Review for Lasting Adventures and Guide Isaac V Backpacking Half Dome with Lasting Adventures was an unforgettable experience, made even better by our incredible guide, Isaac V. It was just my spouse and me on the trip, which made it feel really personal and special. Isaac was not only knowledgeable and professional but also had a great personality that made it easy to talk openly and honestly with him. He gave us the confidence we needed to take on this adventure and was encouraging every step of the way. Thanks to his guidance and support, this trip was a true success. We would absolutely recommend Lasting Adventures--and Isaac specifically--to anyone looking for a meaningful and empowering outdoor experience. We're already looking forward to doing another trip! read more

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I did the guided 3-day yoga and backpacking retreat at May Lake/amount Hoffman in Yosemite and it was AMAZING. The location was so beautiful and serine, and not far enough to scare off an absolute backpacking beginner like me! I kinda pinched myself several times to make sure it was all real. The yoga instructor Britta was fabulous. She had amazing insight, knowledge, and overall her "do what your body tells you" guidance approach to yoga was above and beyond what I expected. She's also just such a warm and encouraging person, which helped me engage spiritually and openly in every practice. Also, I loved that she guided us how to use yoga in our hikes and various activities throughout the day (like breathing technique and TOE YOGA!) The guide Dawson was so chill, knowledgeable and an ASTONISHING cook! I went in expecting to eat nothing but berries and raw avocado, but he made delicious meals I'd gladly eat any day anywhere (like vegan French toast with berries, chia seeds and syrup...never would have thought that was do-able on a backpacking trip!). His mellow and trustworthy demeanor made everything feel so effortless and eased so much anxiety I had going into the whole thing. Overall, it was the trip of a lifetime in such a beautiful place. I made new friends, I saw new things, I never felt judgement, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! read more

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I can not rave enough about this incredible company. I did a day tour with them and they Scott and Keirschenheuter were great. They showed our group around the valley and catered to our strengths and abilities. We will go with them anytime read more

My son (video game guy) got roped into a trip to support a friend whose parents signed him up. We weren't sure how it would go. Our son came home raving about the trip, the guides, how much fun he had. I had a chance to meet the guides at drop off. All were super nice. The trip had weather and high water challenges which the guides dealt with no problem. Pros. Still amazed that our boy came home with such energy and excitement about the trip. Could not recommend the experience and quality of the guides more highly. Outstanding. read more

I have been wanting to write this review for quite some time, as I am still reveling in our amazing family holiday with Lasting Adventures. I would give this a 20 star rating if I could. It. Was. That. GOOD. I found Lasting Adventures (LA) via google. My husband would be turning 50 over the summer and I wanted to surprise him with a camping / backpacking trip to Yosemite, as he had never been. So in June, myself, husband and 12 year old daughter headed from the Bay Area to Yosemite. After googling, I visited the website and read about the trips they had to offer. I selected the Tuolumne Meadows to Half Dome adventure - and adventure it was. It did not disappoint. I don't even know where to begin. Our guides were Nicole and Riley, there were 9 of us total, in the group. Day 1: Riley and Nicole went over every single inch of our gear... what we packed, if we needed it, how to properly and efficiently pack our backpacks to evenly distribute the weight, to making sure we had the best water bottles to sustain us on this journey. It was kind of funny, because my husband kept asking me how we were going to get our gear and food from campsite to campsite... "We're putting it on our backs and packing it in," I kept telling him. He didn't want to believe me, so upon our arrival, that was one of the first questions he asked Nicole. She assured him with a warm smile that we would be carrying in our own gear. (I had to laugh!) It was just an incredible spectacular trip. I cannot recommend Lasting Adventures enough. Very fun, friendly, and they genuinely honest from the heart want their guests to have an incredible experience. read more

Will and James did an amazing job with our four day backpacking trip up from glacier point to half dome. They were really attentive to our group and we had an really fun time. Whether it's campfire stories, sing a longs, riddles, swimming in the river or making the best pancakes this side of of the Mississippi, they always made our trip fun and inclusive. Felt really safe and supported, got to see yosemite in a way that few people have. Thanks so much for an amazing time guys! The company is on such a great mission to get kids into the wilderness. Inspiring. read more

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My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time! Our guides Matt and Brando were friendly, attentive, knowledgable about Yosemite and the outdoors, and also supportive. The views and mountains are picturesque and the experience is one for the books! Everything was great, except for the food and coffee. Luckily we brought our own snacks. They accommodated my lactose problem ok but the coffee and food were all cheap and low grade stuff that neither of us found filling or good. An adult trip full of early mornings and exertion where you need a higher caloric intake should be paired with filling meals, protein bars and name brand coffee. With the amount you spend we expected this as part of the deal. It would have made the experience even better. read more

Lasting Adventures - Hiking Near Me

This could be a six-page review just listing the endless highlights from my Half Dome in a Day trip with Lasting Adventures and my guide Maddie. What a thrill. I reached out to LA about many months go to inquire about the process for getting on one of their tours for Half Dome and kept in touch with them through the permitting process. They weren't able to snag any permits for when I'd be in town, but somehow I was lucky enough to win the permit with my own application. From the day I got the permit until the day of the climb, we were in touch. There was a big concern that the cables wouldn't go up--but they did, just in time, for the day I had my permit for. That said --even if the cables hadn't gone up, the company was prepared to give me a hike of a similar challenge. I was thankful for that. Through the initial process, I worked a lot with Chris as well as Scott. Before even arriving at the Valley to meet my guide, I felt confident in my decision to use Lasting Adventures. Now. Onto the hike. Maddie was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable, paced me well, understood my goals, paid attention to how I was feeling throughout the entire journey, and a wonderful person to have with me when we reached the top. She did an awesome job giving me the down-low on each section of the trail, what was to come, and how we would tackle each section. Our initial Mist Trail ascent was WICKED--it was a monsoon, but her positive attitude through that made it an enjoyable memory. I will never forget the mist trail ! Through the hike, and after, I just kept thinking how lucky and grateful I was to have made the decision to go on this hike with a guide---specifically a Lasting Adventures guide. I learned so much, saw so much, and enjoyed this so much. I'd definitely be into signing up for a tour with them again in the future. Thanks again LA for everything. read more

Sent my son on the 13 day High Sierra backpacking trip with Jack and Nicole. He was a handful I'm sure, but they really taught him so much. He came home this weekend with stories and so much knowledge. The guides were so professional. LA staff kept us informed the entire time due to the fires in the area. We were never in concern, because they kept us so well informed. My son cannot say enough of the LA Staff he encountered during his trip. I will definitely be sending my son again next year. And hopefully do a family trip with LA sometime soon. read more

I had a goal to hike Half Dome for my 30th Birthday and after realizing I couldn't get permits through the regular system, I researched other options and stumbled across Lasting Adventures. It seemed like a great idea, the proceeds go towards a non-profit youth camp and we hike with a guide who's hiked Half Dome several times and familiar with the hike...I questioned the cost however after all things considered, it was 100% worth it! Scott was great to work with while planning our hike - he was always available to answer questions and was very personable, however the thought of how cool this guy would really be once we met him did cross my mind but I continued to hope for the best. My group met him and his partner, the other guide bright and early as we had planned and sure enough - Scott was awesome! He was there waiting for us and got us started on time. As we hiked, Scott provided us with some history on the park and the different locations as we passed them. He had obviously done this multiple times as he knew exactly where to go and when to stop and where to filter water and he knew to keep us paced in order to get to the Sub-Dome at a reasonable time to avoid the crowds. Once we got to the Sub-Dome, a couple people in our group started to get a bit intimidated by the sight of the cables and started questioning if they would proceed up the cables but Scott knew how to handle the situation. You can't sit there and look at it too long or your mind will start messing with you - Take a short break and then get ready to hike up the cables, get your gloves on and determine the order we would hike up. Thankfully everyone in our group hiked up the cables to the top of Half Dome and we were all able to enjoy such an amazing experience. In my opinion, you can't hike all the way to Sub-Dome to not hike to the top. The cables actually weren't as bad as they look and luckily we didn't get too held up by the crowds. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the top while taking in the views and the bagel sandwiches as Scott recommended tasted so good. Watch out for those marmots though - they have no shame in taking food from you. We spent about 45 minutes at the top and then continued down to finish our hike. Everyone in our group was safe and had a blast and we all went for pizza and a much deserved beer afterwards - we were even rewarded with Lasting Adventures shirts which are actually pretty cool and comfy. Overall, I must say, if it weren't for Scott, Brendan and Lasting Adventures, my 30th birthday would never have been the same. I had the best time and it was exactly what I had hoped for. We will definitely be planning other hikes with Lasting Adventures and look forward to building our friendship with them over the years. Good guys and completely worth booking hikes with them. In fact, we're already talking about doing a 3-day hike with them soon (we figured if we can spend 12 hours with them, we could definitely have a fun time together on a 3 day hike). I highly recommend hiking with Lasting Adventures - Highly responsible, super fun, down-to-earth good people! Thank you Lasting Adventures! read more

Can you imagine a time in your life where you savor every moment? I have known Scott Gehrman for many years and have never made it up to Yosemite for one of his hikes until this last summer. What was I waiting for? This was an amazing experience and am already inked to attend next year. If you are able to hike with a 40-50lb pack then don't hold off on an experience like this. If you are wanting to go to Yosemite, then Scott is the guide for you. I would follow him anywhere now that I understand his knowledge of backpacking and Yosemite. Don't let life pass you by, get out there and climb a mountain. d. read more

First: I highly suggest you book on the company's personal website. We had some trouble booking through TripAdvisor, so just reach out to Lasting Adventures via their website and they will respond immediately. From the moment we spoke with Scott at Lasting Adventures to the day of our trip, it was already a great indication of the kind of company this is. Scott was quick to respond to my inquiries (first about why the booking on TripAdvisor wasn't working), then he happily gave us many suggestions of things we could do in and outside the park. I got sick a few days before the trip and emailed Scott if we could postpone for one day. Considering we did this over the Memorial Day weekend, I was surprised he responded! But they were so considerate and easily moved our booking to fit our needs. Thanks Scott! The trip itself was perfect. Nolan was our guide and he did everything right! He met us promptly in the morning and listened to what we wanted to do. We wanted something easy-going and off the beaten path, so he took us over the Mirror Lake and up into some former Indian caves. We would never have found those caves had we not been with Nolan. This is why we love booking guided tours. Nolan was an excellent guide. He knew when to talk and when to give us our own space. He shared with us about the region itself, the natives, and the history of the park. He took pictures for us and was quick to point out something that might be of interest to us. My husband, an avid audio recorder, loved that Nolan pointed out the bird sounds. I was grateful that he took our photo for us and helped us have a wonderful time in Yosemite. You should absolutely book with Lasting Adventures. This is a great company and we highly recommend them. We can't wait to come back to Yosemite and try something a bit more challenging next time! Thanks again Scott! Pro tip: We met in Half Dome Village, formally Curry Village, at the Mountaineering Shop. If you get there early enough, parking isn't an issue (plenty of space). You can fill up water bottles here and go to the bathroom. read more

This is the second time I've used Lasting Adventures for a Yosemite trip and both times I had an above average experience. I booked this trip directly through their website w/ only a minor issue - the "Book Now" button is blocked from my work computer; I had to book through my phone. Anyway, A couple weeks ago my mom and I went on a day trip through Yosemite Valley. Our guide Will was wonderful! He was very knowledgeable about the area, even with the history. My mom and I both found him very entertaining! I'll definitely be booking another trip with Lasting Adventures. *don't go on a group trip with children, unless they're your own; even then I strongly urge against it - j/k ... read more

Lasting Adventures - Hiking Near Me

The company is absolutely awesome. We sent our unexperienced son (aka couch potato) to hike for 13 days in the wilderness and expected him fussing about everything and blaming us for this crazy idea.... but he returned inspired, happy and full of funny stories. This experience will be captured in his memories forever. We can't say enough about how prepared and knowledgeable these guys are! The kids learnt a lot about Yosemite, Leave no trace values, backpacking and they had fun. Lasting Adventures provided some great quality durable gear for free, I didn't have to buy a sleeping bag and a backpack (hundreds of dollars saved, thank you L.A.!) In everyday life our kiddo complains about lots of things, but he was fully satisfied with his life outdoors). We are very likely to return next year since these people are professionals and I trust them my kid with no doubts. read more

We were hiking Half Dome independently and started chatting with a group on the trail. Turns out it was a guided back country tour run by Lasting Adventures also doing the hike. The two guides Mike and Juliette were so friendly and welcoming! It was my first time doing the cables and they invited us to join their group and gave us valuable safety tips. We safely made it up and down the cables with their assistance :) read more

I booked the Yosemite Valley tour to allow a friend from Texas to see all of the beauty Yosemite has to offer in the most efficient way. Our guide was Mike, and he far exceeded our expectations! He does a lot of research on areas he guides, and he was extremely knowledgeable about everything about Yosemite, from the history to plants, trees, animals, best areas for photography, rock climbing, etc. His passion for nature is contagious! I'm so happy I booked a tour with Mike and Lasting Adventures! read more

Signed my kiddo for the 13 day Young Women's Retreat. Although my girl is not a nature girl her guides, Hannah and Julie, were patient and encouraging. I could tell this was a life changing experience for her and definitely helped her confidence and her sense of self. I left feeling like I need to book a backpacking trip for myself. read more

This past summer during the month of August 2016, my son attended the 12 day Yosemite backpacking trip for 13-17 year olds which I booked through Lasting Adventures. I believe they hiked nearly 70 miles during the trip. This trip was definitely the highlight of his summer vacation. Upon his return, he spoke for hours of his incredible experience in the back country. Other than a few complaints of the food (I learned my son has a strong dislike of tuna...lol), he loved every moment of this truly unique adventure. If you want your teenager to experience the beauty of the Yosemite National Park, this is the trip you should consider. My son who was already familiar with backpacking thought the trip was outstanding and the counselors/guides were great. There were some campers in his small group that were inexperienced backpackers, yet they all completed the strenuous trek. The equipment list Lasting Adventures provided covered everything you should bring. The only item my son added was bringing his trekking poles which I don't believe was on the list and he was glad he had them. If you are interested in seeing what transpired during the 12 days, my son made a video that he placed on YouTube. It's quite lengthy, but it captures the fun, the beauty of Yosemite & the lasting memories that my son and the other campers had on the trip. I highly recommend Lasting Adventures....thank you! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzGAslDpOB4&sns=em (Yosemite August 2016 Lasting Adventure Teen Backpacking Trip) read more

Our 14 year old son spent 2 weeks this summer backpacking in Yosemite with Lasting Adventures. This was his 3rd year with Scott. He loved every minute of it! Scott and his co-leaders are all very knowledgeable and well trained in wilderness guiding and we feel comfortable that our son is in the best possible hands. They even supply most of the gear. How many kids can say that they've climbed Half Dome twice by the age of 14? We recommend Lasting Adventures to anyone who is looking for a professionally guided backcountry view of one of the most beautiful places on earth. My husband is planning to do an adult trip with Scott next summer and our son will definitely be going on a youth trip again next year. read more

Had an amazing trip on the 8.5 mile Dewey Point snowshoe truck! Brando was our guide and he was awesome! We lucked out and it was only my wife and I on the trip so they threw of us smoked that trail in 3 hours and 45 minutes. I highly recommend this trip and this company! Great guide as well! I would absolutely use them again! Well done Brando! read more

We had 2 guides on 2 different hikes in Yosemite. Brando was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area and history. Matt was very knowledgeable about the area but also tree life, insects , birds , bears etc . Both were very enthusiastic and encouraging too. I am a little slower hiker than the rest of our group ! We enjoyed both guides so much ! Highly recommend this company ! read more

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Did a custom trip from Glacier Point to Half Dome. Climbing half Dome has always been on my bucket list, and Lasting Adventures really helped make that happen! They will take care of permits, food, snacks, and bear cans for you! Also have been useful items available for rent that is included in the price of admission. The guides were really amazing as well! Maddie and Jon were outstanding! I set a fairly slow hiking pace (especially carrying a heavy pack, suffering from leg cramps, and blisters) and at least one of the guides would always stick back with me when the group went ahead to make sure I was doing okay and didn't get lost. Amazing experience! Guides were absolutely awesome! If you're looking for a reason to go to Yosemite, but might be intimidated by the planning part of it, Lasting Adventures is the way to go. I absolutely suggest you give it a try! Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! read more

Lasting Adventures delivered a truly exceptional outdoor experience. While originally contracted for access to half dome passes, Scott and his staff offered so much more. Their expertise, motivation, and customer focus are second to none. I would recommend Lasting Adventures to anyone planning a hike in Yosemite. read more

We loved out guided hike to the top of Half Dome with Lasting Adventures. Scott let us know exactly what we needed to bring and what to do to be successful. Our guide, Jacob, watched out for us, filtered our water and helped me navigate my way down the cables as I have a fear of heights. We are 3, 55-57 yr old women and we had a blast! I highly recommend that you use Lasting Adventures and I hear they are really great with kids trips!! read more

We just did an amazing hike up the Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Lasting Adventures did a grat job of keeping the wide range of hikers (adults and teenagers) engaged and confident. This is a challenging hike, but worth it! Customer service was great... they worked hard to accomodate the late opening of the cable route in the spring. In short, well worth doing with them! Have fun! read more

I'm a middle school science teacher who took a group of 7th and 8th graders on a week long, 40 mile backpacking trip. Some of the kids had never camped before. We had rain, hail, thunder, lightning and cold, but we had the best time. Lasting Adventures knew how to keep the kids happy and safe while also taking us to some of the most amazing places, like natural water slides that blew the kid's minds, that we never would have found on our own. Their experience and knowledge of the Yosemite back country made our trip feel like 10 awesome trips rolled into one. I've been on several month long trips in exotic locations and not seen as much as we did with Lasting Adventures! read more

Lasting Adventures really is as good as it gets! I went with two other people, none of us have ever been backpacking or explored this much before. Our group was awesome and our guides were the best!!! Maddie and Matt were super knowledgeable about the wilderness and kept safety a priority. They cooked us some awesome food every morning and night, provided great lunches and also taught us a ton about backpacking. We did the 4 night 3 summit hike. It was the coolest itinerary. Hoffman, Clouds Rest and Half Dome... all really intense hikes with the reward of incredible views. I would absolutely take this trip again, even though I feel pretty comfortable going on my own, simply for the care and company of the guides. I really couldn't say enough how awesome these two were! To make it even better... this company is a non-profit and all the profit goes back to the youth trips they do over the summer for under privileged kids... how great is that?! If you're thinking about going, go! You won't regret it. read more