...where each individual becomes a valued and important component to the group as a whole. The real value and purpose of outdoor adventures for young adults is to foster interpersonal growth. This can only be achieved in a small group environment where the entire group gathers around the campsite each night and shares their meals, stories, feelings and laughter together. This small group atmosphere, which we have fostered on our domestic trip groups since 1973, cannot be achieved with larger groups.
The Reality Of Large Groups
In all of our most pristine National Parks and National Forest wilderness areas in the United States, group size cannot exceed twelve to fifteen people, depending upon area. These limits are strictly enforced in order to protect our natural ecosystems from being trampled or destroyed.
Adventure program providers, operating domestic programs with larger groups, (typically with twenty to thirty people) are therefore required to divide into sub-groups with separate itineraries for all daytime and overnight travel. They must also move their groups between parks and wilderness areas with multiple vehicles. This means there is always a lot of separation and group shuffling. You’re never with the same people, growing as a person and as a group. And very few of your trip mates ever get to really know you.
Since 1973, we have had more experience with variations of group size than anyone else by far. Our vast experience has proven that large groups of twenty to thirty people, do not work on trips that are shorter than six weeks in length. There just isn’t enough time to really get to know your trip mates and to develop as a team and community when you’re constantly breaking into smaller groups. No matter how many leaders are provided with larger groups, the opportunity for every student to become known and valued by the entire group is simply impossible to achieve. Interpersonal growth opportunities and a real spirit of community are sadly lost with groups of such magnitude. Large groups of twenty to thirty people may be more economically efficient to conduct, from the trip provider’s standpoint but the students are all being short changed. The overall atmosphere is noisy and rowdy with little time for individual reflection or personal growth.
At Wilderness Ventures we are committed to providing an intimate, interpersonal group experience, where each individual is accepted and appreciated for their unique contributions, where each individual is always included by the group as a whole and is always part of the fun and laughter. A Wilderness Ventures trip is about personal growth and team building. It’s about life changing experiences, which will resonate for years to come. The atmosphere we create can only be achieved in a small group that travels together, all the time, as a family. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
International Group Travel
Because of the nature of international travel, with the addition of foreign national staff members, our groups typically range from 12 to 18 students with two of our own leaders. Our means of transportation and the areas we travel to are more conducive to slightly larger groups, however, our emphasis on the small group experience and student-to-staff ratios is uncompromised.
