A Brief History of the Road Bike

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Bridget

It’s amazing to think that something as simple as the bicycle took humanity so long to invent. Like many of history’s great, scaled adoptions (e.g. cellular phones, the industrial revolution, potato farming), a large change needed to occur to create the technical achievement of the bicycle. That monumental event was one, really-bad German summer. The year 1816 was such a rainy, miserable summer across Germany that many crops, without sunlight, didn’t grow. The resulting famine forced many people to kill-off their horses since the price of oats was skyrocketing (comparable with today’s oil prices). Without basic transportation, there was suddenly a market for an alternative.

 

Enter the industrious German aristocrat Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbronn, who had the idea of mounting two wooden carriage wheels inline on either end of a wooden bench. Until this point, everyone imagined you would fall over without something to support the contraption, so idea of two, inline wheels as a basic construct was completely original. Hence the concept for the modern bicycle was born. Drais’ contraption was known as the laufmachine – literally “running machine” – as there was no drive train, and the user propelled the invention by scooting or paddling with your feet along the grown.

 

The laufmachine fell into obscurity after the sun came back and the resulting commodities price-drop enabled people to stop shooting their horses. But, since the technology existed to create the laufmachine for some 3,500 years before its invention, if it wasn’t for Drias seizing on a market opportunity, we might still not have anything like the modern bicycle (and the consequenting automobiles that followed). Funny enough, laufmachines are having a resurgence as a child’s toy.

 

In 1860′s Paris, someone had the idea of attaching pedals to the front wheel of a laufmachine, and the “velocipede” (what we think of as the old-timey bicycle) was born. Since the “drive train” attached to the front wheel (where you steer from) velocipedes were notoriously hard to control, but they were immensely popular. There was a huge market for riding schools, where adults would sign up for courses to learn how to ride the contraption. Of his own learning experience with a private instructor, Mark Twain wrote, “Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live.”

 

In 1885 the “safety bicycle” (our version of the modern bicycle) was invented. With a chain drive train where the power came from the rear wheel and the steering came from the front wheel, the world had a human-powered transportation device that was safe, manageable and fun. Almost instantly, people began riding their safety bicycles great distances. Famous multi-stage races like the Tour de France were born from this age of fixed, single-gear propulsion. Much of the modern roads and infrastructure that developed in the UK and the US were built around the the bicycle. And most of the world’s early auto mechanics were adaptable bike mechanics.

 

Bicycle touring remains one of the best ways to see the world. WV students can experience the magic of bicycle touring on the 28-day Pacific Coast Bike Adventure from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco, California and on the 14-day Cape Cod Bike Adventure circling a coastline loop along Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod. Both of these great bicycle touring trips are accessible to beginners – offering an inspiring introduction to life on two wheels.

 

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Fly Fishing Camps for Teens by Wilderness Ventures in partnership with WorldCast Anglers

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Bridget

With operations that straddle the Tetons, WorldCast Anglers is the Northern Rockies’ premier fly fishing education program. Their Orvis-endorsed fly fishing guides are charismatic, caring and are highly knowledgeable about capturing the best catch of the region.

WorldCast Anglers’ works with Wilderness Ventures to provide the most renowned fly fishing adventure program available to today’s teens. Of course, Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole Wyoming and Montana’s Beartooth mountains put three of North America’s best fly fishing environments into one, accessible destination – explored entirely by our Yellowstone Fly Fishing program. But a fantastic fly fishing camp for teens relies on more than a great venue; it’s the inspiring attitudes, passion and charisma of both the WorldCast guides and Wilderness Ventures leaders that bring fly fishing to life for our students.

In small groups such as those on a Wilderness Ventures trip, the caring, individual attention paid to each member of the group is an essential part of what makes for a successful and enjoyable experience for each student. WorldCast Anglers’ guides have a great deal of experience working with young people, and know that inspiring a lifelong passion for both fishing and the outdoors requires a heightened level of patience and caring.

It’s one thing to have knowledge about a sport. It’s quite another to understand the nuance of that sport within a given environment and destination. One of the reasons Wilderness Ventures partners with WorldCast Anglers is that their Orvis-endorsed fly fishing guides have such a wealth of knowledge about the environments that we visit on our Yellowstone Fly Fishing Adventure.

On the 16-day fly fishing camp, Wilderness Ventures students learn the fundamentals of fishing in Jackson Hole before embarking into the Yellowstone backcountry to apply their skills – capturing species such as Rainbow trout and Arctic Grayling amongst the numerous blue-ribbon streams that thread through the wilds of Yellowstone National Park. Next, the students turn their attention northward to the high country of the renowned Beartooth Mountains; adjoining Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Mountains offer some of the best fly fishing opportunities in North America. Finally, for their culminating adventure, students enjoy an authentic drift boating trip down the famous Snake River – an essential experience for any fly fisher vising the Rocky Mountain West.

The two-week Yellowstone Fly Fishing Adventure is conducted twice each summer. This inspiring and enriching fly fishing adventure camp is open to new and experienced fishers.

 

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Be A Part Of History This Summer With WV and RMI

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Bridget

 

The 605-foot space needle may be synonymous with Seattle, but for locals (who refer to it simply as “The Mountain”), the 14,411-foot Mount Rainier dominates the skyline and represents the majesty of the Pacific Northwest.

This historic summer, Wilderness Ventures and Rainier Mountaineering are celebrating with 40th anniversary climbs of Mount Rainier. While current Wilderness Ventures students continue to enjoy the opportunity to climb Mount Rainier has part of our renowned Cascade Olympic Adventure, the special 7-day anniversary climb of Mount Rainier is available to WV alumni, parents of alum and former WV staff members.

 

History

Rainier Mountaineering (RMI) is one of the world’s premier guiding services. Founded in 1969 by the famous climber Lou Whittaker, RMI was a first-of-its-kind guiding organization that placed as much of an emphasis on teaching as it did on reaching the summit.

Celebrating its 40th year in operation, Wilderness Ventures is the brainchild of school teachers Mike and Helen Cottingham, who envisioned an experiential travel program that connected teenagers with the natural world while teaching leadership and team skills with real-world applications.

Working with the expert guides from RMI, Wilderness Ventures completed its first historic climb of Mount Rainier in 1974. Today, Wilderness Ventures and RMI each conduct an independent, leading array of adventures and expeditions around the globe, but have continued to climb together on Mount Rainier (the peak that Lou characterizes as the “gateway to the world of mountaineering”) for the past 39 years.

 

This Summer

Climb The Mountain on one of these fantastic trips, ideally suited for novice and experienced climbers.

Cascade Olympic Adventure: Since 1974, this 22-day adventure, which backpacks the Olympic Beaches, Sea Kayaks the San Juan Islands, climbs Mount Adams, whitewater rafts the Sauk River and summits famous Mount Rainier, has been the delight of Wilderness Ventures students.

Fortieth Anniversary Trip: Celebrating Wilderness Ventures’ legacy as the worldwide leader in student outdoor adventures since 1973, the 7-day Mount Rainier 40th Anniversary Trip is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for WV alumni, parents of alum and former WV staff members to share a magical experience while climbing the most magnificent sentinel of the Pacific Northwest.

 

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Multiday Rafting Adventures With Wilderness Ventures

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Bridget

Wilderness Ventures, the worldwide leader in student outdoor adventures, offers several multi-day river rafting components that allow teen adventure trip groups to experience the best outdoor environments in the world. On a Wilderness Ventures adventure, students can experience the magic of Oregon, Idaho, California, Colorado, Alaska, Costa Rica and Fiji during an overnight whitewater rafting adventure.

 

The teen whitewater rafting trips available to Wilderness Ventures students explore some of the most coveted river environments on the planet. For example, Idaho’s four-day Salmon River trip is objectively considered the best whitewater rafting experience in the northern Rocky Mountains. Aside from running amazing rapids, the river meanders along beautiful sandy beaches that are lined with dramatic canyon walls. These secluded banks are perfect for enjoying an afternoon game of beach volleyball before digging into a tasty river feast.

 

As the original teen outdoor adventure program, Wilderness Ventures has been leading world-class rafting experiences with small groups of teenagers for the past four decades. The first Wilderness Ventures rafting trip was on Oregon’s fabled Deschutes River – a trip that Wilderness Ventures students continue to enjoy to this day. Running northward through the Oregon forests and desert to the Columbia River, the Deschutes is one of Oregon’s most popular (and coveted) whitewater rafting experiences.

 

 

Of course, an overnight rafting trip is one of the many ways that Wilderness Ventures trip groups experience the beauty of another country. WV students can raft out of the Peruvian Andes and into the Amazon rain forest on the Apurimac River; through the Fijian interior on the secluded Napo River; and, along Costa Rica’s Pacuare River, raft one of the most iconographic stretches of whitewater in Central America.

 

Certainly, safety is paramount on all teen whitewater rafting trips. All Wilderness Ventures rafting trips utilize the experience of the region’s best professional river rafting guides, ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the experience as well as providing additional adult supervision to complement the presence of our own, highly trained and experienced outdoor leaders.

 

Each multiday whitewater rafting experience is part of a multi-activity adventure that explores a diverse array of splendid environments in each trip’s destination. For example, on the High Sierra Adventure, students spend three weeks exploring the wilds of California. They make positive associations with wild lands and memories that will last a lifetime while backpacking in Yosemite National Park, snow climbing Mount Shasta, surfing the waves of Half Moon Bay and whitewater rafting the Klamath River.

 

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Earn Your Wilderness First Aid Certification In Alaska

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Bridget

Gain confidence and career skills this summer. Complete your Wilderness First Aid certification on a specialized course offered exclusively to participants of our Alaska College Leadership Expedition.

 

“Applicable first aid skills are vital for anyone who hopes to work in the outdoors,” says Wilderness Ventures Personnel Coordinator Shauna Nacewicz, “Wilderness First Aid certification is an essential staple on the resume  of any professional outdoor leader. Of course, this type of advanced first aid knowledge is vital to a broader range of jobs in both education and the outdoors.  Moreover, the behavioral leadership and crisis management skills learned during this course will help WV students shine on any career path they choose.”

 

 

College-age Wilderness Ventures Students (completing 12th grade through college) have the opportunity to earn their Wilderness First Aid Certification as part of our 21-day Alaska College Leadership Adventure. The Wilderness First Aid course is a multi-day, small group learning experience that empowers students to act positively in any situation. It covers the basic systems and physiology of the human body, then dives into first aid situations that outdoor leaders can face in the field. The course takes place in an outdoor environment – syncopating classroom-style instruction settings (to disseminate knowledge) with in-the-field role playing scenarios so that students apply and retain the content presented.

 

 

All of the first aid knowledge learned is applicable in a real-world, frontcountry environment as well – but the solutions, coping mechanisms and learning scenarios teach the additional improvisational techniques, critical thinking skills and functional resourcefulness that is often required in a backcountry setting.

 

 

The Wilderness First Aid course is part of Wilderness Ventures’ established Alaska College Leadership Expedition. Beginning and ending in Anchorage, Alaska, this trip explores the most spectacular environments in southcentral Alaska while executing a focused leadership curriculum for its participants. Under the guidance of season Wilderness Ventures Leaders, the small group of college-age students backpacks through the stunning Talkeetna Mountain Range and sea kayaks with ancient glaciers. Of the 21-day expedition, two days are taken with professional Wilderness First Aid instructors for the private certification course.

 

The 21-day Alaska College Leadership Expedition with its integrated Wilderness First Aid Certification Course is offered only two times throughout the summer. Both new and returning Wilderness Ventures students are eligible for this program. 

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Food, Fun, and Friendships

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Bridget

“One of the most integrated and effective ways that we develop leadership and team skills is the way that we plan and prepare our meals,” says Wilderness Ventures Rocky Mountain Coordinator Joseph Pinkard. “Eating together as a ‘family’ unit provides an immense service to our students.”

 

Selecting meals from the WV Cookbook.

 

Wilderness Ventures trips are a shared experience with each member of the small group making important contributions so that everyone can have a fun and enjoyable time in the most amazing settings on the planet. All of our activities, whether rock climbing, sea kayaking or making meaningful contributions to local communities through our teen community service projects, rely on the shared contribution of all group members. The way that we eat on Wilderness Ventures adventures is no exception.

Preparing GORP for a backcountry section.

 

The Wilderness Ventures Cookbook is a culmination of 40 years of experience leading and feeding groups of teenagers in an outdoor setting. It provides a wealth of tasty backcountry and frontcountry meals – items that are both nutritious and kid-friendly. More importantly, it serves as a learning resource and guidebook for the group decision making processes that go into thinking about the nutritional and emotional needs of a group of your peers.

Enjoying a WV Cookbook meal.

Grilling Dinner.

 

Grilled kabobs

For many teens, their experience on a Wilderness Ventures trip is the first time they’ve been asked to prepare a meal. As with all of our adventure activities, our highly trained and caring leaders assume no prior experience on the part of our students and ensure the success of each component and each member of the adventure. All of our meal planning, cooking and feasting is structured in a way that ensures students exercise leadership and team skills while, at the same time, enjoying the success of a tasty and plentiful diet.

Cooking in Alaskan Backcountry

 

River feast!

 

For example, prior to the adventure, our leaders will have pre-shopped for food for the first few days of the adventure. When the students arrive, our leaders help prepare the first comforting and welcoming meals and introduce the concept of “family-style” dining where we all sit and eat together as a group. As skills grow, and students get more comfortable, they’ll take more of a team leadership role in completing meals for the entire group. After completing the first major component of the trip, the group (with the help of the leaders and the Wilderness Ventures Cookbook), will execute their first successful grocery shopping expedition – planning meals for the upcoming days and purchasing the necessary plentiful ingredients before repackaging and organizing the items to be suitable for an outdoor environment. Of course, the Wilderness Ventures Cookbook provides guidance on ingredients, portions and preparation for each of its delicious meals.

Some favorite meals from past Wilderness Ventures students are backcountry pizzas and Mexican fajitas. “One of our primary objectives is to provide positive associations with wild lands,” says Pinkard, “One crucial way that we accomplish this objective is by making sure our students are emotionally and physically well fed.”

 

S'mores around the campfire

Personal pizza

Baking in the backcountry.

 

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Wilderness Ventures Leadership: Mike and Helen Cottingham-Founders, Directors, Educators

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Bridget

Wilderness Ventures is the lifelong passion of Mike and Helen Cottingham, who founded Wilderness Ventures in 1972 with the vision to connect people to the outdoors as a way to teach practical life lessons and to instill a lifelong passion for conservation and the magic of the backcountry.

 

In 1972, as idealistic school teachers from Cincinnati, Mike and Helen were short on financial resources, but they had a strong founding vision and, importantly, the ability to convince others of the priceless value that a summer in the outdoors can have for any teenager.

 

The notion is as true today as it was 40 years ago. With over 20,000 alumni, many of whom hold the top positions in their fields, the overwhelming evidence is that connecting teenagers with the outdoors in a way that asks and empowers them to accomplish goals while working and having fun together as a team is the most powerful and consistent way to build young leaders. Four decades later, as young people face increasing ploys for their ever-decreasing attention-spans, the importance of bringing young people into the outdoors has never been more paramount.

 

Taking a historic road trip over their founding summer in 1972, Mike and Helen scouted what they considered to be the most stunning wilderness environments in the western United States and Canada. The beauty of the environment (the Wilderness Ventures classroom) has always been an important factor in the success of our programs. Armed with knowledge, passion, confidence and a vision, Mike and Helen returned in the fall to convince 10 sets of parents to send their children off on Wilderness Ventures’ first summer-long expedition in 1973. Over the years, the program grew rapidly under Mike and Helen’s leadership. The couple relocated full-time to their beloved Jackson Hole, Wyoming in 1974 where they continue to manage the day-to-day operations of what has become an increasingly diverse and innovative array of outdoor teen programming.

 

Upon making the first leap to leave their teaching jobs and relocate to Jackson Hole, the Cottinghams spent the first few years renting a cabin at the White Grass Ranch – what, at the time, was a privately-held property within Grand Teton National Park. Eventually, they bought land near the tiny town of Moran Junction (30 miles north of the town of Jackson). Mike and Helen designed and built a small cabin there which functioned as both their home and Wilderness Ventures world headquarters. As their first son began to stretch the family beyond the capacity of the modest dwelling, the Cottinghams moved closer to town, where they continue to live today – just a short walk from the Wilderness Ventures office between Teton Village and the town of Jackson.

 

For their first nine years in operation, as the program grew, Mike and Helen led trips in the field themselves, eventually giving up the field to focus on the 24-hour-a-day logistics of running the dynamic summer operation. After having raised two sons here in the valley, trained 40 seasons of WV leaders, visited countless alumni families across the country (many of them sending a second generation of students), scouting trips in dozens of new countries and executing on the continued innovation that is required to remain relevant to today’s young people, it’s easy to see why Mike and Helen view Wilderness Ventures as their life’s thread and their legacy to the world.

 

Mike and Helen with early Wilderness Ventures groups:

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Learn or Improve Your Spanish

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Bridget
Develop Spanish skills or proficiency in Latin America and Europe with Wilderness Ventures. 

There has never been a more important time to learn a language. “Foreign language study not only shows commitment to a challenging curriculum in high school, but prepares students for a world and for career paths that increasingly demand a working knowledge of other languages and cultures,” says Jeffrey Brenzel, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Yale.

One of the best ways to improve your Spanish skills is with an immersive introduction to a Spanish-speaking country and culture. Wilderness Ventures provides structured, safe immersion experiences that give students the chance to try-out a new language or expand their existing language skills in a supportive environment.

“Each of our trips in Latin America begins with a fun day of language and cultural learning.” says Wilderness Ventures international coordinator Caity Murphy, “This inspiring introduction empowers new Spanish learners with the basic fundamentals of the language and gives those who have existing Spanish language knowledge a footing into the idiosyncrasies of local speech.”

The structured, supportive learning environment of our small groups assures that all of our students get the maximum benefit from our time immersed in the local communities and international cultures that we adventure through on all of our trips that visit a Spanish-speaking country. Whether WV students travel to the Peruvian Andes, the Costa Brava of Southern Spain, the Galapagos Islands or Costa Rica’s Sevegre Valley, they’re assured an attentive experience where they’ll be able to grow as Spanish speakers and, of course, as young leaders.

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Wilderness Ventures: 40 Years of Magical Teen Adventures

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Bridget

From our first trip in 1973 to this upcoming summer’s alumni climbs of Mount Rainier and the Grand Teton, we celebrate a long history of experiential innovation.  Throughout our 40 years of operation, we’ve been developing an ever-expanding vocabulary of environments, destinations and activities. This continued push for program innovation has allowed us to not only remain enticing and relevant to today’s teens, but to also expand and deepen the substantive nature and educational focus of our teen adventure programs.

 

Departing Cincinnati in the summer of 1973, we began our first summer experience with a 60-day backpacking adventure through the Northern Rockies and the Pacific Northwest – visiting the most inspiring outdoor environments in the Western United States and Canada. Highlights of that first summer with 10 students included backcountry adventures in Banff and Yoho National Parks, as well as soon-to-be classic backpacking adventures in Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Olympic National Parks that WV students still participate in today.

 

In 1974 we embarked on yet another once-in-a-lifetime adventure – replacing our adventures in the Canadian wild with our first historic summit of Mount Rainier and a four-day whitewater rafting experience down Oregon’s Deschutes River. Since 1974, nearly 2,500 teens have climbed Mount Rainier with Wilderness Ventures.

 

1977 marked the first of its kind teenage adventure into the Alaskan wilds. As a fitting launch into the land of the midnight sun, our group made an inspiring 200-mile canoe trip down the Yukon River.

 

Further expanding our program offerings in 1979, Wilderness Ventures groups embarked down Idaho’s stunning Salmon River. While this was another first in teen adventure history, the stunning Salmon River objectively remains the best multi-day rafting trip in the Northern Rockies.

 

In 1987, we made our first Sea Kayaking voyage into Glacier Bay National Park. Since this first year, over 700 Wilderness Ventures students have paddled with us through this amazing environment.

 

1994 marked an amazing collection of memories for Wilderness Ventures founder Mike Cottingham. That summer, he was lucky enough to go sea kayaking on the fjords near Chichagof Island, Alaska on a Wilderness Ventures expedition with his son Chris. Over this memorable expedition, Mike was also lucky enough to get some amazing photos of the numerous Humpback whales that over 350 Wilderness Ventures students have paddled with since we acquired this prestigious permit.

 

In 2001 Wilderness Ventures became the first teen adventure program to travel to the ancestral homeland of the Mangarrayi aboriginal people on the Jatbula Track in Australia’s Northwest Territory. Today, we run the highest quality array of international program opportunities available; Wilderness Ventures students can experience another country and culture in any one of our eight International Adventures or our five Community Service Adventures that take place in an international destination.

 

In 2003 the 2,000th Wilderness Ventures student reached the summit of the 13,777-foot Grand Teton. Since 1976, over 150 Wilderness Ventures groups have climbed this classic peak in Grand Teton National Park.

 

This upcoming summer, we’re excited to commemorate our 40th year of operation.

Wilderness Ventures has been providing the highest quality teen adventure experiences for the past four decades. This year, as we enter our 40th year in operation, we take a moment to look back at a few of our accomplishments in which we take the most pride.

To commemorate this historic accomplishment, we’re offering anniversary climbs of the Grand Teton and Mount Rainier National Park – open to WV Students, Alumni and former Staff Members.

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2012 Catalog Is On The Way

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Bridget

The Wilderness Ventures 40th Anniversary catalog is being mailed this week, however, the website has already been updated with all of our offerings for the 2012 summer season, including five new trips in our Explorer Adventures, Leadership Adventures, and Leadership Expeditions.  We have also launched a special category of trips for our 40th Year.

 

Students completing the 6th grade are eligible for the new Oregon Explorer and Adirondack Explorer.  No matter which coast you venture on students will have a great time making new friends and exploring new activities on a trip designed for 6th graders.

 

Cape Cod Bike, our beginner bicycle-touring trip in Massachusetts, is open to students currently in 7th and 8th grade.  Along with biking the roads and trails of Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard, students will also get the chance to surf and enjoy a whale watching tour.

 

Colorado, open to students completing the 8th grade and up, offers a variety of fun, beginner friendly activities across the beautiful outdoor environments of the “Centennial State” including visits to Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, and hiking a 14er, a must do for anyone venturing in Colorado.

 

Northwest Summits, open to students completing the 10th grade and up, offers our older students the chance to venture together while exploring the last best places on the planet with the chance to summit four of the Pacific Northwest’s famous peaks: Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adam, Mt. Olympus, and Mt. Baker.

 

Mount Rainier and Grand Ascent, our special 40th Anniversary programming, are special one-week climbs of two peaks that Wilderness Ventures groups have been climbing since 1973.  These trips are open to alumni (21 years old and up), as well as parents of alumni and former staff members.  Space is limited on these special climbs, so be sure to reserve your spot ASAP.

 

Over the next few weeks we will launch a series of eleven videos on our website, Facebook, and YouTube.  WV alumni Tucker MacDonald (Hawaii-2007 and Australia-2008) created these videos highlighting the Wilderness Ventures experience.  Over the past two summers Tucker has filmed groups on our Southwest Service, Grand Teton, Pacific Northwest, California, High Sierra, Pacific Coast Bike, and California Explorer trips.  Using his footage and student testimonials filmed by Peter Pilafian, a Jackson based videographer, Tucker has created must see videos for anyone interested in a Wilderness Ventures summer.

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