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WILD GUYde Adventures, LLC 1047
Stuart St. Harrisonburg,
VA 22802 (540)
433-1637 “Each
of us should have his or her own Everest – a testing place in any endeavor where
the goal is almost, but not quite, beyond reach. When you take on a great challenge and
persevere, you discover that your abilities are more than you ever imagined,
enabling you at times to accomplish the ‘impossible.’ A life lived in this way is infinitely
fulfilling. It strikes such a
responsive chord in so many people that it must resonate with a primitive
human instinct.” (Kenneth Kamler, Doctor on Everest,
2000, p. 297)
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“How was
your trip?!” Thanks for being the right
person to take our campers on their adventures. The stories of the fun had are
endless. You and what you do are a
vital part of camp! (Camp leader, ’11) The
Camp Adventure Team wanted to say a big “Thank you” for all your help and
advice this summer. We were challenged
more than we ever imagined we would be, but we learned so much from it, and
are better facilitators and cavers because of it. Your support through all of it – from
training to our most recent cave incident – was invaluable. Thanks for all you’ve done. (Camp leader,
’11) Lester
thanks so much for such a fun adventure!
My friends and I are still talking about how much fun we had and what
an awesome guide you were – we would definitely love to do something like
that again soon. (’11) Lester thanks so much for
an incredible trip. One mom wrote that
her daughter was so excited that she talked about the trip during most of
that evening. I think most of the kids
felt very empowered by this experience. Prior to the trip, many were a little
concerned, especially about potential dangers and feelings of claustrophobia
– but they definitely overcame these feelings and soldiered on. I think they were proud of their
accomplishments. The following day we
reviewed the trip and wrote down all that we remembered. The kids were great at listing the three
things you have to do before going caving, various safety measures, and the
three attributes that make a cave.
Later I passed out your cards and we read them together and talked about
safety in the backcountry. This was a
valuable trip for our students in terms of geology and learning about the
world about them, and also valuable in learning about themselves and how to
meet and master their own perceived limitations. Also it was great fun. Thanks so much! (Middle school teacher, ’11) Lester,
your preparation, knowledge, and guidance during yesterday’s caving adventure
were better than expected. I like that
you had backup equipment, specialty items so we didn’t have to purchase them;
also your friendliness was all noticed and appreciated greatly. I really don’t know what you could have
done better. Thanks for everything!
(’11) Saturday was my first
experience going underground. Really
couldn’t have been better. I was a little apprehensive about my reaction to
being confined, but the way the cave was laid out made it easy to become
comfortable before going into the tighter areas. Thought you did a great job. I’ll like to give you some constructive
criticism, but honestly can’t think of anything to improve! (’11) Lester,
I had a great time and I know the knowledge you shared will come in handy as
I head on some adventure this spring/summer.
It truly was a confidence builder.
For my navigation skill set, the area you selected was perfect and the
instruction was straight forward. I
particularly like the approach of you asking me questions to ponder and
working toward the answer rather than telling me “this is what you do.” (’11) I
can’t even tell you how much fun the boys had caving on Sunday. They want to do this again. Granny No. 2 is really sore though, and I
must get back to doing yoga! (’10) It
was a perfect match with the girl’s and my abilities and experience. It was challenging enough and
attainable. Even L., our reluctant
climber, felt she had really accomplished something besides getting ice
cream. Your teaching of the technical
and your encouraging way made the challenge seem possible for everyone. I appreciated your suggesting my assisting
in the belaying; being a part of the process enhanced my experience. (’10) I really enjoyed our outing
-- having you as our climbing instructor really made the trip
worthwhile. Climbing outdoors is a
totally different experience from the indoor gyms. I find it hard now to get back to what I have
been doing indoors. I also really
appreciated your patience and guidance; I definitely felt myself improving as
the day progressed. (’10) Lester,
I am still reliving the excitement we had rock climbing and rappelling as I
continue to edit the videos and the photos we took. I appreciate your professionalism,
expertise, and the deep connection with nature. You made the experience fun and we learned
a lot at the same time. It is very
obvious you love what you do. The
location was perfect. I liked the walk
up to the rocks, it built an excitement.
As you could tell, I was terrified at times with many bad thoughts
going through my mind, but your confidence and professionalism put me at
ease. I look forward to more trips
soon. (’10) Lester,
we spent the afternoon eating ice cream and playing in the river. This is a trip both girls will remember for
a long time to come. You were very
patient and very flexible with our activities. You treated my daughters with respect, and
took the time to teach them in appropriate ways. You were supportive and encouraging, but
also knew when to let them say “no.”
You made them carry their own weight without burdening them. I also felt very safe every moment. So sum things up, it was a perfect day of
climbing. It was exactly what we were
looking for! (’10) My
daughter was a camper last week with the camp trip. You were her guide for both caving and rock
climbing. She was so impressed with
you and your son and your business.
Her comments to me were that you brought the theme of camp “keeping
the earth” into a hands-on experience.
She loved the devotional thoughts in the cave, and the inspirational
talk and prayer at the top of the rocks before rappelling. She felt comfortable but challenged and
came away feeling good about herself for doing something she had never done
before. Thank you so much for all you
do – you made a positive impact on these kids! (’11) Our Cadette
Troop participated in Adventure Core camp this past May, and 7 of our girls
chose to give caving a try. I am
writing to share with you what an incredible experience we had. Some were a bit anxious about caving. Those fears quickly turned back to
anticipation when Aaron, our guide arrived.
He was very capable, conscientious, and knowledgeable guide who
handled the sometimes giggly girls, aptly.
They learned quite a bit as we worked our way through the passages,
but also about themselves. A couple of
the girls are among the least adventurous in our group. However, they felt safe enough to explore
some of the narrowest areas of the cave with little encouragement – how
empowering! (’10) Lester,
J and I had a great day. Your personal
style and instruction techniques made for a stress fee and comfortable
learning environment. You were also quick
to form our group into a supportive team that worked together and positively
shared responsibilities and accepted challenges. (’10) |
