Adventure Treks Gap

The Leadership Adventure Semester with Adventure Treks was a truly wonderful experience. For a such new program, it was thoughtfully planned and every aspect was excellent. The location was wonderful, as western North Carolina is incredibly beautiful and has plentiful opportunities for many different kinds of recreation. The staff are all amazing, skilled, charismatic, and kind people who are eager to help you learn and grow as a person. So beyond thankful for this community. If you're uncertain about signing up, just do it! You won't regret it. It gave me so much more confidence for leading wilderness expeditions, and for life in general.

Man, where do I even begin? Mere words will never adequately express my gratitude for the sunsets, laughs, mountain goat families, exhilarating rapids, sense of accomplishment, sore calves, breathtaking views, and universal growth shared among a group of 12 strangers that turned into family.

This trip is a highlights reel of the most stunning wild places in the American West (especially the PNW). I still have to pinch myself when I think back to paddling down 14-ft waterfalls on a river that flows through a collapsed lava tube. When I close my eyes, I can still imagine the endless expanse of stars in City of Rocks and the sheer power I felt while shouting an inside-joke battle cry into a canyon in the Goat Rocks. From daily practice in risk management, knots, Leave No Trace--to my River Rescue and Wilderness First Responder Certifications, I feel capable and confident to lead backpacking trips with friends and beyond. I also fell in love with rock climbing, and I am very involved in the outdoor scene on my college campus.

In an age of isolation and sleepwalking behind screens, this trip was such a necessary and timely reminder of what really matters in life. I learned that when you show up each day with your whole authentic self and actively invest in the growth of yourself and others, you are capable of anything. I learned to chase relationships and experiences (like AT) that make you feel so wholeheartedly loved, alive, and true. I highly, highly recommend this program to anyone my age. The transition to college is such an inflection point full of uncertainty and chaos, and this trip gave me time and space to reflect upon the person I am and the person I want to be, and I found the sense of direction and meaning I craved within the most supportive and encouraging environment.

Attending Adventure Treks last summer was undoubtedly the best decision of my life. (Thank you, THANK YOU, Mom and Dad). I grew immensely as an outdoorswoman, leader, friend, and human being, and I have epic stories and friendships to last a lifetime. I can't say enough good things about this program.

The summer I had with Adventure Treks was definitely my best summer yet! I made so many friends that I still talk to and see to this day. I really appreciate all the support and learning opportunities AT gave me. Not only did this program take you to the most beautiful parts of the United States, it takes you through a Wilderness First Responder course and a Swift Water Rescue course, which I thought was very informative. I recommend that everyone who loves the outdoors and is looking for something to do during the summer to go on this trip. It is definitely the opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t miss out!!

Adventure Treks has been and always will be my second family. The people that I have met on these trips are some of the coolest people I have ever met and I am honored to call them lifelong friends. Everything about my AT experience has been positive as AT teaches you to truly become your best self. When I am on AT I am in my happiest state. The GAP semester taught so many outdoor and leadership skills, as well as life skills. This experience I had on this trip is one that I will remember and love for the rest of my life. I wish that everyone could take an Adventure Treks trip as it teaches you to become a better person as you make lifelong friends and memories.

LAGS is unlike any other program out there. It’s so unique in its wide range of activities and experiences offered, from all things outdoors to general life skills. While I'm quite jealous about the new addition of two weeks in Costa Rica, North Carolina is the perfect location for the broad range of activities available, with some of the best backpacking, biking, climbing, and river sport locations in the whole U.S. Accumulating knowledge and skill with these different activities that I had never experienced before is something I’ll be able to carry with me the rest of my life, and will provide a platform for me to jump into any of those activities again as a future hobby. The supportive and knowledgeable instructors are what made this possible, without their mentorship and compassion it would have been impossible to make the personal strides I made.

I had a wonderful time during the LAS gap semester. I made so many lasting friendships and grew in ways that I could have never imagined. I would 100% recommend doing this semester as I learned so many life and people skills that will help me in the next chapters of my life. I had my doubts coming in but they were all for nothing as I had a phenomenal experience! The instructors were all so amazing, friendly and supportive in everything we did. Everyone had some inexperience in different activities but with the support and encouragement from the staff as well as other peers it was easy to take on different challenges.

Attending the Adventure Treks Leadership Adventure gap semester was one of the best decisions of my life. The activities and community are both diverse and enriching. My group ranged from seasoned outdoorsmen to students who had never been on a hike and the instructors excelled at accommodating everyone. The activities (including backpacking, whitewater kayaking and canoeing, rock climbing, and so much more) consistently felt safe and fun and there was always a challenge for every skill level! I could not recommend this gap semester more for anybody looking for a change in pace and a need to reignite your love for the outdoors. You will be introduced to a community that values fun, safety, and teamwork while still getting the chance to develop your own skills and take reasonable risks. As long as you are up for the challenge, the Leadership Adventure Semester is the perfect fit for you!

My life changed for the better when I decided to take this chance! I met friends I never would have met otherwise. I fell in love with who I became during this program, and I walked on my college campus and knew I would be just fine because of what I overcame during LAS. I am so thankful and I loved my experience. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

I always recommend it to anyone who is thinking about it. I learned so much and today I walked past a car with a dead battery and thought, “I know how to jump that car.” Thoughts like that, having that confidence, it’s priceless. I invested in my future and myself by signing up.