What does Doug think about my guided trips?

Doug Laity atop Long Mountain in Yosemite National Park, overlooking Ritter and Banner

Doug Laity atop Long Mountain in Yosemite National Park, overlooking Ritter, Banner, and the Minarets

Last September Doug Laity of San Diego, CA, joined one of my 7-day High Sierra Adventure trips. He is returning for 2013, having already registered for both the 3-day Winter Backpacking trip in Colorado and the 7-day Alaska Adventure. (Nine other alumni have already registered for 2013 trips, too.) Below I have copied a recent email from Doug, with permission; it’s an exceptional testimonial about my trips.

Registration for 2013 trips will be opened to the public on Monday, February 4. If you’d like to be among the first to know when it opens, please submit your info via this form. For information about the trips, go here.


Andrew:

Deposits for Alaska + Colorado are in the mail.

I am glad you have seen a good response among alumni. But I can’t say I am terribly surprised.

Your trips are simply superb. Your athleticism and skill are plainly obvious to any simpleton. What impressed me about the Yosemite trip are qualities that are not made obvious by simply glancing at your expedition history:

1) Your enthusiasm for wilderness and sharing wilderness exploration with others arguably surpasses your athleticism — if indeed that is possible. You remained consistently energetic about sharing your knowledge throughout the week.

2) Your attention to detail is extraordinary. Meals, gear advice, permits, instructions — every detail was planned and executed perfectly, allowing the group to focus on backpacking skills and enjoying Yosemite.

3) While starting with an ambitious planned route to provide a general structure for the week, you also embraced flexibility — permitting you to make day-to-day adjustments to the itinerary based on the needs and desires of the group.

And if one were to speak only in soulless financial terms, your trips are a steal. Seven days immersed in some of the world’s best mountains, with every detail meticulously planned, learning through both formal instruction and osmosis from two (including Flyin Brian) of the world’s most accomplished trekkers — and it cost only 1,000-1,500 bucks? In this economy, certainly not everyone has a free grand to spend. But if you do, and you love wilderness, there is no better deal to be found. Period.

Looking forward to the trips,

Doug

Posted in on January 23, 2013
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