Can’t beat a classic. The old one was well due a refresh.
This dinner is light and so quick to prepare. I love the flavours and it's got lots of seeds.
Lightweight, fun colour and quick to dry
Great bit of gear. No leaks, no fuss.
PAST Outdoors Leadership Development Program
for Business Leaders & Public Figures
Because true leadership isn't built in comfort.
Why choose a PAST Outdoors Executive Travel experience?
Every executive eventually reaches a point where experience, intelligence and strategy alone are no longer enough.
The PAST Outdoors Executive Leadership Development Program places you in an environment where there are no titles, no offices and no shortcuts—only mountains, weather, teammates and decisions.
Through physical challenge, shared hardship, you'll discover strengths you didn't know you possessed and confront limitations you've spent years avoiding.
This isn't about climbing a mountain.
It's about becoming the leader your family, your team, your organisation and most importantly, you, deserve.
PAST Outdoors Executive Travel Experiences
What you'll experience on our Leadership Development Program
Throughout the week you'll experience:
- Alpine traverses
- Remote wilderness
- Navigation and team problem-solving
- Leadership rotations
- Physical endurance
- Fireside conversations that matter
The expedition deliberately creates moments where perseverance, teamwork and resilience become the only path forward.
From this experience you will become more resilient to change, to work pressure and to the demands of work and life.
This will challenge you on every level. You’ll come back stronger, sharper and with more clarity.
Ultimately, you’ll truly feel ALIVE.
PAST Outdoors Executive Travel Experiences
Trip Inclusions
Our immersive leadership program is limited to 4–6 executives, professionally guided through New Zealand's Southern Alps. Every aspect has been designed to create transformation on all levels.
✓ 7-day all-inclusive experience
✓ Premium accommodation before and after the expedition
✓ All meals prepared and provided
✓ Specialist mountain equipment supplied
✓ Experienced wilderness guides
✓ Leadership facilitation
✓ Reflection and debrief sessions
✓ Optional hunting, fishing and alpine activities (conditions permitting)
Leadership Development for elite leaders
PAST Outdoors Executive Travel Program
Our Program offers professionals an inspiring blend of world-class hiking, meaningful connection and breathtaking landscapes. You’ll be challenged on every level, creating a more resilient, inspiring leader. Through our program you will:
Resilience
Build resilience under physical pressure
Clarity
Develop calm decision-making in uncertainty
Strength
Overcome fear & self-imposed limitations
Endurance
Improve endurance physically & mentally
Purpose
Return with renewed purpose & perspective
What kind of leader are you?
Our greatest challenges in life can make us stronger, more resilient, more inspiring leaders. Are you ready to level up? Slide the slider below:
You as a leader now
After your Executive Experience
Use the left and right arrow keys to navigate between before and after photos.
How Does Traditional Leadership Training Compare to Our Program
| Traditional Leadership Training | Our Field-based Leadership Program | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Boardroom or conference centre | Remote alpine terrain, Southern Alps NZ |
| Format | Slides, case studies, group discussion | Alpine traverses, navigation, leadership rotations |
| Pressure | Simulated scenarios | Real weather, real fatigue, real consequences |
| Group size | Often large cohorts | Limited to 4–6 executives |
| Decision-making | Discussed in theory | Tested and practised in the moment |
| Duration of impact | Fades within weeks | Instincts that carry into daily leadership |
| Facilitators | Corporate trainers | Guided by ex-Special Forces leaders |
| Takeaway | Notes and a certificate | Renewed clarity, resilience and purpose |
Our Executive Leadership Team
Dave Parker
Dave Parker, CEO of PAST Outdoors, spent 20 years in the Australian Special Forces, time that built the leadership and calm-under-pressure instincts he now brings to every step of our New Zealand hikes. His military background, paired with an MBA from UNSW's Australian Graduate School of Management, gives him a rare mix of field-tested outdoor expertise and lived experience as an entrepreneur, CEO and Exceutive leader.
Years spent operating in remote, demanding terrain taught Dave what makes the difference between an uncomfortable slog and an unforgettable trek: preparation, the right gear and the right expertise. He carries this into our experiences where he focuses on getting exectives comfortable in the uncomfortable, to be able to withstand pressure in highly challenging environments.
Our Executive Leadership Team
Seth Brown
After serving in the New Zealand Police for more than five years in tactical policing roles, and previously serving within New Zealand Special Operations Forces, Seth combines his professional experience with an obsession for lightweight hunting equipment, practical fieldcraft and evidence-based decision making.
Through years spent hunting, tramping, and testing gear in some of New Zealand’s harshest alpine environments, he developed a philosophy centred on simplicity, reliability, and carrying only what genuinely adds value in the field.
Whether testing ultralight shelters in alpine weather, evaluating hunting equipment, or exploring practical skills for safer and more effective travel in the mountains, his goal is to provide honest, experience-driven information that helps others spend more time enjoying New Zealand’s wild places.
PAST Outdoors Leadership Development Program
Application Criteria
This experience is designed to be both physically and mentally demanding. As a requirement, to be suitable to apply all applicants must have the following:
✓ Hold a passport and be eligible for a tourist visa in NZ and have valid travel insurance
✓ Be physically fit enough to complete the trip
✓ Be employed in or moving into a leadership position
✓ Be prepared to submit a physical fitness test
✓ Be prepared to attend an interview panel (online) prior to acceptance to the program
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlike a conference room workshop, our Leadership Development Program takes place entirely in the field. Set across 7 days in New Zealand's Southern Alps, it replaces slides and case studies with alpine traverses, navigation challenges, and leadership rotations — creating real pressure and real decisions rather than simulated ones.
This program is built for executives, founders, and leaders — or those moving into leadership positions — who are seeking more than typical Executive Travel. Cohorts are limited to just 4–6 participants to ensure a highly personalised, curated experience.
Your Executive Travel package is fully inclusive: premium accommodation before and after the expedition, all meals, specialist mountain equipment, expert guiding, and leadership facilitation. Optional hunting, fishing, and alpine activities are also available, conditions permitting.
As this leadership development program is designed to be both physically and mentally demanding, applicants must hold a valid passport (and be eligible for an NZ tourist visa), carry travel insurance, be physically fit enough to complete the trip, and be employed in or moving into a leadership role. Applicants must also be prepared to submit a fitness test and attend an online interview panel prior to acceptance.
Yes. Every cohort is small and carefully curated, often including public figures alongside executives and founders. Full anonymity can be arranged on request, including private transfers and a strict no-content policy among guides and staff. All participants also sign an NDA as standard practice.
Get a first look at the remote alpine terrain behind our Executive Leadership Development Program with this FREE PDF Guide. Created by PAST Outdoors Experiences, this downloadable guide offers a preview of the wild, demanding landscapes that form the backdrop to our leadership expeditions.
This free guide is ideal for:
✅ Executives and leaders considering an Executive Leadership Development Program
✅ Founders and public figures exploring Executive Travel with a genuine physical and mental challenge
✅ Professionals researching alpine leadership camps to become better leaders
Download your FREE guide today and get a first look at the landscapes where leaders are tested, challenged, and changed.
Simply add to cart, checkout, and your PDF will be sent directly to you.
We'll donate $0.00 from this purchase to environmental charities.