The face of Element X
An X Guide is not a tour leader. The safety, the pace, the morale and the growth of your group rest with you. In terrain with no emergency services and no phone signal.
- You read the terrain, the weather and the group, and you make the call
- You keep your head when someone falls or goes hypothermic
- You hold the thread of the leadership programme
Participant communication, admin and logistics sit with our office team. You focus on the field and on the people.
The warm human and the adventure rock
We are not after one or the other. We want both, in the same person. The adventure rock we can teach you. The warm human you either bring, or you do not.
Technical skill, safety, navigation, decisions under pressure. You are solid in extreme terrain and you know what to do when it goes wrong.
Former military, mountain guides, divers, ship captains, rope access specialists, elite athletes.
Communication, a feel for the group, and how you handle people when it gets hard. A connector who keeps looking at what each participant can do.
Facilitators, coaches, trainers, outdoor instructors.
How it works
1 | Your application
Send your CV, your motivation and your contact details to jobs@elementx.travel.
2 | The questionnaire
How you see adventure, how you behave in a group and where your limits lie.
3 | Introduction meeting
An open conversation at Kasteel Borgwal in Gavere about who you are and what the programme will ask of you.
4 | The preparation programme
Four to five months and four to five sessions: physical assessment, a training plan built around you, technical training, final check.
5 | The Wilderness Training | 20 to 28 March 2027
Nine days in the Romanian Carpathians: navigation, rescue, rope work, field logistics and group dynamics under pressure. See the training
6 | Your first year
From your very first expedition you go along as second expedition leader, next to an experienced lead guide. Paid, from day one.
What follows once you are selected
A paid first year
A day rate from your first expedition that grows with your experience. No unpaid internship.
The X Guide pool
You join the X Guide pool and guide expeditions as second expedition leader until you step up to lead guide. You learn from the other X Guides, and every expedition ends with a feedback session.
Gear and expenses
We supply the specialist gear. For boots and clothing you get a budget per expedition day, and travel costs (fuel and public transport) are reimbursed.
You choose, we make it fit
You mark your availability in a shared planning document. Three to six expeditions a year on average, as a freelancer.
What you are signing up for
This programme is a training, not a hiring test. The training and the expedition come at a cost. All the conditions are on the page of the Wilderness Training. There is no guarantee of a job. What you take with you are wilderness skills proven in the field, an honest sense of your own limits, and a network of people after the same thing.
Safety and funding. We work with WFR certified expedition leaders, satellite communication, GPS tracking, evacuation plans and local partners on the ground. Flemish freelancers and companies can claim up to 30% funding from Vlaio on the training part through the KMO Portefeuille. Already have a solid expedition background and a valid WFR certificate? Email us directly.
Ready to apply?
Send your contact details, your motivation and your CV to jobs@elementx.travel. The programme starts in autumn 2026 and ends with the Wilderness Training in the Carpathians, from 20 to 28 March 2027.
Other vacancies
Check out our open vacancies below and
discover how you can become part of our team.
Other vacancies
Check out our open vacancies below and discover how you can become part of our team.