What an AMAZING Team-Building Day!…read more Our team had an incredible time at Mount Hermon Adventures taking on the Redwood Canopy Tour! It was the perfect combination of adventure, teamwork, laughter, and a little bit of adrenaline! A HUGE shout-out to our amazing guides, Sarah and Emily! They were absolutely fantastic! They kept us safe every step of the way, made everyone feel comfortable, and brought so much fun and energy to the experience. They were also extremely knowledgeable about the magnificent redwood trees and shared some really interesting information throughout the tour. We laughed, challenged ourselves, encouraged each other, and made some great memories together. If you're looking for a fun, exciting, and unforgettable team-building experience, we HIGHLY recommend the Redwood Canopy Tour at Mount Hermon Adventures! And Sarah and Emily -- THANK YOU for making our day so incredible! You two were AWESOME!

I've been on several retreats and always love it. What really stood out this time is that I forgot…read moremy bag at the site and had to drive back after work to get it. Christi Robertson and her boss Daniel coordinated a pickup after MH normally closes. So they practice AND preach the way of Jesus!

Have you ever done the, "make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich" dance? If you haven't, you…read moreshould. You grab the ingredients, you spread on the toppings with both arms, and you dance it all around. That is how we got warmed up to race. Parking, at 7:15 was fast and right across the street: $10 Packet pick-up: Easy cheesy. Porto potties: At least they had them, right? Bag check: Free! They have a security guard watching over them. Obstacles: An adult playground. There was a back-up at the first obstacle, as they wanted people to get into groups of 8. That wasn't working, so it was more like awkward waves. A large bouncy pad with about 6 semi-tall barriers you launch yourself over. It was surprisingly challenging. There were: Two elevated slip & slides into shallow pools of water. One was supposed to have foam but it wasn't pumping correctly. A huge swirling cross pad, you had to run with it or against it along a narrow platform. Inflated balls that you had to balance and jump across. I made it onto the first one and couldn't stand up to launch to the next, so I flung off the side and laughed as I bounced to the ground. An inner tube water slide into a pool of water. A leap of faith onto an inflated bulls eye. Two huge rotating balls that chased you, as you tried to run across a slippery plank. I almost made it but lost my footing on the last step, splooosh! Two large stair/rope climbs to slides. The last one will give you a wedge. We only waited a couple of minutes to take an optional finisher photo and they handed us our medals. I love the photo opportunities, you scan your bracelet before you get onto the obstacle and they snap a picture of you. Bouncy, bouncy,..fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.

My 3rd year doing this and second at this location, safe to say I won't be doing it again…read more - ''Jump balls'' were not inflated properly. As soon as I stepped onto it I sunk so far I could feel the ground underneath my feet. I'm not exactly heavy either at 102lb. ''Jumping'' from one to the other was in no way possible nor an option. That's some lass ass bs excuse of an obstacle. Previous years this has been my favorite. - No foam on the ''Foam of Fury'', just water. Seriously?! - Not enough water on the ''Cool'' Running's''. Out of the 40 or so people that I saw tried to go down it they all had to get off and walk to the the end (where you are supposed to land in the pool) because friction had them stop. Myself included. Lame. - VIP entry I got my tech shirt upgrade but Hubs didn't. + You actually got a medal this year. + Vendors after the event handing out drinks. Neutral: You had a tag on your wristband which you swipe at obstacles to indicate you wanted your picture taken. I'm neutral on this because for the price of the registration fee I feel this should be included. My advice for the event organizers - Have the obstacles as advertised and either 1. reduce the price of registration (upwards of $65 plus fee's for a 5k is obscene) 2. Add more obstacles.

Best laser tag experience by far! The outdoor site is among the redwoods on Koinonia Conference…read moreGrounds in Corralitos (kind of near Santa Cruz. Perfect for kids birthday parties as an unforgettable experience unlike the standard indoor laser tag that most people do. The team gameplay/objectives are varied during the session and keep it super engaging. Huge thanks to Brandon who has led at least 3 sessions for our group over the years. He's very patient, kind, and considerate.

We had a fantastic experience! Branden was prompt with communication. Highly recommend!read more

It's a tradition at elementary schools across the Bay Area to provide their 5th graders with a…read moreweek-long trip to Jones Gulch. I'm a 90s kid, so mine was a while ago. It's a wonderful experience and I thought I'd provide a few highlights, a couple of which are quite funny: 1) For meals, all of the campers are brought into the large cafeteria and assigned to tables that fit about a dozen kids apiece. Because of the sheer amount of students there, chances are good you'd only be sitting with one or two kids from your class, so it was a good opportunity to socialize with kids from other schools. One such kid at my table was a guy we'll call Pete. Pete was a nice kid. He really liked the eggs they served for breakfast. He also had a laugh that mimicked a hybrid cross between an elephant seal and a failing bus transmission. One day I was sitting next to him for breakfast and someone told a joke and he belted out the most obnoxiously hilarious HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW I've ever heard. I remember it to this day. If you're a fellow 90s kid compadre, think of the surfer dude boyfriend from the movie Prehysteria and how he laughed. HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW. 2) One kid in my bunk was also from my school, we'll call him Chris. Chris had a mouth on him like nothing I had ever heard up to that point in my young life. One night, one of the prefects we'll call them, was making her routine rounds and came into our bunk. Her and Chris started up a conversation and Chris was commenting how he has the same watch that she was wearing. They really seemed to be getting along. 10 minutes later she abruptly tells Chris to go to Gyro (camp's administrative office, the equivalent of getting sent to the principal's office). I have no clue what transpired in those 10 minutes, but Chris stormed out. A few minutes later the prefect caught up with Chris and told him to rejoin his bunkmates. He was so confused and angry and, being the little mouth he was, swore up a storm. I'm guessing he used some naughty language while chatting with her which led to his ejection. It was hilarious. HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW. 3) During our bunk's skit on Thursday night we did a goofy dancing number where we all fell down in front of the entire camp. It was funny. HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW. 4) Campers were assigned to smaller groups to do activities with. The leader of my group was a fella named Lucero. Nice guy. Great sense of humor and worked famously with us kids. Gave me the last cookie during one of the lunches. He signed all of our yearbooks with the note "don't forget to be an earth keeper!" There was an overweight kid in our group, we'll call him AJ, and he mistakingly read it as "don't forget to be an earthquake!" It was hilarious (HAWHAWHAWHAW). Lucero, if you ever read this, you definitely helped make Jones Gulch an unforgettable experience. 5) The most notable thing I remember was again in the cafeteria. Half the camp was out doing activities and the other half was inside for lunch. It was very quiet, and that's when Solar Steve himself, the head administrator of the camp, strolls in with his guitar and starts singing. What unraveled was something that I'm in awe of even today: Solar Steve not only sang and played his guitar, but he got US to sing along with him. I've never seen that before. On the spot, completely impromptu, struts in and just gets us all to start singing. Willingly I might add! How does someone do that??? It was like something out of The Simpsons or South Park! I even remember the frickin' song; the chorus he had us sing went like "Sol-ar En-er-gy!" What an unbelievable talent. Doing a search for him I don't see him on the Jones Gulch website anymore, but it does appear he was principal of the camp up until recently and is still very active in San Mateo County youth programs. Yes, we all kissed a banana slug and no, it was not that gross. Learned a lot, too. Was really a great overall experience. HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW.

I was a camper there in 5th grade. I loved it so much. I went back as a camp counselor, They go on…read morenight hikes, skits ect.U meet different kids from different schools. They asked if I wanted a cabin of girls or boys, I choose the girls. U learn a lot at this camp. I highly recommend. We all went back up and visited next campers.

Best team building exercise I've EVER participated in. Seriously…read more Fun activities, appropriately challenging. Mark tied our activities into corporate/team work and business dynamics with a very light touch (e.g. just a moment, key insights, not syrupy or lame.) This was outstanding. I would recommend for any new teams forming together or existing teams. It changed my prior assumptions about a ropes course!

Aaron Walker and the crew at Synergy have an extraordinary talent for bringing out the best in any…read moreteam dynamic. We held a teambuilding event for our firm in Foster City, and they brought their show on the road to make our day exciting, and beneficial. Our group participated in several activities that put our thinking, communication and cooperation skills to the test. (Not to mention a little physical challenge as well!) Although I have personally done some similar typed exercises elsewhere, it was Aaron's debrief with us after each challenge that really brought the deliverables home for every member of our team. We recognized strengths and talents in ourselves and others, and he coached us in new ways to utilize those discoveries in our everyday work. I highly recommend their program for any team (regardless of industry) that wants to build up morale with a sense of unity and common purpose.

Best fun I've had in a while!!! I went here for a work training on a Saturday. Good thing the…read moreweather was perfect!!! During the 90 minutes my rotation had for this course, I ended up doing 4 of the 6 available challenges: 1. Tight Rope: I basically climbed up a bunch of staples and walked across a rope that was 30 ft in the air. It was nerve wracking, but it helped to know I was secure and wasn't going to fall into anything. Tricky, but a pretty fun way to start off since you can hold onto a series of several ropes that are hanging above you along the way. 2. ZIPLINE: I think this is scary when you climb up to the platform, but after that this is by far the most relaxed and enjoyable experience. Once you push off, everything is secure, and all you can really do is savor the few moments in your life that you will spend feeling like a bird! Beautiful, beautiful view along the way :) 3. The Broken Bridge: This is a bunch of planks. You can hang on to the rope that secures you, but the point is kind of to not hold onto anything and to try and walk across this unsteady bridge stretched up about 15 ft above the ground. It was pretty fun, and I felt a lot better once I started taking a few steps on it to get used to the feeling. 4. Leap of Faith: This is the scariest, gutsiest part of the course, I think. You basically climb up a 30 ft pole, stand on the very end of it, and then jump off to try and catch a trapeze. I was really nervous about this one and it was the last one I did, but obviously, I lived to tell the tale, and I don't regret trying it out one bit. Ten-out-of-ten, would do it againnnn. The two I didn't do: 5. The Catwalk: You basically climb up and walk across a log without holding on to anything. Yes, you are still secured to a rope, haha. BUt the point is to balance and stretch your boundaries by walking across, doing jumping jacks, walking backwards--whatever you want. I didn't do this one, but a lot of my coworkers chose to walk backwards on it once they made it across the first time. 6. The Swings: This is literally a set of wooden plank swings attached to a log that you have to get across. It seemed physically intense. I didn't do this one, but a lot of people had fun with it and made it across either sitting on the planks or standing on them. As someone who is usually afraid of heights, I thought I was definitely NOT looking forward to this. The breakthrough that you reach while you go on this course, though, is its whole point. Lupe and Trinity, two of the main people running the course, are super friendly, and all of the staff are great about making you feel safe, encouraged, and welcome. Overall, the course was fantastic for helping my work team up its enthusiasm and unity during our mid-year slump, and it was nice that I ended up surprising myself (what?) with how I was able to settle my nerves and jump off of 30-foot high things with abandon....

I came here with my work for team building. This was a great opportunity for you and your…read morecolleagues to get to know each other outside of the work place and bond as a team. When obstacles get tough, your team cheers you on. This was a lot of fun and a challenge for all levels of fitness. There were ground challenges that used your brain and climbing challenges that used your body. This was a great experience. Instructors Willow, Melissa, Jasper and another gentleman (I cant remember his name) instructed us well. There were no mishaps and kept us safe along the way.

We did a private adult party and this was not an easy day at the playground. Next day, everyone…read morewoke up sore and beaten. This ninja warrior set up is the real deal. We underestimated the challenge we faced going through any of the courses. Props to those on the show. Overall, we had tons of fun and realized we need to develop more strength especially in the upper body. Everyone should give this place a try and experience it yourself.

I have a goal - to finish well at my first Spartan Race. I…read moream committing to strengthen my physical abilities for this race because my friend encouraged me to push myself beyond my mental blocks. As part of our training, she suggested our team visit a Ninja Warrior-style gym to practice. We had a blast doing the obstacles and learning techniques by watching others. On the other hand, my entire upper body ached 3 days after this "play date" which proves how challenging it is.

Every time I take a workshop with Zach and Marria, I am intensely amazed by their playful, positive…read moreenergy and by their abundant creativity. love playing with these two! The games are challenging mentally and physically, helping to develop skills and seed enjoyment at the same time. I now find myself constantly challenging myself even in everyday tasks outside of their workshops too, asking myself, "how would Zach and Marria want me to push this to the edge of my capabilities?" At the gym, simple movements level up when I think, "I wonder if I can do this while balancing on one foot?" On top of it all, Marria and Zach have such a clear wealth of knowledge about how the body and mind function, and they love communicating that to their students - all of their activities have function and purpose. And regarding communication with students - they are incredibly supportive facilitators, and their encouragement keeps the whole workshop moving so fast that I always am shocked when it's over, because it feels like it's only been a minute, even though I'm sweating! A+, would play (and have played!) again.

I went to a Play More workshop when I was feeling down. It totally turned my mood around and I met…read morelots of cool people in the process. Zach and Marria have soooo much energy, and the array of games they've come up with are interesting and yet manage to not arouse any competition anxiety among the more type A players (a difficult task).