Bill Westerhoff

August 21, 2011

I am a frequent visitor to Zion National Park and I have always rented my gear and sought advice at ZAC. I recently took the three day basic canyoneering course and it far exceeded my expectations. I learned much more than I anticipated and all six members of our group went from knowing little-to-nothing with respect to technical canyoneering to being able to handle canyons on our own with complete confidence and proficiency (Mystery and Pine Creek). I can't say enough about the level and breadth of instruction in this course (raps, anchor building, problem solving, sequencing, gear set up, etc.)

Our guides, Tom Jones and Bill Westerhoff, were incredible. They were both amazingly proficient with respect to the technical aspect of canyoneering as well as great to be around for the entire three days. Multiple members of our group of six commented that Tom and Bill were the best guides of any trip of any guide company they had commissioned (folks in our group have done many guided trips). What made Tom and Bill so great (aside from the fact that Tom is a canyoneering celebrity) is that they maintained the delicate balance of maintaining the proper guide/student relationship to ensure we were learning as much as possible while maintaining a fun atmosphere where everyone gave everyone else a hard time (a hallmark of our group trips). 

I would, without reservation, recommend the three day basic course to anyone serious about building a strong foundation in canyoneering. Every member of our group left feeling that the value we received over the three days far exceeded the price tag.

Jonathan Nielsen
Park City, UT 

August 29, 2011

Bill and Scott,

Sorry it took so long to get back to yall, life's been busy. Anyways, I wanted to thank yall again for the excellent training you provided. 

First of all, I want you to know how impressed I was with the training. I have been through many outdoor educational experiences in my career as an outdoor enthusiast, guide, and trainer, and that one is one of the best I have experienced. At the start of the day, you were able to very quickly asses the experience of both the group and of the individuals present. You took interest in our background and our goals, and started a good rapport right off the bat. During the long bus ride out to water canyon, you were able to entertain us to pass the time and educate us about the local area.

When we started the actual training, I was very impressed with several things. The first was the way you were able to accommodate the widely varying skill levels and present challenges that all could learn from and enjoy. And we all enjoyed the way you would let us work out the process ourselves instead of just telling us how to do something. Additionally, your use of the surroundings, and setting up limitations thereof, was very helpful in helping us to not just learn a checklist of skills, but rather a way of looking critically at our gear and environment to come up with a solution.

All in all, I, along with several of the more experienced group members, came in expecting a fairly straightforward, run of the mill day of instruction, and we left having experienced a very thorough, engaging, and challenging day of learning. We at ORGT are very grateful for the excellent trip you provided us and were all very impressed.

Thanks again guys!

-- 

David Ward
Outpost Manager
VP Whitewater Kayaking
Georgia Tech