I went on the 3-day Zion Basecamp tour, and the 5-day Bryce Escalante Basecamp tour.
The Zion trip was quite different from, and far worse than, what Wildland promises. Three main issues: (1) the trails were far more crowded than advertised; (2) there was far less hiking than advertised; and (3) the health & safety protocols were inadequate. In addition, there was a surprising lack of attention to detail with regard to gear and to food.
The Bryce Escalante trip, in contrast, suffered from none of these issues, and fulfilled all my expectations.
Overall, you may wish to ask the company some pointed questions before booking a specific trip.
For context, I have been on dozens of guided trips. And I occasionally lead kayaking trips myself. I am aware that things occasionally go wrong, and that everyone has an off day. Until now, I had never left less than a 5* review for a guided trip.
Details:
1. ZION TOUR
TRAILS FAR MORE CROWDED THAN ADVERTISED
Wildland rates this trip 2/5 for solitude: "Expect to have some solitude, as much as an hour at a time without seeing other groups". This is laughable. I cannot recall ever being on hikes as crowded as the 2 days we spent in Zion. We were within 5 yards of other groups almost the entire time. And we were there in March, before the peak of Spring Break. Zion sees even more visitors during April - mid October, when Wildland runs most of its trips.
To be clear, I don't blame Wildland for the crowding. I do blame them for misleading advertising. If they wish to keep the current solitude rating, they need to switch to something other than the two most crowded hikes in the park. Or else they should acknowledge that the hikes are exceedingly crowded.
FAR LESS HIKING THAN ADVERTISED
Wildland indicates that this trip involves "21 miles / 34 kilometers" of hiking over 3 days. In fact, we only did 14 miles of hiking. In Zion, we never did "a lesser-traveled hike through the lower canyon". In Snow Canyon, we only hiked 4 miles.
Part of the problem was that the group included a guest who has suffered a knee injury and had limited mobility. The guest was very apologetic, and indicated that they had actually contacted Wildland prior to the trip to inform them of the situation.
To be clear, I applaud Wildland for accommodating guests with limited mobility. But then they should have 2 guides and split the group. Or else they should have alerted other guests that the trip would involve very limited hiking.
INADEQUATE HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Guides really should wear gloves when preparing meals. They should also set up hand-washing stations when on the trail, and remind guests to wash their hands before touching group utensils, and before digging into communal packages (for instance, of chips). Wildland is just asking for gastro-intestinal issues.
Wildland claims "use of face masks to cover nose and mouth are required at all times in company vehicles and public transportation". After day 1, the guide no longer bothered to wear his mask; and by day 3 nobody was wearing them. Mask-wearing is a controversial topic. But Wildland should either enforce its stated policy, or else change it to "masks optional at all times"--in which case I would have booked with a different company.
GEAR
Wildland forgot to provide ground cloths for the tents, or rain covers for the backpacks. Really, what rookie makes this sort of mistake? Also, Wildland never provided the promised camp chairs.
FOOD
Wildland advertises "eat like royalty". This is obviously subjective, and in any case I don't go on a hiking trip for the cuisine. But the food was far inferior to that of any other guided car- or raft-based camping trip I have been on. Indeed, even I generally cook more interesting meals when car-camping (& cooking is not my strong suit). Sample meals:
Breakfast: coffee; two pancakes with cream cheese; granola with some blueberries (no yogurt, milk, or nuts).
Dinner: pasta with tomato sauce and a few veggies; chocolate squares for dessert.
Lunch was fine, especially considering that the guide brought it with him in his pack.
2. BRYCE ESCALANTE TOUR
The trip description was spot on, in terms of the general character of the trip, its difficulty, and the amount of solitude one can expect. Above all, our guide was a consummate outdoor professional, who never ceased to impress us: I have been on many guided trips, and he really knows his stuff! He was very knowledgeable about the local geology and flora. Always read the mood of the group accurately, providing just the right amount of physical challenge. Scrupulous about health & safety: always wearing gloves when preparing meals, and setting up hand-washing stations for our use while on the trail. We were all astounded at his skill and efficiency when cooking outdoors. And his enthusiasm for the outdoors and conservation was truly infectious; I am not sure anyone else could launch into a discussion of composting and make it sound exciting!! read more