Risk Philosophy
Our Approach To Safety
Growth Comes Through Challenge
We believe meaningful growth happens when people step outside their comfort zones, face the unknown, and discover what they’re capable of. Our experiences help build confidence, resilience, sound judgment, and compassion.
Wilderness travel involves real risks that can’t be eliminated entirely. We don’t seek risk for its own sake, but we do believe that meeting challenges with the right support creates powerful opportunities for growth and learning.
Our responsibility is to prepare thoughtfully, train our staff well, and continually assess and manage risks. Through careful planning, clear communication, and effective response systems, we work to reduce foreseeable hazards while preserving the challenges that make these experiences meaningful. Through preparation, awareness, and reflection, we support participants in navigating uncertainty and discovering their capabilities, with the hope that the confidence, judgment, and care for others they develop in nature will stay with them long after they return home.
Our Commitment
Experienced, Caring Guides
With an average age of 30+, our guides bring experience from across youth education, wilderness, wellbeing, and rite of passage fields. We pride ourselves on the care we provide participants, maintaining an average 1:3 guide-to-participant ratio historically.
Strong Medical Training
Each backpacking group has at least two Wilderness First Responder-certified guides, who are trained in emotional safety drawing on approaches from Psychological First Aid. They’re prepared to support participants’ physical and emotional well-being in the backcountry.
Emergency Support
Even in remote places, our guides can help & communicate. They carry extensive first aid kits and satellite communication devices, and are also supported by 24-hour support staff who can help manage urgent situations and communicate with families when needed.
Continuous Learning
We learn from every experience. By documenting and reviewing incidents, gathering feedback from guides, participants, and families, and intentionally reflecting on what we can do better, we continually strengthen our practices and approach to risk management.
Risk Management Oversight
Our Risk Management Committee brings together decades of experience across wilderness leadership, Rite of Passage programming, and other relevant fields. This perspectives helps us thoughtfully evaluate risks and continually improve how we support our participants.
Ongoing Training & Perspectives
We believe good risk management means never stopping learning. We engage with risk management consultants, attend professional conferences, and draw on evolving practices and outside expertise to keep strengthening our approach.