About Us

Enabling human-powered adventures.

Overview

The Adventure Gene was started from the belief that the best way to explore this earth is using your own two feet. Our mission is to enable outdoor journeys by sharing hard-fought knowledge and expertise. With over 40,000km of experience, we strive to make your outdoor aspirations a reality.

We do this by leveraging our extensive experience in ultralight gear, modern hiking techniques, and performance nutrition. This allows us to create and execute guided hiking trips in regions that are typically reserved for highly experienced hikers on personal trips. 

No matter the trip, you can always expect the same core experience.

All our trips include access to our Ultralight Comfort System™. We’ve partnered with industry-leading brands to equip you with cutting-edge ultralight gear and clothing for your trip. This includes tents, sleeping bags, hiking packs, down layers, fleece layers and more. All you need to bring are your shoes and the clothes on your back! This allows us to keep your pack weight around 10kg (hiking) or 15kg (snow camping).

We don’t use pre-made dehydrated meals. We source key ingredients from a local freeze-drying company in Canberra. This allow us to cook our meals on the trail, rather than just rehydrate them with hot water. 

All of our trips are tent-based experiences, taking you to places that are inaccessible by vehicle. This allows us to explore off the beaten track and get away from crowded tourist trails such as the Overland Track, Larapinta Trail and Cape to Cape Track.

Our guides have extensive outdoor experience, drawing on tens of thousands of kilometres from their own personal expeditions. Whilst every guide has their own unique background and interests, they all share a common set of skills and traits. No matter the guide you can expect a world-class educational experience, safe and supportive guidance, and a friendly face!

We have a strict maximum group size of 10 on all of our trips. With 2 guides, this means that we have an industry-leading guide to guest ratio of 1:5. This allows us to cater to a wide range of experiences and ensure that everyone is looked after.

Meet our Team

We have some of the best guides in the outdoor industry. All of our guides have a wealth of knowledge and experience, gained from thousands of kilometres of personal hiking. They are dedicated to giving you the best on-trail experience, tailoring your adventure with their own unique areas of interest.

Hiking Guides

Tom Bartlett

Based in Canberra, Tom is an accomplished endurance athlete with over 20,000km of hiking experience and speed records on iconic trails like the Australian Alps Walking Track and the Bibbulmun Track. His most recent trip was a full winter traverse of the AAWT.

As our resident gear guru, Tom ensures your pack is as light as possible without compromising safety. Tom’s passion for the outdoors is matched by his extensive knowledge and dedication to helping others explore the world on foot. Whether hiking, running, skiing or cycling, Tom’s adventurous spirit and expertise ensure every journey is unforgettable.

Join Tom on a trip to fast-track your outdoor skills and knowledge.

Maddie Wait

Originally from Perth, Maddie has over 15,000km of hiking experience and developed a love for the mountains after moving to Canberra.

In 2024, she set the overall self-supported record for New Zealand’s Te Araroa trail, and has recently completed a full winter traverse of the Australian Alps Walking Track.

As an elite endurance athlete, Maddie is our backcountry nutrition expert, designing and creating the delicious, high-quality meals for our trips.

Join Maddie for an adventure and be inspired by her incredible enthusiasm and friendly nature.

Tearloch Carr

Tearloch’s path to the wilderness began in the saddle as a professional cyclist and world’s youngest cycling Everester (age 16). Now a dedicated explorer of the Australian bush, he enjoys the rugged terrain of the Budawangs, and has completed many long-distance hikes such as the Larapinta Trail.

He brings a unique technical mastery to the team as the founder of Zero G Gear, where he designs and handcrafts his own ultralight equipment—from quilts and tents to backpacks. Tearloch believes that stripping away unnecessary weight allows for a deeper, more immersive connection with nature.

Join Tearloch on a trip to learn more about ultralight gear, and how to apply pro-athlete nutrition principles to your own bushwalking.

Steve Bickerstaff

For Steve, the mountains have been both a workplace and a sanctuary for over four decades. Whether hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing, his journeys are defined by a deep-seated passion for the alpine environment. Steve brings a wealth of experience to the team, having designed and led alpine programs for a diverse range of organisations – including training Maddie and Tom!

He operates on the belief that long, snowy journeys have a unique ability to inspire young minds and rejuvenate older ones. For Steve, guiding is not just a profession; it is a privilege to share the transformative power of adventure.

Join Steve to explore the Snowy Mountains with one of the most experienced alpine guides in Australia.

Lisa Vullings

Currently dividing her time between Hokkaido (Japan), Jindabyne, and the South Coast, Lisa is a seasoned outdoor professional who embraces a life of freedom and exploration.

Specialising in alpine backcountry travel, Lisa pursue’s winter across both hemispheres focusing on splitboarding and snowshoeing. Lisa holds a Level 5 New Zealand Avalanche Rescue Management certification and is trained as a ski and snowboard instructor. She is intimately familiar with Australian backcountry conditions and brings her friendly nature and hard-fought expertise on every snow-capped adventure.

Join Lisa and challenge yourself on a snow camping expedition this winter.

Dan McKinnon

Hailing from Mount Gambier, Dan’s passion for the outdoors was forged in the Australian Army, instilling a deep appreciation for navigating challenging environments. He’s since completed some of the world’s most renowned trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail and Tour de Mont Blanc.

Despite hiking all over the globe, Dan is always drawn back to the Australian bush and is excited to be back guiding in the Australian Alps. Dan’s military background and extensive global hiking experience give him a unique perspective on endurance, navigation, and appreciating the wild.

Join Dan to see the wilderness through the eyes of a resilient and down-to-earth adventurer.

Bec Conroy

Originally from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Bec now lives on the NSW South Coast where she spends the majority of her time trail running and hiking.

Having studied Exercise Physiology at Sydney University, she brings a wealth of technical and lived experience to the team.

Bec has just finished hiking the 4300km Pacific Crest Trail in the USA, and has returned to Australia to spend more time around the local mountains – and guide some trips of course!

Join Bec on an adventure and tap into her unique blend of technical knowledge and hiking experience.

Artist Guides

Annika Romeyn

Based in Canberra, Annika combines painting, drawing and print making to convey the humbling and restorative experience of walking in nature. Annika is an award-winning visual artist, an experienced educator and an avid hiker. She loves the process of sketching on site, in the elements, as well as the unique way that sketchbooks can hold memories, connecting her back to meaningful moments and journeys.

Join Annika on a Paint & Hike to embrace creativity as a means of slowing down and deepening your engagement with place.

Sophie Baker

Growing up on a cattle station in NSW, Ngunnawal Country, Sophie ‘art’ Baker caught the wilderness explorer bug early. A plein-air impressionist landscape painter, she studied Creative Arts alongside Science and worked as a neuroscience researcher and trainer before returning to her lifelong love of wild places. Hiking or riding her mountain bike, Sophie paints in the open air to explore identity, capture the feeling of being there and pay respect to Traditional Owners. Her work captures the immediacy of nature: birdsong, heat, rain, elevation, plants, colour and light.

Join Sophie on a Paint & Hike to slow down, notice more deeply, and experience creativity in the landscape.

Behind the Scenes Team

Karla Guevarra

Karla is the operational backbone of The Adventure Gene, overseeing the detailed work that turns every itinerary into a carefully coordinated departure. As our Logistics Manager, she brings together the many moving parts behind each trip and communicates closely with clients, ensuring they feel informed, confident and ready for their journey.

Her oversight allows our guides to focus on delivering an exceptional experience in the field. Having personally explored many of the regions where we guide, including Blue Waterholes, Jagungal Wilderness, the Main Range and Sapphire Coast, Karla brings valuable firsthand knowledge to her role. Outside work, she and her partner enjoy participating in fun runs.

Gayle Rufole

With a background in tourism and a natural eye for visual storytelling, Gayle manages our content team and leads the creative direction of the business. She develops ideas, shapes designs and finds inspiring ways to share our adventures across social media.

Outside work, Gayle enjoys photography and co-founded Trailmates PH, an outdoor community that encourages people to explore nature, try new experiences and connect through shared adventures.

Ken Aparicio

A keen hiker and creative storyteller, Ken helps bring our adventures to life as part of the content team. He edits trip photos for our clients and creates engaging videos for social media, helping people relive their experiences and inspiring others to explore the outdoors.

Ken has climbed Mount Kosciuszko and co-founded Trailmates PH alongside Gayle. Through the community, they bring people together to enjoy hiking, discover new places and share memorable outdoor experiences.

Tom & Maddie's Story

The foundation of The Adventure Gene is an unparalleled depth and breadth of experience in ultralight hiking. This includes setting hiking speed records on trails such as the Australian Alps Walking Track, Bibbulmun Track and Te Araroa.

After studying theoretical physics, we (Tom and Maddie) decided to leave behind the academic life and pursue our love for sharing the outdoors with others. Too often we would meet people who aspired to adventure, but lacked the confidence to commit to their dream. We knew that with the right guidance, these dreams could often turn into reality.

Based on these experiences, we set out to provide outdoor adventures built on three pillars: the best gear, in-depth education, and wilderness immersion. We couldn’t find a guiding company that shared this philosophy, so we decided to start our own.

Below, you’ll find a map and list of the personal trips that we have completed. If you have questions about a specific trip or would like some advice for your own planning, please reach out. We would be more than happy to have a chat.

Adventure Map

Trip Timeline

Winter Australian Alps Walking Track

ACT/NSW/VIC, Australia

Jun/Jul 2025

Australian Alps Walking Track

ACT/NSW/VIC, Australia

Dec 2024

Attack of The Buns

NSW, Australia

Apr 2024

Te Araroa FKT

New Zealand

Jan/Feb 2024

NOLS Instructor Course

New Zealand

Feb/Mar 2023

Bibbulmun Track FKT

WA, Australia

Sep 2022

Pacific Crest Trail

North America

May 2022

Australian Alps Walking Track FKT

VIC/NSW/ACT, Australia

Jan 2022

Mt Magog, Talyuberlup Peak, Mt Toolbrunup

WA, Australia

Oct 2021

Stirling Range Ridge Walk

WA, Australia

Oct 2021

Bibbulmun Track

WA, Australia

Sep 2021

Cape to Cape Track

WA, Australia

Sep 2021

Huemul Circuit

Argentina

Feb 2020

Torres Del Paine Q Circuit

Chile

Jan 2020

Greater Patagonian Trail

Chile & Argentina

Dec 2019

Mt Chachani

Peru

Dec 2019

Colca Canyon Trek

Peru

Dec 2019

Ausangate Circuit

Peru

Dec 2019

Lares Trek

Peru

Dec 2019

Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu

Peru

Nov 2019

Mt Kosciuszko Bikepacking Loop

NSW, Australia

Sep 2019

Larapinta Trail

NT, Australia

Jun 2019

Budawangs Corang Arch and The Castle

NSW, Australia

Jun 2019

Great South West Walk

VIC, Australia

Feb 2019

Great Ocean Walk

VIC, Australia

Nov 2019

Wilsons Promontory Southern Circuit

VIC, Australia

Jan 2019

Walls of Jerusalem

TAS, Australia

Jan 2019

Overland Track

TAS, Australia

Jan 2019

Penguin Cradle Trail

TAS, Australia

Jan 2019

Frenchmans Cap

TAS, Australia

Jan 2019

Bay of Fires Walk

TAS, Australia

Jan 2019

Freycinet Loop

TAS, Australia

Jan 2019

Three Pillars Track

TAS, Australia

Jan 2019

HUNT 1000

VIC/NSW/ACT, Australia

Dec 2018

Great South Coast Walk

NSW, Australia

Jun 2018

Te Araroa (South Island)

New Zealand

Dec 2017

Poon Hill Trek

Nepal

Nov 2017

Great North Walk

NSW, Australia

Jul 2017

Australian Alps Walking Track

VIC/NSW/ACT, Australia

Dec 2016

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