Rich Griffeth

Rich Griffeth, Professional Mountain Guiding and Wilderness Guiding Memberships:

• Spanish Mountain Guides Association (AEGM)
• Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA)
• Wilderness Guides Association (WGA)
• Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports and Climbing (FEDME)
• Valencian Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing (FEMECV)

Professional Mountain Guiding and Wilderness Guiding Certifications:

1. Rock Climbing Guide (Guía de Escalada en Roca/Técnico Deportivo en Escalada) - AEGM
2. Canyoning Guide (Guía de Barrancos/Técnico Deportivo en Barrancos) - AEGM
3. UIMLA-Accredited International Mountain Leader Guide (Guía de Media Montaña/Técnico Deportivo en Media Montaña) - AEGM & UIMLA
4. Wilderness Guide - WGA
5. Wilderness First Responder, including adult, child, and infant CPR-certified and Epinephrine Auto-Injector-certified

Professional Mountain Guiding and Wilderness Guiding Board Memberships:

• Board of Directors, American Hiking Guides Association
• Board of Recruiting, Wilderness Guides Association, North American recruiting

Why should you come with Rich Griffeth and Bigtime Aventura?

• I am the only native English speaker in the Spanish Mountain Guides Association and I am fluent in Spanish.
• I am the only AEGM guide in the entire Community of Valencia that has been certified under their current guiding certifications as a professional rock climbing guide, canyoning guide, and UIMLA-accredited International Mountain Leader Guide.
• According to the AEGM, I am one of only five guides in all of Spain with this combination of professional training and experience.
• I offer trips in different parts of the world. The majority of the year I spend guiding in Spain. However, I also spend several months each year in Patagonia. Furthermore, I customize trips to other mountain ranges such as the European Alps and the South American Andes.
• Learn about yourself in a unique and customized way. Push your mental and physical limits through outdoor adventures, mountain activities, and wilderness experiences.

Rich Griffeth

Hi, my name is Rich Griffeth and I'm the owner and guide at Bigtime Aventura. For more than 20 years I have been recreating in the mountains. I enjoy these active vacations so much that I changed my entire career and became a certified mountain guide, allowing me to legally guide and share these wonderful experiences with people like you.

I offer a range of different mountain guided activities because I hold several guiding certifications in different disciplines. Rock climbing, canyoning, hut to hut hiking, via ferrata, ridge climbing, coasteering, and snowshoeing are some of the most popular activities we can do together. I am also a certified wilderness guide so if you're interested in bushcraft and survival techniques we can organize a trip in a remote area to get away from today's high-stress digitalized world and focus on basic and simple living and the mental strategies to survive and be comfortable.

I think it is important to enjoy your active vacation and feel safe while engaging in physically and mentally challenging activities in the mountains and in wilderness areas. Spending time in nature helps to free you from your everyday stress and remind you that life can be simple when you strip away the extraneous components. Being engaged in an activity such as rock climbing, canyoning, via ferrata, hut to hut hiking, coasteering, or ridge climbing forces you to live in the moment. I want to create and share memorable moments with you. My goal is to minimize the risk involved in the activities that we will do, take you to incredibly beautiful natural areas, and be a part of a memorable vacation that you will never forget.

Psychology of Outdoor Adventures

The psychology of outdoor adventures is often overlooked, however, it is far more difficult to master compared with the physical aspect. A lot of what I do is actually focused on personal well-being and advancement, even though you might not realize it during the activity. My activities will allow you to focus on being present in the moment. It's really the essence of life but it is an easily overlooked aspect of everyday living. While partaking in adventurous outdoor activities with me you can feel comfortable knowing that safety and security are taken care of so then you can focus on the objective at hand. I will put you in situations where you will be challenged and it's up to you to conquer the moment. These situations will allow you to succeed physically but also mentally. I hope you join me so we can create an unforgettable active vacation together.

I think it's important to make a connection with you so you feel comfortable. Your physical and mental performance will improve when you are comfortable and you will be able to enjoy the activity and your vacation much more. Below is some more information about me. I hope this helps you learn a little bit about me before we start.

Thanks for viewing this page. I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you too. Feel free to contact me at any time. I hope to see you soon!

Turning a passion into a job

I love to travel and explore the wilderness. Activity-based excursions have allowed me to visit many places in the world including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. I have spent extended time climbing, hiking, skiing, canyoning, mountain biking, snowshoeing, and doing via ferratas. My passion to explore, respect, and enjoy the mountains and the ability to share these values and experiences with others led me to become a mountain guide. This profession allows me to travel, be outdoors, meet amazing people, and safely take them to spectacular locations.

Spain

I moved to Valencia in 2009 and was immediately enamored with Spain's mountainous terrain. I haven't stopped exploring it's hidden secrets since I arrived. My excursions started with weekend trips to the mountains in the Valencia area while doing my doctorate in biomedical science. These shorter trips turned into multi-day trips all over the Iberian peninsula and Europe. After four years I received my PhD degree and also visited many places in Europe.

I spent another year in the Valencia area as a postdoctoral fellow before embarking upon another postdoctoral research position in Switzerland. After Switzerland, I returned to Spain and started to change my career path to follow my passion for the mountains, wanting to spend more time in nature and wilderness areas. I completed my professional mountain guide training in Spain and became a certified rock climbing guide, certified canyoning guide, and certified international mountain leader guide. I became a member of the Spanish Mountain Guides Association and the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations. I also completed my professional wilderness guide training and became a member of the Wilderness Guides Association. With these certifications I started my own mountain guiding and wilderness guiding company, and Bigtime Aventura was born.

Trajectory

I have tried to live an exciting and active life. I've lived in six different countries and visited dozens more. My motto is that you only live once, so go big or go home, which has morphed into "Go Bigtime or go home!" This mantra has led to the exciting trips and activities that I offer and to Bigtime Aventura's unofficial slogan, "It's not called Littletime Aventura!" I enjoy guiding in the mountains and teaching people. In a past life I was an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic in the USA and an associate professor of physiology at a university in Spain. I also taught English as a Foreign Language in Peru. These life experiences have helped shape my thought process and my ability to connect with people from all over the world.

If you are interested in outdoor activities do not hesitate to contact Bigtime Aventura. I would be happy to talk with you and design a trip just for you. Be ready to push your limits and learn about yourself. Spending time in the outdoors and partaking in exciting activities in the mountains allow you to disconnect from the digitalized modern world, reground your feet, and reset your mind. Come for the serenity or the excitement and rediscover yourself with Bigtime Aventura.