What it took to build a Wellness Adventure Tourism Company
Wild Vedas is the culmination of 15 years dedicated to learning outdoor safety, yoga, and natural medicines. I've had the privilege of facilitating hundreds of multi-day programs for thousands of people. And that's before all the foundational work for my own business – managing insurance, securing tenures, permits, and building partnerships.
What you get to see is a fun operation set up and ready to run some pretty cool programs in pretty stunning places. What you don’t get to see is meticulous hours and investment have been put into scouting appropriate hikes and camping areas, applying for tenures and commercial permits, finding an insurance company that will cover all the varying aspects of the operations, consulting with First Nations and other land users. All in the pursuit of a really beautiful vision.
Wild Vedas was born from an enormous amount of grit, experience, and a deep connection to these practices, and I am so proud of where it sits today. Every adventure, every practice, every connection we offer is infused with years of dedicated learning and hands-on experience.
I’ll leave the personal story for another time, but here's a glimpse into the professional journey that brought Wild Vedas to life:
2011: Outdoor Education (UK) An 8-month apprenticeship, where I immersed myself in remote first aid, sailing, off-track navigation, rope work, and facilitating multi-day outdoor programs.
2012-2014: Bachelor of Design in Architecture My degree focussed specifically on human-centered and community-focused design, understanding how spaces impact well-being. During this time, I also expanded my facilitating skills, spending a summer in Bali hosting international groups at GreenCamp, teaching environmental initiatives, and later that year, teaching environmental studies in the Maldives.
2015: Backcountry Education (New Zealand) I spent a year in New Zealand earning my Certificate III and IV in backcountry hiking (known as 'Tramping' in Kiwi 🥝 ). These programs have since been redesigned, and my certification now meets diploma-level standards.
2016: Operational Leadership I joined Outward Bound Australia full-time, leading back to back expeditions that ranged from 5-14 days each. Later that year, I became Operations Manager for an Educational Travel Company, training participants for world travel, ensuring program safety through international liaisons, and managing complex logistics for groups abroad. This role, which included guiding many 4-5 week international trips, profoundly honed my ability to lead with clarity, anticipate challenges, and create transformative experiences.
2018: Canada My move to Canada was driven by a passion for hiking, climbing, and skiing. I spent my first summer season here in Outdoor Education at Strathcona Park Lodge. Slowly, I discovered my personal yoga practice offered a powerful language to explore concepts I was already pondering in through my outdoor programs, leading me to complete my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training.
2019: Growing my yoga skillset This year was dedicated to teaching yoga and working at an Adventure and Yoga Resort in BC, alongside outdoor education contracts. I also completed my Reiki level 1. This was the year that Wild Vedas was started and envisioned.
2020: Adapting & Expanding When multi-day programs were on hold globally, I was just about to accept an Operations Manager role at an outdoor centre in the interior, I pivoted to guiding for Canadian Wilderness Adventures in Whistler, quickly adapting my multi-day program management skills to the unique risk management of running multiple trips a day on mechanized vehicles.
2020-2022: I spent three years completing my Advanced Diploma in Ayurvedic Medicine. This significantly advancing my knowledge of yoga, energetic anatomy, and natural medicines, allowing me to weave natures wisdom with my understanding spending long amounts of time in the outdoors.
2021: Started Yoga at the Sea to Sky Gondola, where I continue to teach each summer. Sometimes I feel the drop-in format lacks the time and depth for the kind of programming I'd offered for the previous decade. I hope to maybe break down this system in the future.
2023: Advanced Yoga Training I completed an additional 300 hours of yoga-specific training, continuing to refine my teaching and understanding.
Throughout this entire journey, I never stopped playing outside and exploring the world. I consistently maintained my Wilderness First Responder certification, observed countless operational systems, and meticulously selected the best practices. This continuous learning and adaptation has allowed me to build what I believe is a truly well-rounded, smooth and fun program with Wild Vedas.
Years spent in the wilderness, leading expeditions, and ensuring the safety of countless individuals weren't just about navigation or bagging summits. They instilled in me a profound respect for the power of nature, the resilience of the human spirit, and the importance of grounded, practical wisdom.
I hope you'll consider my little biz when you're choosing your next adventure.
-Nicki
Nicki is Founder of Wild Vedas & Lead Guide - a clinical Ayurvedic Practitioner, Yoga Teacher Trainer & Hiking Guide. She has been guiding transformative outdoor journeys since 2011.
Growing up in Australia, her career has had her living in New Zealand, the UK, Bali and now Canada, as well has having guided numerous programs across Asia and South America. She has held space for thousands of journeys of self reflection, awareness and growth using nature and community as mirrors back to ourselves. Nicki's programs prioritise playfulness, community, authenticity, and a deep curiosity for self-discovery, connection with others, and exploration of the world around us.
