A new service has been launched that is designed to pair skiers and boarders at all levels with the best ski guides and instructors in resorts across Europe.
Working in a similar way to other websites where service providers are chosen for their excellence then rated by past customers, Ongosa allows you to find and book qualified, highly recommended mountain guides and snowsport instructors to enhance the skills of the modern mountain enthusiast at all levels.
The British-based business has access to over 1000 of mountain sport professionals with expert knowledge, experience and skill located across Europe with a network of 150 boutique schools and guiding agencies. During an initial soft launch earlier this year Ongosa reported a 100% success rate in improving the quality of their customers mountain trip.
Ongosa, which translates from the Swahili, meaning ‘to guide and to lead’ is the brainchild of mountain sports addict Richard Smith (Pictured above and in the powder, top) who has been working on setting up the service since 2014.
“Learning or improving your skiing, snowboarding or climbing shouldn’t be intimidating. It should be exciting and most of all, completely accessible,” said Richard, adding, “We believe the right local and technical knowledge enhances the adventure sports experience. We also think that everyone should have the opportunity to meet these elite specialists, especially as many of them make a living out of guiding or teaching, but survive on reputation and word-of-mouth. Ongosa has set out on a mission to make adventure sports more accessible, by connecting people who have shared interests in learning and teaching, guiding and exploring.”
Ongosa’s community includes instructors of all levels in ski and snowboard, as well as specialist professionals in mountaineering, heli-guiding, trekking, backcountry and climbing across Europe. All instructors on Ongosa have been carefully selected for their experience, qualifications and love of the mountains, Richard says.
Feedback from initial customers has been good, speaking about a guide he sourced through Ongosa in January, one client Ben Fenby commented,
“We cannot recommend Denis highly enough. He’s a great skier and a fantastic teacher who genuinely finds passion helping others and improving their technique. It’s rare to find someone at that level with the patience and ability to work with beginners. I found Ongosa simple, intuitive, responsive and would recommend to anyone.”
