Delivering Adventure

An essential adventure and life skill is the ability to be adaptable. Being adaptable allows us to adjust to change and to keep our cool when we find ourselves in adverse or stressful situations.In 2005, Wells Jones set out to retrace the path of the famous soldier and adventurer TE Lawrence - also known as Lawrence of Arabia. The goal of this trip was to prepare for an acting role.On that trip, Wells and his friend Miles went through 39 border check points, trekked through the desert by camel and dared to go where few westerners were willing to travel in the wake of 9/11. All the while they had to vigilante to avoid being kidnapped.Wells and Miles have recently released a book that they wrote based on this trip called A Line in the Sand.In this episode, Wells shares his philosophy of adventure in a candid and at times deeply personal and intense way as well as key strategies that we can use to increase our adaptability.Key TakeawaysHow we can increase our adaptability:You are More Adaptable Than you Think: All of us are already adapting to many different situations that we may take for granted.Yes, I Can Mindset: When you are faced with a situation that pushes you outside your comfort and challenge zone, and you aren’t sure whether you can adapt, it can be really helpful to adopt a mindset where you say to yourself, yes I can do it. Focussing on success instead of failure, and believing in yourself can be the difference makers between adapting to new and challenging situations and potentially overcoming adversity - and giving in.Prepare to Relinquish Control: Adapting to new situations may require you to let go of control. Trying new things requires us to go against status quo bias where we may choose familiar patterns where we feel we have control. This can require us to have an open mind and simply embrace the adventure. Embrace change.Adopt an Adaptable Mindset: An adaptable mindset is one where we embrace even the difficult moments in a way that allows us to find value. Happy people find value in every moment, while unhappy people tend to go looking for problems. To adapt, we need to look for value.Guest BioWells Jones started his career as a US Navy Antarctic Pararescue Team Member. This included precision skydiving, technical training mountain/glacier/crevasse rescue, Antarctic survival, advanced to instructor.Wells went on to graduate from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He has since worked in plays, commercials, TV series and films. His acting name is Tad Jones.In addition to acting, Wells has also worked as a producer and director.In 2005, Wells and his friend Miles Spencer set out to retrace the steps of TE Lawrence through the Middle East. The goal of this trip was to prepare Wells for an acting role.On that trip, Wells and his friend Miles went through 39 border check points, trekked through the desert by camel and dared to go where few westerners were willing to travel in the wake of 9/11. All the while they had to vigilante to avoid being kidnapped.Wells and Miles have recently released a book that they wrote based on this trip called A Line in the Sand. A Line in the Sand is an excellent read and can be found on Amazon.Guest LinksA Line in the Sand: Available at Amazon HereFollow or SubscribeDon’t forget to follow the show!Share & Social Linkshttps://linktr.ee/deliveringadventurehttps://deliveringadventure.com

When it comes to adventure sports, one of the best ways to manage risk is to ensure that you are as physically durable as possible. Being physically durable allows you to withstand physical challenges, mistakes and mishaps like falls. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Leslie Desrosiers. Dr. Leslie is the founder of ACL Strong. ACL Strong is a comprehensive online strength training and exercise program. While the focus of ACL Strong is on preventing knee injuries through targeted exercises and stretching, it encompasses a full body approach.Dr. Leslie shares some of the keys to improving our physical durability from warming up properly to being more efficient with our training. Increasing our physical durability doesn’t have to take long. Dr. Leslie tells us how we can work smarter, not harder!Key Takeaways:Diversify Training: This includes neuromuscular training, cardio, stretching and strengthening. Strengthening includes weight training to build your muscle mass. Cross training and using training programs will help to prevent injuries and enhance performance. Time Commitment: It doesn’t have to take long if you are efficient. Using the right exercises and stretches and doing things correctly can save you time.Whole Body: Because your entire body works together, you need to work on your whole body to improve durability. Many outdoor activities focus on specific muscle groups, while training programs offer a wider benefit.Insurance Policy: Increasing your durability is like an insurance policy that will reduce your chance of injury and will increase your chances of enjoyment.Avoiding Flare ups: If you feel stiff or things don’t feel right, address it early. This can help to reduce the chance of an overuse injury. It is easy to ignore inflammation or discomfort and try to work through it, but this isn’t a very good long-term approach.Aging Bodies: The older we get, the more important all of this becomes.Guest Bio:Dr. Leslie Desrosiers, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Specialist, currently residing and operating a private physical therapy practice in San Marcos, CA. As an injury prevention specialist, Dr. Leslie and her team developed ACL Strong, an ACL injury prevention program, helping athletes and active people protect their knees and prevent major ligament injuries so they can excel in sports and add years to their career. She is a mom of two, enjoys an active lifestyle, and loves helping people with her knowledge and expertise.Guest Links:ACL Strong: www.aclstrong.comACL Strong Membership: https://training.aclstrong.com/membership-pricingFollow or SubscribeDon’t forget to follow the show!Share & Social Linkshttps://linktr.ee/deliveringadventurehttps://deliveringadventure.com

How to Prepare for Big Adventures with Cyril DerreumauxWhat does it take to prepare for a really big adventure? One of the main reasons people get themselves into trouble and have a misadventure is a lack of preparation. You can have all the skills in the world, the best equipment and the best intentions, but if you aren’t prepared, you may quickly find that what you thought was a perfect plan has a gaping hole in it.Joining us is Cyril Derreumaux. Cyril is a long-distance solo kayaker, adventurer and speaker. Cyril is a two-time World Record holder. He has paddled his specially built kayak unassisted from California to Hawaii. This trip took him two attempts and 91 days to complete. Using that experience, Cyril is about to embark on another trip in a bid to cross the Atlantic. He hopes this trip will take him from the Canary Islands to Martinique. This is a distance of 4800 kilometres.Cyril shares with us how he prepares for his epic trips operationally, logistically, physically, and emotionally. We look at how we can apply the lessons learned preparing for big expeditions to adventures of any length.Key TakeawaysHow to prepare for big adventures:The Key to Success is Preparation: Cyril was extremely prepared. He spends more time preparing than the length of the actual trip. If you want to ensure you succeed you need to be prepared to put on the time and energy beforehand.All in Approach Beforehand: Small trips provide practice for longer more challenging excursions. Practicing skills, taking courses, and preparing for emergencies are all important steps that contribute towards success.Family Members: It is important to remember that family members share the risk when people are on adventures. There are often sacrifices and compromises made by both the adventurer (or person delivering adventure) and their families.On the Adventure: It is important to maintain rhythm and routine as much as possible. On some trips it is easy to have routine during an approach. But then when we are on the route or in more difficult or hazardous parts of the trip, we need to break the routine and move quickly. But we must still remain vigilant and make good decisions. As Cyril said, an injury can easily result in rescue and mark the end of the adventure.Reflect and Learn: Most adventurers and those delivering adventure strive to become consciously competent, as Cyril has done. This requires us to reflect on our experiences in a way that allows us to learn and develop. As Mark Twain said: "Good judgement is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgement."Follow or SubscribeDon’t forget to follow the show!Share & Social Linkshttps://linktr.ee/deliveringadventurehttps://deliveringadventure.comCover Photo by Tom Gores

What does it take to build an effective expedition team? In this episode, we are joined by master guide, guide trainer and author Colby Brokvist to discuss what goes into building successful expedition teams and how we can apply some of these lessons to any group of people we may find ourselves leading.While groups of people are each made up of a collection of unique individuals, there are commonalities to the way groups themselves develop. Colby shares some of his key strategies for team building and some of the challenges he has faced.Colby Brokvist is a professional guide who leads worldwide expeditions for some of the most acclaimed companies in adventure travel. He has guided trips around the world including in Greenland, Antarctica, Africa, and Patagonia, as well as throughout the United States and Canada. Colby currently serves as the Chair of the Polar Tourism Guides Association.Using his expertise and extensive experience, Colby has written The Professional Guides Handbook – How to lead adventure travel trips and expeditions. This is a great resource for anyone leading others.Key TakeawaysWhat goes into building an effective expedition team?Forming: This is when people first meet for the first time. Keys to success are enabling everyone to feel welcome and to align expectations early.Storming: This is when people are working to find their place in the group. Keys to success are to make everyone feel included and to model the behaviours that a leader needs to see from everyone.Norming: This is when people have found their place in a group and are starting to perform. Keys to success include having the leader continue role model behaviours and recognize good practices. Performing: This where the group can start to take on risks as a team. Key to success is to ensure everyone is able to follow all the steps.Adjourning and transforming: This is where a group is reflecting on the experience together. Key to success is being able to connect everyone to what they have accomplished.Unmet needs: We all have needs that must be met if we are to become an effective member of a team. If people have unmet needs, it becomes very difficult for them to perform at their best. Identifying and meeting these needs are a key to success for a leader.Guest BioColby Brokvist is a professional guide who leads worldwide expeditions for some of the most acclaimed companies in adventure travel. He was inspired to pursue guiding as a career during a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail in the summer of 2000. Since then, he has led hundreds of adventure travel departures as an Expedition Leader, ranging from backpacking and trekking adventures to mountaineering and rock-climbing trips, sea kayaking and sailing voyages, and wildlife safaris. His work has taken him to destinations as far-flung as Greenland, Antarctica, Africa, and Patagonia, as well as throughout the United States and Canada. His current basecamp is Boulder, Colorado.When not actively leading trips in the field, Colby assumes a variety of managerial, operational, and consulting roles within the adventure travel sphere. His work centers on developing and facilitating guide training courses and programs as well as trip program consulting and field-based guide team management. Colby also serves on the board of directors for the Polar Tourism Guides Association and is a certified Senior Polar Guide through the same organization.Guest LinksThe Professional Guides Handbook – How to lead adventure travel trips and expeditions - https://www.guideshandbook.comhttps://linktr.ee/colbyoutdoorsFollow or SubscribeDon’t forget to follow the show!Share & Social Linkshttps://linktr.ee/deliveringadventurehttps://deliveringadventure.com

How can you build a resilient team? Building effective teams is an art in itself. Building teams that are resilient enough to withstand the challenges that come with adventure, takes this art to another level. When it comes to adventure, teams can come in many forms. They can be a group of guided guests, friends on a trip together, families, or a group of guides or instructors who are working together.In this episode, we are joined by Brenna Kelleher to explore what it takes to build resilient teams out of groups of individuals from the mountains to the office and beyond.Brenna currently teaches and guides advanced women’s and youth-specific skiing clinics at Big Sky Resort. She is a former member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America’s (PSIA) National Alpine Team and is a PSIA course examinerBrenna has also coached and competed in freestyle kayaking, she has guided horseback trips in Yellowstone, and she has led a group of girls on a semester program in Africa.Brenna taps into her extensive experience as a team member and team leader to share how we can build and develop teams that can perform well in the face of challenge and adversity.Key TakeawaysHow to build resilient teams:Communication: This needs to happen often. It also needs to happen in a way that helps people to feel safe to express how they are feeling.Building trust: This needs to start early.Organization: This needs to take into consideration what role each team member is going to play in a way that allows everyone to compliment each other.Allowing others to shine: Sometimes we can all be guilty of wanting to hog the limelight. A good strategy for leaders is to use opportunities to let others spend time in the spotlight. This means allowing others to take the lead, give briefings, lead meetings, and potentially take the credit.Top Reasons Teams can Struggle: People didn’t feel they had a chance to express their concerns or fears. Leaders were not able to keep their egos in check. The goals that were set may not have been realistic or attainable. When there were issues, they may not have been dealt with early enough. This caused negativity to spread through the group.People may have felt they were being micromanaged.Resilient teams: Trust each other, share in each other’s success, and these two things together allow everyone to feel valued. When people feel valued, they will be better positioned to perform at their best.Guest BioBrenna Kelleher has developed a highly successful career as an outdoor athlete, instructor, guide and realtor. She has been an NCAA ski racer for Montana State University and claimed the 2001 Junior World Championship as a freestyle kayaker. She has guided horseback trips in Yellowstone Park and has coached freestyle kayaking. Brenna has traveled to Africa leading a group of high school girls, as an educator in a semester abroad program. She has been a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America’s (PSIA) National Alpine Team.In addition to being a PSIA Examiner, Brenna is a ski instructor and guide at Big Sky Resort where she leads advanced women’s and youth-specific clinics.Guest LinksBrenna’s website: www.bigskybrenna.comInstagram: @brennakelleherFollow or SubscribeDon’t forget to follow the show!Share & Social Linkshttps://linktr.ee/deliveringadventurehttps://deliveringadventure.com

Chris Winter, owner of Big Mountain Adventures and an experienced ski racer, dives into the art of creating unforgettable outdoor experiences. He emphasizes knowing your audience to tailor adventures effectively. With hilarious personal anecdotes, he shares insights on balancing challenge with enjoyment, the importance of aligning expectations, and managing safety. The conversation highlights how misjudging abilities can lead to misguided adventures, while fostering personal growth can transform challenges into memorable journeys.

Will Gadd, an ACMG Alpine Guide and accomplished athlete known for his ice climbing feats and world records in paragliding, shares his insights on adventure and risk. He recounts a gripping experience on the Fuhrmann Ledges, underscoring the unpredictable nature of outdoor activities. Gadd emphasizes the crucial role of communicating risks to clients and preparing for potential crises, like rockfalls. His strategies on risk management and the importance of situational awareness reveal how thoughtful planning can lead to safer and more enjoyable adventures.

When it comes to delivering adventure, you will only go as far as your body allows. The challenge for many of us is that in our quest for adventure we can neglect our own self care.When this happens our performance can decline, our decision-making abilities can be compromised, and we are more prone to making mistakes that can lead to misadventure. This makes the ability to effectively manage self care an essential adventure skill.One person that knows this all too well is Sarah Janin. Sarah is a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic who guides split boarding, skiing, rock and alpine climbing. Sarah is on the final leg of working towards becoming the first IFMGA certified Mountain Guide who has type 1 diabetes. Based in Boulder Colorado, Sarah currently works as a full-time guide and one of the head guides at the Colorado Mountain School.As someone who didn’t start rock climbing until she was in her mid-thirties, Sarah is well aware of the importance of self-care. Her dedication to self-care allowed her to pursue a guiding designation in her forties when most people start down this path in their twenties. Being diabetic, failing to practice effective self-care while leading such an active life can literally lead to fatal consequences.In this discussion, we discuss what it takes to manage our self care and why it’s so hard to do it well. Sarah gives us an extremely candid account of what it takes to manage our self-care as leaders and how to manage it for others. She also gives us a unique insight into the life of someone who delivers adventure as an insulin dependent diabetic.Key TakeawaysIt takes discipline: This includes being diligent about preparing ourselves beforehand and following up with recovery such as stretching, strengthening and rehabilitative care such as physiotherapy afterwards.The importance of pacing: Sarah touched on the value of taking breaks to recharge, taking rest days, and varying activity. Taking rest days and doing different activity can keep us fresh and give different muscles a break while others get a workout.Being vigilante: This includes staying situationally aware of ourselves and the people we might be leading. This may require us to check in with people and ourselves regularly.Educating ourselves and others: On what to look for to keep everyone operating at their peak. This can add value to the overall experience. Who doesn’t like to learn how to perform better?Scaling back to pace energy is not a loss, it’s a win: It can allow us to perform better, enjoy what we are doing and ultimately to go farther. As the saying goes, Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.Guest BioSarah Janin is a full-time mountain guide at Colorado Mountain School located in Boulder Colorado. She is the only full-time female guide at this time and one of their head guides. Sarah became one of the first certified female splitboard guides in America this March of 2024 making history.Sarah is on the AMGA track with one more exam to complete this summer. Her goal is to become the 19th certified female American Mountain Guide. Sarah will then have to pass a ski movement test in order to become IFMGA certified which will be her focus this winter.Sarah has worked as a guide for a decade after getting to experience a few different careers before settling on her true passion. Sarah is also a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic and has been for over 43 years. She will potentially become the first diabetic certified guide this year.Guest LinksColorado Mountain School: https://coloradomountainschool.com/guide/sarah-janin/Follow or SubscribeDon’t forget to follow the show!Share & Social Linkshttps://linktr.ee/deliveringadventurehttps://deliveringadventure.com/

One of the essential elements to managing risk when we are delivering adventure to others, is understanding and managing people’s risk tolerance. Our risk tolerance is the level of comfort that we have with loss or injury. Being able to determine a person’s risk tolerance in a given moment is a key component to building trust, improving their performance, coaching them through danger and helping them to control their fear.One person who has made a successful career of managing her own risk tolerance, and the risk tolerance of others is Robin Barnes. Robin is the Director of Skier Services at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Her current role is to oversee the operations of the Heavenly Snow School. In addition to working at Heavenly, Robin has previously spent 31 seasons working at Portillo Chile as an instructor and the ski and snowboard school director. She has also been a four-time Alpine Team Member with the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA).In this episode of Delivering Adventure, we discuss what goes into evaluating and managing the risk tolerance of ourselves and the people we may be leading.Key TakeawaysRisk Tolerance: What you are comfortable losing or giving up. Essentially, it is out appetite for taking risk.Subjective and Perception Based: Each of us views risk differently and this perception can change throughout an activity or during the day. For this reason, it’s important to be able to identify what a person’s risk tolerance is up front and to keep evaluating it as we go along.Determining Risk Tolerance: We can use a number scale to gauge people’s level of tolerance. For example, 10 could mean a person is terrified while 1 means they are bored. Part of doing this successfully is to learn what a person’s rating means to them.More confidence than knowledge: When this happens, people may only see the win, not the chance of loss. One situation where this can occur is with kids who may not have the ability to judge the consequences of following a specific path or the ability to calculate the potential for suffering those consequences. This is the classic example where the people we may be leading don’t know what they don’t know.Spotting People When They are Outside Their Risk Tolerance: We can see this when performance deteriorates, body position becomes defensive, and people may become quieter or more talkative than normal. We have to keep checking in with people, asking him how they are doing, communicating the risks, giving people options and watching their reactions carefully.Importance: Exposing people to too much risk can overwhelm them by causing stress and anxiety. What is worse is that it can lead to injury. On the other hand, exposing people to too little risk or challenge can leave them bored. Both of these things can damage relationships and ruin the experience.Guest BioRobin Barnes is the Director of Skier Services at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Her current role is to oversee the operations of the Heavenly Snow School. In addition to working at Heavenly, Robin has previously spent 31 seasons working at Portillo Chile as an instructor and the ski and snowboard school director. She has also been a four-time Alpine Team Member with the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA).In addition to skiing, she is a fitness trainer, mountain biker, has worked as a Ski tester for a ski Magazine and is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Robin basically does it all!People aren’t always truthful or forthcoming: People may misrepresent their goals and expectations, they may not know what they want, they may also be too embarrassed to tell you what they really want.Guest LinksHeavenly Ski Resort: https://www.skiheavenly.com/Article about Robin: https://thesnowpros.org/2021/05/06/2021-24-national-team-meet-robin-barnes/Podcast with Robin: https://soundcloud.com/realskierswithjackson/robin-barnes-an-instructor-for-lifeFollow or SubscribeDon’t forget to follow the show!Share & Social Linkshttps://linktr.ee/deliveringadventurehttps://deliveringadventure.com/

What does it take to coach someone through danger? When it comes to taking risks, danger can come in the form of real and perceived threats to our safety and well being. Regardless of whether the danger is real or imagined, when people feel threatened, even on a sub conscious level, they can inadvertently move into their survival zone. When this happens, performance can suffer, and people can find themselves increasing the probability of experiencing the very consequences they are hoping to avoid.Helping us to explore what it takes to coach people through danger effectively is Derek Foose. Derek is the founder and head coach of the Whistler Free Ride Club. He guides and works as a staff trainer for Extremely Canadian. Derek is also a Course Conductor and Course Developer for the Professional Ski Instructors of Canada’s Big Mountain Pathway. In addition to coaching and guiding, Derek has tapped into his extensive experience as a broadcast host for the Freeride World tour. He is on the Board of Directors Coaches Chair for International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association.In this engaging episode, we discuss the key strategies that adventure coaches, instructors and guides can employ to help the people they are coaching succeed in the face of danger.Key TakeawaysPreparation: Preparing people before they are put in a high-risk situation – regardless of whether it is perceived or real – is key. It is very difficult to teach someone how to handle high risk situations, in high-risk situations. The skills needed to perform in the face of danger have to learned and practiced where people can make mistakes with low consequences.Build trust: Letting people talk, showing people that you care and helping people to succeed are key components of building trust. When people trust their coach, they are more likely to believe in themselves. Conversely, when their coach believes in them, they are more likely to stay with their coach.Give people control, where you can: A coach can do this by letting people talk themselves into or out of situations as much as possible. It is almost always better to let people come to the right conclusion on their own. What a coach wants to avoid is talking someone into doing something when they don’t feel ready, and then having that person fail. When this happens, the failure is going to be on the coach. This will erode trust and damage relationships.Stay Calm: Calmness creates calmness. But no one has ever calmed down by being told to calm down!  If a coach shows signs of stress or a lack of confidence, the people they are coaching are likely to follow suit. Using a reassuring tone, positive language and keeping people focused on believing success is possible, are key elements of creating s calm atmosphere.Keeping people close: When danger and stress levels increase, bringing people closer to the coach – when it’s safe – can help to reassure people. It can also help to show people what they need to do to succeed.Keep feedback simple: The more complex the situation, the simpler the instructions need to be. When people are faced with high-risk situations, feedback needs to be simple, relatable and familiar. Now is not the time for complex explanations or new skills.Beware of Emotion: When people are stressed, it is common for them to lash out. This is especially true when you know each other well. As much as possible, try to stay focused on what needs to happen and avoid taking things personally should things get heated.Guest BioDerek Foose is the founder and head coach of the Whistler Free Ride Club. He guides and works as a staff trainer for Extremely Canadian. Derek is also a Course Conductor and Course Developer for the Professional Ski Instructors of Canada’s Big Mountain Pathway. In addition to coaching and guiding, Derek has tapped into his extensive experience as a broadcast host for the Freeride World tour. He is on the Board of Directors Coaches Chair for International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association. He also co-hosts The Freeride Guide Podcast.Guest LinksWhistler Freestyle Club: https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/plan-your-trip/ski-and-ride-lessons/products/freeride-club-ages-9-18International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association: https://www.ifsafreeriders.orgFreeride World Tour: https://www.freerideworldtour.comThe Freeride Guide Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-freeride-guide/id1725679636Follow or SubscribeDon’t forget to follow the show!Share & Social Linkshttps://linktr.ee/deliveringadventurehttps://deliveringadventure.com/