on Heshka has two decades of experience in outdoor education and guiding, search and rescue, and business combined with 4 degrees including a graduate thesis that examined the liability of adventure education. He has climbed and led expeditions from Alaska to Argentina, Tadjikistan to the Tetons, and many points in-between. Jon has guided with Outward Bound and Canada West Mountain School, instructed fall protection and rescue to a myriad of clients including Golden Gate Bridge and AT&T, worked in senior management with Petzl America, and consults on risk reduction strategies and tourism development to the public and private sectors.

Jon trained and coordinated search and rescue for seven years for BC Ministry of Attorney General / Justice Institute of BC and has performed mountain rescues above 15,000 feet on three continents. He was a Canadian representative to the International Commission of Alpine Rescue in 1996-97 and has worked with Denali Mountain Rescue in Alaska. He co-authored the 2003 Provincial Avalanche Safety Program Review for the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and has been retained as an expert witness on search and rescue and adventure guiding by the US Department of Justice in Hawaii to represent the National Park Service.

Jon is an Assistant Professor of adventure tourism at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. He teaches courses in business administration and strategic planning, legal liability and risk management in eco and adventure tourism, sport marketing, and mountain rescue.