Enrollment

What are the male/female ratios of students on WV trips?
Ideally, we attempt to achieve a one to one male to female ratio on our trips. This may vary slightly from trip to trip, but generally each trip is close to this ratio. No one puts as much attention on achieving a good gender balance on their programs as does Wilderness Ventures.

Do you group students according to their ages?
Yes. We believe strongly that you should expedition with others of similar grades. Because of the popularity of our expeditions, we usually conduct multiple trip sections grouped by age. For each trip, we typically run several sections with groups for junior high students, 9th and 10th graders, and 11th and 12th graders. We also offer our Alaska College Leadership specifically for students completing the 12th grade.

Can friends come on a trip together?
Yes. Wilderness Ventures allows friends to come on trips together. A key component of every WV trip is the group experience. We do not tolerate exclusive relationships of any kind. As we know from our high school experiences, cliques and other special friendships can make others feel uncomfortable and excluded. It is our goal to eliminate these relationships from all of our trips. If you come with a friend, you must agree to actively interact with other group members, helping us to become one coherent group.

Where do WV students come from?
Our enrollment is more diverse than any similar appearing program, with equal representation from the east, south, midwest, and far west. In the last four years, all but two states have been represented, while 5% of our enrollment has been international.

How do I know which adventure is best for me?
Our expeditions offer a wide range of lengths and varying degrees of challenge. In selecting the expedition most appropriate for you, first determine where you want to go, then choose the activities most appealing to you. Our staff will be happy to discuss each program to help determine the perfect experience for you.

How quickly do trips fill up?
We limit enrollment on all WV trips, and most families plan their summer trips during the winter. Even though most trips fill by the end of January, we usually have some spots available later in the spring. Once you have decided on a trip, we encourage you to call our office to determine if there are available spots.

How do I sign up?
You can apply online or by mailing us an application, found in the back of the catalog and by clicking here. Because of our limited availability, we also offer the option of reserving your space by calling 800-533-2281. (All applications require an $800 deposit.) Please Click Here for more information on reserving your space today.

What if my first choice trip is full?
If you sign up after January there is a good chance that your first choice trip will be full. However, changes in plans often occur and spots can open up on "full" trips throughout the spring. That is why we maintain a waitlist for trips, giving participants the opportunity to sign up for their second choice trip while staying on the waitlist for their first choice trip. Should a spot open up, your trip deposit and tuition are transferable between trips. If a spot opens up, and you are on the waitlist, we will notify you as soon as possible.

Is it possible to do more than one adventure in a summer?
Yes. We offer many different dates and sections of most trips. It is possible for us to accommodate participants who wish to complete multiple trips in a single summer. We encourage you to call our office to discuss the possibilities available.

Does WV offer financial aid?
Yes. Each year, Wilderness Ventures grants approximately $75,000 in financial aid to students with need. Please contact us for details about our financial aid program.

Preparing for your adventure

How do I physically prepare for the summer?
You don’t need to be an athlete to participate successfully in any of our trips. However, you do need to be in good health and average physical condition. If you are not participating in an active sport in the spring, we suggest that you establish your own program of regular exercise, which might include bicycling, swimming, or jogging. We would be happy to discuss this with you. In general; however, our trips our designed with the beginner in mind.

Do I need to have experience at any of the activities that we do?
We structure all activities as an opportunity for you to have fun while learning a new outdoor skill. You do not need any experience. We will provide all of the equipment and instruction for every activity in which we participate.

Will I get to call home during the trip?
Yes.  Upon your arrival, you will be asked by your leaders to call home and let your parents know you have arrived safely.  You will also have the opportunity to send home as many letters as you want, and your parents will be able to follow your trip through a series of updates that your leaders will write during the summer and post on the web. Once the trip has commenced there will be no phone calls home until the end of the program.

Can I use frequent flyer miles to buy my plane ticket?
You can use frequent flyer miles to buy your plane ticket to and from the arrival/departure city as long as the ticket fits in the designated time window. For our group flights (pertinent to some International trips), unfortunately you cannot pay for those flights with airline miles.

your leaders

What will my trip leaders be like?
One of the strongest components of Wilderness Ventures is the leaders. We take great pride in our leaders and spend a great deal of time and energy in choosing each one. The average age is about 25. These are some of the most dynamic, intelligent and interesting people in the world. Each has a love for the outdoors, and a passion for teaching and working with young adults. They are great role models and have an incredible ability to facilitate each trip. Most are teachers in traditional schools, outdoor/environmental programs or other teaching related programs. Our return rate is very high so most of our leaders have worked with us for multiple seasons. You will have a great time getting to know your leaders and will benefit from their vast experience.

Will my trip have at least one male and one female leader?
Yes. All Wilderness Ventures trips have at least one female and one male leader.

What type of backgrounds do the leaders have?
Your leaders have been selected from hundreds of applicants based on their proficiency in "hard" outdoor skills and their proven successful experience working with young adults. Each expedition has leaders who exhibit positive life direction and are respected role models. They will likely become your best friends by the conclusion of your expedition.

Do many leaders return each summer?
Over sixty percent of our leaders return each summer. These returning leaders serve as important examples and teachers for new WV staff and each other, helping one another to grow as outdoor educators. Most importantly, due to our high return rate, it is very likely that at least one of your leaders will have led a WV trip before.

What kind of special training does your staff receive before the trip starts?

Anyone who applies to work for Wilderness Ventures must first complete a detailed application processes, including extensive references and an intense interview process. Applicants who are hired by Wilderness Ventures must complete at a minimum, Wilderness First Aid and CPR courses. Many of our leaders obtain additional certification including Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT courses. Wilderness Ventures leaders are also required to take part in our extensive 10-day staff training where our leaders learn about Wilderness Ventures policy and procedure.