain Walking, Abseiling and multi-pitch Rock Climbing Guide. He is a qualified and registered Emergency First Responder.

Alex Bond-Smith

Alex is both an experienced Mountain Guide and a “Cultural” Tour Guide and he will enrich your experience on the mountain with his broad knowledge of the history, industry, flora and fauna and culture of Cape Town and the Western Cape. He has 25 years personal mountaineering experience gained hiking and climbing in the mountains of the Western Cape, the Picos de Europa and Pyrenees of Spain and the Himalaya’s of Nepal. He is a qualified Regional Mountain Walking Guide as well as a Registered Tour Guide, registration number # WC1817.

Anthony Hall

Born and bred at the foot of Table Mountain, Anthony’s 15 years of mountaineering have taken him on an intimate discovery of South Africa’s outdoor secrets, as well as to Wales, Southern France, Italy, Romania, Norway, Thailand, and a pioneering expedition to the Patagonian Andes. He has recently returned to Cape Town having driven to Mt Kenya and back again.
Anthony holds National Qualifications as Rock Climbing Guide and National Mountain Walking Guide and the MDT awards of Rock Climbing Leader and Advanced Mountain Walking Leader. He is a National Qualifications assessor and an active volunteer on the Wilderness Search and Rescue Team. When not guiding in the summer months, Anthony is studying towards a Master’s degree in Environmental Management at the University of Cape Town

Roger Galloway

Roger has been involved in the outdoor industry, both professionally and recreationally since the days of MC Hammer. He is a qualified mountain walking, rock climbing and abseil guide, rope access technician (SAIRAA Level II), sound engineer and graphic designer. Roger has gained plenty of adventure experience working, wandering, paddling and climbing in Europe, Asia, Africa and the U.S. A dedicated weekend warrior, he stays out of mischief by hiking, climbing, kloofing, kayaking and planning future expeditions.

Ivan Goetz

Ivan recently retired from manufacturing to pursue his love of the mountains and interaction with like minded people. He has over 30 years of hiking and climbing experience around Southern Africa and completed MDT Advanced Mountain Walking Leader training. Ivan is a qualified and registered mountain walking guide (Tourist Guide Registration #: WC3527).

Dido DiDomenico

An avid photographer, fluent in Italian, Dido has since the early 70s’ gained extensive walking and moderate climbing experience in the Magalliesberg, Natal Drakensberg and Cape mountains. His enthusiasm and photographic passion for the outdoors has led him as far afield as Kilimanjaro, the Canadian Rockies, the Himalayas of Nepal and Tibet, ocean kayaking in Alaska and on Lake Superior. The highlight of his outdoor experience so far has been a dogsled expedition that crossed the frozen Arctic Ocean from Greenland to Ellesmere Island. He is a qualified Regional Tourist Guide (Tourist Guide Registration #: WC3258), has completed the MDT Advanced Mountain Walking Leader & Abseil Supervisor training programs, assisted on several photographic workshops and is currently working on a full National Tour Guiding certificate.

Ross Cowlin

Ross has trained to MDT Advanced Mountain Walking leader and Single Pitch Supervisor level and is a qualified Emergency First Responder. He is a keen mountaineer with diverse experience from crag rock climbing to alpine expeditions with a strong interest in conservation. Ross has climbed in Southern and East Africa as well as in South America and holds a B.Sc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Cape Town.