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When we founded Wilderness Ventures thirty-five years ago, our program was a new and unique concept. Because of our extraordinary success, we soon became a model for others. While we are flattered that so many programs have attempted to duplicate a Wilderness Ventures experience, we are proud that we still remain the most widely recognized and respected program in this field because of the following very important features:
 Our Family Atmosphere
Though we offer a great variety of summer experiences for young adults, we remain a small, family owned and operated program. As owners-directors, we have more personal “hands on” experience than any directors of other similar appearing programs. We personally led our trips for nine years between 1973 and 1981 and our two sons have participated in a total of ten different trips. As parents of teenagers, we are accutely aware of what other parents expect of us and our staff. Each student who enrolls receives the same very personal attention we have given our own sons.
Our Personal Attention
Our personal attention to each student and expedition group is unmatched in this field. As founders, owners, and directors of Wilderness Ventures for the past thirty-five years, we are proud of the fact that we have personally met nearly all of our families and students through our travels each winter to over forty cities across the country. During these visits, we spend a large part of our time getting to know each student and family, and making sure that each individual enrolls in the most suitable expedition for his or her particular needs.
Since 1973, we have personally greeted nearly every trip group upon its arrival. We have met most groups during the summer, and have personally spent the final evening with many of our groups, sharing their successes during their final banquets. In short, we have invested thirty-five years of our lives making Wilderness Ventures the finest outdoor adventure travel program for young adults.
Our Unmatched Experience
No other program has had more experience than Wilderness Ventures conducting safe and successful outdoor adventure travel experiences for young adults. Over the past thirty-five years, more than fifteen thousand young people have participated in nearly fifteen hundred trip groups. This vast experience has enabled us to plan our trips to avoid potential problems and to guarantee a smoothly running summer for all.
Our Unequalled Safety Record
We have continuously set the standards in this field for conducting safe and successful programming and we are proud that our safety record is unmatched. After thirty-five years, with over fifteen thousand students, we have never experienced a serious injury requiring extended hospitalization. This record is the result of our strict staff selection process, our thorough pre-summer training, our highly detailed procedures for conducting safe activities, and our very low student-to-staff ratios.
In addition to their many other qualifications, all of our staff members are fully trained in first aid and emergency procedures. Most of our staff have over 120 hours of wilderness first aid training and many are emergency medical technicians. While extensive formal first aid training is helpful, it can never take the place of highly experienced and trained leaders who make appropriate and safe decisions. Our carefully selected staff members and high standards are responsible for our enviable safety record which exceeds that of all other outdoor adventure travel programs and outdoor leadership schools. No one has more experience conducting safe outdoor travel expeditions than Wilderness Ventures.
Our Small Compatible Groups
Our expeditions are conducted in groups of ten to fifteen students with two to three leaders, always maintaining our low student to staff ratio. Our technical climbing and whitewater components are conducted with the highest level of safety by an addition of professional specialists such as world-renowned climber Lou Whitaker (above) to augment our groups, usually resulting in a student-to-staff ratio of two to one.
We believe strongly in placing our participants together in groups of comparable age, and we will not group 13 year olds with 16 and 17 year olds in order to fill an expedition. We spend a great deal of time balancing trips by age, gender and maturity in order to ensure the best possible individual and group experience.
Our Exceptional and Exclusive Destinations
Where we are allowed to operate on federal land clearly separates Wilderness Ventures from all similar appearing programs. Our domestic wilderness trips are conducted in the finest remaining wilderness locations in the United States and Canada, which enables us to conduct far superior programs.
Our Limited Vehicle Travel
Adventurous young adults don't want to spend their summers looking at scenery from a vehicle window. Because of our extensive federal permits we are able to conduct our domestic programs in smaller geographical areas with far less time consuming vehicle travel than any other similar appearing program. Less driving time means more adventure, learning and fun.
Our Enthusiastic Participants
The key to a great trip is a group of students who are highly motivated to participate. Wilderness Ventures is not the type of program where students are sent against their own will. We only accept students who express a strong desire to join our expeditions and contribute positively, which assures everyone of having the best possible group experience.
Our Minimal Use of Sub-Contractors
While we have chosen to sub-contract with highly professional guiding services for all of our technical whitewater and climbing program components, it has been a priority since 1973 to conduct all of our other domestic programming with our own professional leaders, under our own federal permits. By minimizing the use of sub-contractors for all of our domestic wilderness experiences we are able to offer excellent leadership continuity and attract the finest professional staff who want to lead young adults themselves. This assures us that our students are led only by our own trained and dedicated leaders who are philosophically compatible with our program goals, ideals and high moral standards. No other similar appearing program has as much control over the people who lead their students than does Wilderness Ventures.
Our Outstanding Leaders
Our ability to attract the finest, most qualified outdoor leaders is the result of our years of unmatched experience, our professional reputation, our minimal use of sub-contractors and our amazing federally permitted destinations. Only one out of every six applicants receives a job offer from us, and we are always their program of choice.
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