Cache_Seven Connects Outdoor Enthusiasts with Professional Guides in Colorado and Beyond

Gliding through backcountry powder, sending your first advanced climb, seeing a mama bear and her cubs in the wild — these are the kinds of lasting memories that hook people to the outdoors.

“I've had so many experiences like that, and each one of them has done something to change who I am and what my perspective is. I want to create that opportunity and get more people outside,” says Kevin Luzak, co-founder of Cache_Seven.

The free-to-use online platform connects outdoor guides with adventurers across the globe. Since launching in June, it’s amassed more than two hundred professionals with expertise in hiking, cycling, climbing, skiing, surfing, paddling and fishing.

“I wanted to create a very simple on-ramp — all activities, all geographies in one place,” explains Luzak, a former professional sailor and longtime governing council member of the Wilderness Society. In these roles, he’s observed exclusivity in the outdoor space, namely as it relates to more technical sports.

The “in-crowd” knows where to go, what to do and how to do it. Cache_Seven is an open door into that world.

How Cache_Seven Works for Adventurers

In short, Cache_Seven is a service directory that sort of feels like a social media app. Search for adventures geographically via its interactive map feature, which also allows you to filter by activity and season, or scroll through smiling guides’ photos and snappy biographies. Most share their backgrounds and credentials, though not all have a blue checkmark, so to speak.

“For climbing, there's AMGA [American Mountain Guides Association] and other entities that provide certification,” says Luzak. But, he adds, “It's very difficult to demonstrate that you're a great fly guide.” In those cases, it really comes down to whether or not they pass the vibe check.

For example, Harlan Kimball is registered on Cache_Seven and leads float trips through Silverthorne-based Cutthroat Anglers. He grew up fishing in New England, enjoys skiing in the winter and fuels his adventures with Coors Light. Rather than swiping right, you can “add to cache” and save his Eagle River excursion to a folder within your user account.

You can also save full gear lists and individual products, which are recommended (and often personally tested) by guides. Suggested items are also tailored to trip demands. “Having clients show up ready to go is a great thing for guides across the board,” says Luzak.

How Cache_Seven Works for Guides

“We are acutely aware of the economic conditions that make life in some of these places difficult for guides,” affirms Luzak, who’s based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Compared to other towns, its cost of housing ranks second-highest in the nation per SnowBrains. Respectively, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs take third and fourth place.

“[A guide’s] ability to increase their income is limited because they get paid a fee by the outfitter and they get a tip. We're giving them the opportunity to create an additional level of income,” he explains.

It’s free for guides to register on Cache_Seven, as it entirely monetizes its business through affiliate commissions. Guides also receive a kickback when users buy from their gear lists.

Luzak admits, “We are essentially taking all of the tools available to social media influencers.” But unlike content creators who rely on paid collaborations and willing partners, guides on Cache_Seven can earn commissions from more than 10,000 brands and 1.5 million products.

“We haven't found anybody [with] our breadth of coverage,” says Luzak, who says he's fairly certain that Cache_Seven is the world’s largest brand platform specializing in the outdoor space. “We've essentially aggregated all of the big players.”

Colorado-Based Guides and Trips

“Overall, my experience [with Cache_Seven] has been totally amazing. I'm a one-man guiding band so having help with any aspect of my business is a huge help,” says Eric Larsen of Crested Butte. Dodging polar bears on an unassisted expedition to the North Pole and voyaging to the South Pole, North Pole and top of Mount Everest in a single year are among his incredible accomplishments — he’s a cancer survivor to boot.

“I am definitely more on the extreme end of guided adventures, as well as how they are run,” explains Larsen, who leads expeditions to Greenland, along with the North and South Poles. “There are no sherpas on my trips so clients have to be prepared physically and mentally, and I work with them extensively prior to the trip's departure.”

In addition to a Level 1 polar training course in northern Minnesota, Larsen offers an intro to winter camping course in Colorado. These hands-on opportunities cover camp set-up, skiing and sled-pulling techniques, menu planning and food prep, winter layering and more.

“Having the right gear and equipment for my guided trips is crucial to our success but even more important, our safety,” comments Larsen. Many adventures listed by Cache_Seven come with inherent risks, backcountry skiing included.

“We offer avalanche education with several Level 1 and Level 2 courses for recreational skiers,” says Bill Allen of Telluride-based Mountain Trip. The AMGA-accredited outfitter also offers guided backcountry ski trips worldwide, with permitted terrain in Telluride, Silverton and Red Mountain Pass, which is becoming known as a “destination” zone given its multiple huts for overnight lodging.

“Beyond that, we also guide ice climbing throughout the San Juans, including in the world-renowned Ouray Ice Park, and classic backcountry climbs around Silverton like Stairway to Heaven. On the Telluride side of the hill, there are even more iconic ice climbs, including Bridal Veil Falls and the Ames Ice Hose,” Allen explains.

While hardcore adventures like these often necessitate a guide, Cache_Seven features less intense experiences, too. Climb beginner-friendly top rope routes at nearby North Table with Golden Mountain Guides; raft through thrilling rapids in Aspen with river enthusiast Lange Adams; or trek the Colorado Trail with Jim Gabriel of Paragon Guides and its gear-carrying llamas.

Currently, Cache_Seven offers 22 guided experiences in Colorado, with excursions also available domestically and abroad. Learn more at cacheseven.com.