Ashley Behrend Hillwalk Tours

Ashley grew up in Georgia with a family who loves the outdoors. Whether in tents, cabins or her grandparents’ RV, she spent nearly every summer camping as her family traveled to National Parks along the East Coast and the Midwest of the USA. One summer, Ashley traveled to Dublin for a study abroad program. There, she fell in love with the Irish landscapes from her trips to Glendalough, Cliffs of Moher and Giant’s Causeway. After that summer, she vowed she’d come back to Ireland. Sure enough, she eventually moved to Galway and earned her Master’s degree in Playwriting and Dramaturgy at the University of Galway. But when she’s not writing, she’s out exploring, as nature is her biggest source of inspiration.

Working for Hillwalk Tours, Ashley gets to combine her two passions: the outdoors and creating lasting memories for people all over the world. As a customer experience associate, Ashley builds the walking packs hikers take on their adventures as well as answers any questions prospective hikers may have about Hillwalk’s tours. Ashley is thrilled to be part of a team that prioritizes working with smaller businesses, providing hikers with a richer cultural experience as they visit the hidden gems along their tours.

Outside of work, you can usually find Ashley writing plays, reading, playing Dungeons and Dragons, or planning her next weekend trip to someplace new! She’s also an active supporter of the arts, continuously volunteering for theatre festivals, attending special film screenings, and frequenting local art events. But at the end of the day, there’s nothing she likes more than an evening in a pub with live music, surrounded by friends.

The Hillwalk Tour she'd pick Wicklow Mountains (Heart of Wicklow)
The tour grading she'd pick Gentle
The item she'd take on a hiking tour Headphones