The Team
WCA - Banff Canyoning
The guides
At Western Canyoning Adventure, our guides are the heart and soul of the experiences we offer.
We take immense pride in our team of experienced and passionate professionals who ensure every canyoning experience is safe, thrilling, and unforgettable.
We’re especially proud of the growing number of talented women who are joining our team, bringing their unique skills and perspectives to the world of canyoning.
Meet the people who make our adventures extraordinary!
Guillaume Coupier
Founder & Lead Guide
Originally from France, where canyoning is a well-established sport, Guillaume developed a deep appreciation for the Canadian Rockies’ unique landscapes and opportunities for exploration. His expertise has been shaped through mentorship and collaboration with local pioneers such as JP Kors, Joe Storms, Greg Horn, and Katie Graham, as well as his teachers Rich Carlson (founder of the ACA and CGI), Rick Green (current President of the ACA), and his instructors at Atoutcorde back in France.
Guillaume’s passion for exploration and travel led him to establish Western Canyoning Adventure (WCA) and Banff Canyoning to share his love for the sport with a wider audience. He firmly believes in the power of collaboration to achieve great things and strives to bring together like-minded people within the organization.
His guiding and teaching philosophy is centered on empowering participants in a safe and supportive environment, helping them to accomplish what they once thought impossible. This in some of the most beautiful places on earth.
Guillaume holds certifications as an ACA and CGI professional guide, is a Level 3 Swift Water Rescue Technician through Rescue Canada, and is trained in advanced first aid and rope access techniques.
Matthew Arnold
Okanagan Co-owner & Lead Guide
Matthew Arnold’s love for adventure has led him to explore some of the most remote and beautiful places on Earth. With over a decade of guiding experience, he enjoys leading trips through caves, canyons, and snowy mountains.
He holds a Canadian Avalanche Association Level 2 Certification and works as a professional snowmobile guide in Revelstoke in winters. Matthew is also a certified Vertical Cave Technician and Swift Water Rescue Technician, and holds Pro-Guide certifications from the American Canyoneering Association and Level 2 Canyon Guide International. Safety is a top priority for him, and he has maintained a Level 3 or higher First Aid Certification for nearly 20 years.
Matthew enjoys creating new trips and exploring unfamiliar areas and he’s passionate about helping others develop the skills they need to enjoy their own adventures.
Irene Hervas
She is the doer!
Since 2021, she’s been rocking our social media game like a pro, teaching herself the ropes along the way.
From photography to marketing, she’s been a driving force, and she’s now taken charge of our bookings, managing the schedule and the books in 2024.
She is the mother of all guides at WCA, ensuring that your trip with us goes smoothly! Both loved and respected, she has a reputation that commands attention!
John-Paul Kors
Lead Guide – Instructor
He has been invested in this venture since the beginning, serving as a mentor to Guillaume and helping to make this company a reality.
As one of the original canyoning pioneers in the Canadian Rockies, alongside Greg Horn and Joe Storm, he has been involved in many first descents. Known for his quiet demeanor, JP excels in the art of speaking when it truly matters. Fondly referred to as “the bear” by his colleagues, he is a gentle and caring guide with his clients, ensuring their safety and empowerment throughout their canyoning experiences.
His qualifications include being a Rescue Canada Swiftwater Instructor, an advanced First Aider, a retired Mountain Rescue Technician (with 25 years of experience), and a retired Avalanche Forecaster (with 15 years of experience).
Joe Storms
Lead Guide – Instructor
One of the original pioneers of the Canadian Rockies, he was introduced to canyoning by Greg Horn and has explored many canyons across western Canada since then.
He founded Rocky Mountain Canyoning in Jasper and has been teaching with Rescue Canada and other structures for years, both in Canada and abroad (including the US, China, Honduras, Costa Rica, and more).
He has been an exceptional support for Guillaume and the company and continues to be.
As the only Master Guide in Canada, if you’re lucky enough to have him on a swimming trip, you can say you learned from one of the best!
Kathleen Graham
Passionate Guide
Katie has been guiding with us intermittently for a few years, whenever she’s not on one of her adventurous expeditions.
As a cave and canyon explorer, she discovered the deepest and second-deepest caves in Canada and was part of the first descents of Mt. Robson and Mt. Wilson alongside Greg Horn and others.
She is the President of the Alberta Speleological Society and was featured in the film Subteranean.
She appreciates guiding canyoning as it allows participants to find their own path in a unique way.
Tanner Ellingboe
Passionate Guide
Born and raised in Invermere, Tanner started canyoning six years ago with Guillaume, as they were climbing partner. Over the years, he has been on a few first descents and helping as an assistant.
Planning to quit his engineering job in 2024 to take a break from the office, he joined the guide training in the spring and became a CGI Level 2 guide.
Tanner’s special talent is teaching the ropes and motivating the group to make each trip as fun as possible!
Olivia Brady
Passionate Guide
Born and raised in Australia, Olivia has been exploring canyons in Victoria since 2017.
In 2023, she left her nursing job and moved to Canada. Shortly after her arrival, she connected with the local canyoning community and became an assistant guide for her first season with us.
In 2024, she passed her ACA Pro-Guide certification and guided at Abraham Lake and Canmore. Her focus is on safety and empowering her guests, which drives her passion for guiding.
Gerald Kors
Passionate Guide
Gerald was also here when Guillaume was still figuring out how to start this venture and was great help and a good guinea pig!
He grew up rock climbing, skiing, ice climbing, swift water swimming, canyoning, caving, etc. with his father, starting at the younguest age, did a full season with us in 2022 and is coming back giving a hand when he is not on a rope access job or on a climbing mission.
Don’t be mistaken by his age, he has probably more experience in the mountains than many other older guides!
Joan Lopez
Passionate Guide
After a few years living in Canada he met Guillaume in a Canyon in 2022. Joan has been involved in the company ever since, helping out whenever needed and getting trained at the same time. He became Pro-Guide with the ACA in 2024.
Joan loves nature and guiding, if you are lucky enough to have him as a guide do not forget to say Hola!
Robyn Solland
Passionate Guide
Robyn was born and raised in the Okanagan where she developed her love for the outdoors from a young age.
Outside among the rocks and trees, she feels grounded. She started climbing 6 years ago, which led her to seek opportunities to further her technical rope knowledge.
Becoming an assistant CGI canyon guide with us at the beginning of 2023 was an ideal progression for her! She’s very social, which shows through her guiding as well as her work as a teacher in the off season.
Nathan Casperson
Passionate Guide
Their love for travel and adventure got them into canyoning in 2022 and they have been leading trips in 2023.
Nathan is truly passionate about helping others explore and discover the outdoors, through guiding as well as recreational trips.
Other team members
Kyle Singbeil
He started coming on trips to shoot in the canyons in 2018 and became our official photographer. You can book a trip with him in order to get professional shots of your adventure. He is currently working on his skills to become an assistant guide for the 2021 season.
Become a guide
We are currently for guides for next season!
If you are already a Canyoning guide please send us your resume and we will contact you as soon as we can. If you are not a guide but think this is a job for you we can already start to prepare you for that, sooner the better!
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