Amidst the summer months, it’s time to take your activities outdoors and strip back to become one with the nature around you.

We had the opportunity to speak to one of our expert vendors in extreme outdoor activities – Adventure Out. Adventure Out pride themselves in catering for all things outdoors including surfing, survival skills, rock climbing, medical skills and mountain biking. If you’re interested in extreme sports, or they’re always something you’ve wanted to try, here’s a read for you. Enjoy!

Q: Please can you tell us how it all began for Adventure Out?

A: I started Adventure Out in 2004 – I had just graduated from school. I had spent 5 years studying Engineering at MIT and graduated with a bachelors and masters degree from MIT. I returned home to the Silicon Valley area to work in the technology industry and lasted only 2-3 months before I knew I wanted to do something different with my life. I started Adventure Out to help people reconnect with nature. To encourage people from all walks of life to get outside, be active, and have adventures as a way of appreciating the natural environment in our area.

Q: Where did the passion for extreme outdoor activities stem from? 

A: That’s just been a part of my life since day one. Growing up in Santa Cruz, California, you HAVE to be an outdoors geek. I’ve been surfing, climbing, mountain biking, and backpacking for as long as I can remember.

Q: What makes your experiences unique compared to similar ones on the market?
A: Adventure Out has always strove to be a leader in professionalism. In an industry where there are so many “fly by night” guide services – people without proper permitting/licensure, insurance, and safety training, we do things the RIGHT way. All our guides are professionals, and are trained to offer the highest quality outdoor experience.

Q: What would you say is the best part of the some of the experiences you offer?

A: Simply having the opportunity to be outside. We live in an amazing place here in Northern California, and it’s somewhat sad that most people in our area goes years without seeing the ocean, or the redwood forests. Let us help you get back to nature!

Q: Who would you say your experiences are most suited for?
A: Anyone and everyone – we run programs that are open-to-the-public, that just about anyone can sign up for, to team/group retreats that range from Google executives, to engineering teams from Facebook, to Girl Scout troops, soccer teams, Stanford University professor groups, small business team building, etc. You name it. We work with everyone and can scale our activities to be fun and thrilling for all skill levels.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that we haven’t covered?

 A: Remember that Adventure Out is a 1% For The Planet business member. For 10 years straight now we donate 1% of all gross revenues to environmental charity. Adventure with us and know that a portion of your fees are going straight back in to protecting the spaces that we operate in.