Guide’s Day Off | A One-Day Climbing Ascent of El Capitan
A historic look at climbing The Nose of El Cap, and what it’s like to climb it in a day. LA guide Jack Waterhouse just might be the most understated big wall climber in Yosemite. Last fall, he low-key climbed the Nose of El Cap—a feat that normally takes an average of three or four […]
How to Train for Backpacking – Part I
How to Train for Your First Backpacking Trip By LA Guide, Nick Estrada These days, it seems like everyone has some desire to experience backpacking, and for good reason. Many of our guides have been exploring the backcountry for years, and they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The draw to venture into a remote […]
Olympic’s First Locals: The Native History of Olympic National Park
The Native History of Olympic National Park Long before western settlement, the Olympic Peninsula was a home of abundance. By LA Olympic guide, Jack Waterhouse The Olympic Peninsula is a vast and rugged area, defined by extraordinarily lush old-growth rainforest, glaciated peaks, wild and powerful rivers, and miles of coastline dotted with sea stacks and […]
Five Of The Best Trails in Yosemite
5 Classic Day Hikes In Yosemite Make the most of your visit with these unforgettable hiking tours in Yosemite National Park. With more than 800 miles of established trail within its boundaries, there’s no shortage of phenomenal day hikes in Yosemite National Park. Over the past 25 years of guiding tours in Yosemite, we’ve hiked every […]
Outgrowing Covid: Where We Stand & Where We’re Going
Looking back on 2021 and forward to new programs, holiday savings, and more scholarships in 2022! by LA founder Scott Gehrman In 2021 Lasting Adventures experienced what I refer to as “The Return to the Outdoors.” After a year of being shut down and cooped up due to the pandemic, the demand for outdoor programs […]
The Basics of Ultralight Backpacking
An intro to ultralight backpacking, and some tips to get you started! By Lasting Adventures intern, Lindsey Skidmore If you’ve been backpacking, you are probably well aware of the feelings of bruised hips and aching knees after a few nights in the backcountry. Ultralight backpacking aims to remedy these problems through minimalism and the use […]
Building Lasting Adventures: An Interview With The Founder
25 Years of Passion: A Look Into The History of Lasting Adventures A quarter of a century ago, Lasting Adventures started as a Yosemite-based nonprofit youth summer camp with a mission to get more children outdoors. In the beginning there was just one employee—Scott Gehrman—Lasting Adventures’ founder and executive director. Scott guided every trip, as […]
Jumping Slugs! And Other Unique Animals of Olympic National Park
Fascinating Animal Species That Only Live in Olympic National Park By Nick Estrada Established in 1938, Olympic National park preserves and protects nearly 1,400 square miles of old-growth temperate rainforests, glacier-clad mountains, and over 70 miles of Pacific Coast line. Among the varied landscape of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is an impressive measure of biodiversity in […]
Gallery: Magical Moments From Our 2021 Summer Camp Season
Unforgettable memories from another spectacular summer camp season Summertime at Lasting Adventures is comprised of countless invaluable moments shared among campers and outdoor educators in some of the most beautiful environments on earth. We spend the season tramping through national parks, guiding students through profound wilderness experiences and teaching life-skills, respect, and stewardship, using nature […]
Outside Yosemite: Hidden Gems of the Eastern Sierra
Yosemite is home to some of the Sierra’s most majestic sites. But outside park boundaries, hidden gems abound! There’s no debate—Yosemite National Park houses some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, let alone in the Sierra. But beyond Yosemite’s gates also exist hidden marvels that are well-worth exploring. If you’re planning your Yosemite […]
How to Pick A Pair of Trekking Poles
By LA gear manager, Will Heaps After two weeks of hiking the rugged routes of Camino de Santiago in the northern part of Spain, my buddy Will’s knees ached almost visibly. By that point, he’d been watching me and my wife tackle the same terrain with much less agony, courtesy of the aid from the […]
The Best Season For Visiting Yosemite?
Five reasons why Fall is the greatest season of all. When assessing the best time of year to visit Yosemite, a case can be made for every season. Waterfalls in Spring, alpine lakes in Summer, and snow-covered cliffs of Winter make stiff competition for Autumn, but any seasoned visitor may you—Fall is actually the best […]
Why Lasting Adventures? A Guide’s Perspective
A Guide’s Perspective on Yosemite’s Top Backpacking Summer Camp and Guide Service Matt Schilowitz first joined Lasting Adventures as an intern back in 2017. He’s come back every summer since, and in that time graduated to a guide, then a lead guide, and now a program manager. But it’s not the paycheck that keeps Matt […]
When Fire and/or Smoke Become A Threat In Yosemite
Throughout our history as a guide service, fires have not been a physical threat to our programs, primarily because we operate in higher elevations and alpine regions, which have thinner forests and lots of granite. Most major fires over the past 20-plus years have all occurred at lower elevations and in the drier foothills outside […]
Standing Proud | A Half Dome Summit On Opening Day
Everyone has people in their lives, places, and unique things about themselves that makes them proud to be who they are. For me, a recent experience guiding our first Half Dome in a Day hike of the season did just that. Arriving to Lasting Adventures for the summer, eager to check my guide schedule for […]