Greetings from the Outpost! If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know we recently did a Wilderness First Aid workshop for those who regularly participate in outdoor activities. In addition to that training, we’ve been holding special sessions for our guides and training new recruits who will lead your river trips! We take this very seriously because we want our guides to be well-versed in history of the Pigeon River, hydrology, paddling, raft maintenance and safety, and first aid. These are very practical and specific topics that we feature in each training session. We also cover something equally important that doesn’t have to do with rafting at all, but has everything to do with people, customer care. Look back at our post on the wilderness first aid for some of the details.
This is one of the highest priorities on all our training dockets because want all guests to know that they’ll be safe and that they’ll be well taken care of. This isn’t just good information for guides, either. When everyone works together to make their trip a success, our jobs are a lot more fun.
Having a positive attitude is one of the first things we teach our guides. As you’ve probably heard at school or just from growing up, the way you view a situation can change the outcome. Henry Ford said it best when he said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Each of our guides meet every group expecting success. If you’re attending one of our trips and are nervous or scared (and excited!), believe that you can do this and have an open mind about what you’re capable of. You’ll have a great time with us!
We also teach our guides to be aware of their surroundings, and respect the river habitat. We take great care to conserve our surroundings and be eco-conscious, but this conscientiousness also applies to the habitat within the boat. Our guides will always be aware of how your fellow rafters are feeling, their attitudes, and their capabilities, and fellow rafters should always encourage each other. The boat only moves when everyone is working together, and that’s impossible when rafters aren’t aware of each other.
The final thing we want to encourage all of you to know is to know your limits…. and know when to push past them. Getting out of your comfort zone to try something new is great. You’ll learn that you can do things you had no idea you were capable of. But if you find yourself getting to a particular physical limit, you should make your guide aware. We train all of our guides to read the trip group to keep everyone safe, but if you notice something don’t be afraid to speak up.
We love our staff at Outdoor Adventures and we wouldn’t trade them for the world! As our trainings wrap up and we hit the rapids, we can’t wait to show you how much we appreciate our customers too. From newbies to experienced rafters, our guides bring the knowledge, the experience, and the attitude necessary for a successful day riding down the river. See you out there!
