To separate Paul Zizka from his passion for the mountains seems unthinkable. To separate him from enabling others from experiencing the mountains would be just as unreasonable.

Native to Quebec City, Paul first came to the Rockies in his mid-teens, and eventually returned to work for many seasons at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge on Bow Lake. He has always considered northern Banff National Park as both his niche in the world and his backyard playground. After exploring every corner of the area, and climbing every mountain in view, he began expanding his horizons and reaching for higher goals.

In the Rockies, Paul has climbed dozens of peaks and explored hundreds of kilometres of local and backcountry trails. His adventures have also taken him overseas where he has toured Europe and South America and a number of individual countries. In 2004, he ventured off on a 1400 km unsupported double-crossing of Iceland on foot, which is believed to be the first of its kind. In winter of 2007, he embarked on a 1488 km solo-crossing of the South Island of New Zealand to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS, a journey that was recently featured in a book, "Expedition to the Edge: Stories of Worldwide Adventure", by Lynn Martel. Recent adventures have taken him backpacking in the Caribbean and trekking in remote corners of Scandinavia.

Paul’s background in and passion for geology has been a major factor in his interest in the mountains. Having completed a degree in Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, and being an avid reader on this topic, Paul has an increased depth to his guiding portfolio because of his knowledge of the geological history of the mountains, and his acute understanding of the hiking terrain.

His bilingualism, natural talents, geological knowledge, training, passion for the outdoors, sense of adventure, conscientiousness, confidence, reliability, and interpretive skill-set make Paul the ideal guide for other adventurers who want an up-close-and-personal view of the mountain landscape.

Paul is now based in Banff, Alberta, where he enjoys easy access to the incredible peaks that surround the mountain town and also works as a professional photographer. He is a certified day-hiking guide from the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.