Ascending 

We are working hard to provide high quality, fully engaging, EXCITING, hands on experiences for our campers. Three of the Venture Free team completed an intensive Outdoor Rock Climbing Guide Course, qualifying them to certify as International Rock Guides and joining PCGI in setting high standards for safe and fun recreational and organized climbing! 
Building off of our expertise in Leave No Trace and our love for the environment - we were excited to learn the best techniques for providing incredible climbing experiences as well as mitigating and managing the impact that our activities have on the environment! 

Help Venture Free build our Climbing Kit and Trad rack! 

Goal: $1,350

This will help us to replace items in need of retirement and purchase additional items that will allow us to offer the best possible climbing and learning experience to our campers! 

Needed items include: 
New climbing rope          Static rope                  New harnesses 
Grigris                                Locking carabineers    
Climbing helmets            Cam devices 

Getting Certified

Three members of the Venture Free outdoor staff - Emily Dellinger, VF Director; Alyssa Raisis, VF Lead Counselor; Paul Barulich, VF Board Member -  attended a Professional Top Rope Guide Course  focused on training and certification taught by the Professional Climbing Guide’s Association (PCGA). The course provides “the essential foundational guide skills needed to become a rock climbing guide while presenting rigorous practical top rope guiding and instructing skill paradigms”. 

With this training, Venture Free is demonstrating its commitment to providing memorable and exciting outdoor experiences in a safe, responsible, and knowledgeable manner.

In addition to completing the Top Rope Guide Course, Paul Barulich completed an additional training, the Single Pitch Guide Course, which focuses on guiding and instructing in single-pitch lead climbing terrain. With this credential, Paul is now a Certified International Climbing Guide excited to lend his expertise and guidance to upcoming VF programs!

If you’re curious to learn more about the training and certification process, read the brief interview below with Paul Barulich where he talks about his experience!

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Q: Can you give us a general overview of the PGCI courses?
A: The PCGI courses I took, as taught by Rick Picar, were extremely thorough in all of the material being presented. The course covered all aspects of being a safe, efficient and fun rock climbing guide. This includes how to quickly deploy strong climbing anchors in many different configurations, numerous rescue techniques, and a how to be good stewards of the public lands being used.

Q: Who was your instructor and how was he as a guide? 
A: Rick Picar was amazing with imparting his decades of rock climbing and guiding wisdom, distilled down into a great learning program and environment.

Q: What was the best part of the training? 
A: The best part of the experience was knowing how much higher my standards were raised in nearly all areas of climbing as well as how to be a good outdoor guide in general, not just for climbing.


Q: What was the hardest part of the training?
A: The hardest part was keeping up with the deluge of incredible information. The assessment was aggressively timed and judged in order to prove mastery of all the subject matter.

Q: How do you hope to use this certification?
A: I hope to use this new knowledge base in all areas of climbing and mountaineering. I am very excited to be doing more of my passion in a professional setting, and sharing great experiences with new people.