“Alpine has impacted me through both the adventures and the camps. I always loved going rafting when I came as a camper. One thing that always stuck out to me was how powerful the water was in the rapids and at the waterfall. It is amazing to experience God through his creation whether it be rafting, caving, or rappelling. Alpine is very special to me; it has changed my life,” said Michelle Adkins, Alpine Counselor.
Alpine Ministries has been creating these experiences with their staff and guests since 1960.
There’s nothing better than enjoying adventure recreation in a loving atmosphere and with a fun work crew. So many people have gained valuable lessons though the adventure activities at Alpine Adventures, which is a small but critical part of Alpine Ministries.
Making each guest feel important is very evident throughout their work. They keep an eye on every individual that uses their program and do their absolute best to ensure their safety and ability to have fun. Alpine is known for making meaningful experiences for people’s lives.
Alpine does adventure activities and has lots of programs to enjoy. For example, you can enjoy caving, rappelling, rafting, a high ropes course, paintball, hiking and various other adventure activities. One of the most popular is rafting.
A big tourism spot in the state of West Virginia is the New River Gorge, which was recently designated as a National Park. Though there are plenty of great rafting companies out there, Alpine is the only Christian company that provides rafting on the New and Gauley Rivers. Their motto is Enjoying God’s creation through adventure recreation, and when you are adventuring with them, you can clearly see this demonstrated.
John Sharp, Director of Alpine Adventures, says their main focus is to “have fun while staying safe and appreciating God’s creation while doing it.”
Dalton Arnold, an Alpine guest, shared that learning teamwork is important and you must work together on the river and paddle as a team. This also relates to life. We need to rely on other people and help one another throughout life.
One common highlight of a trip with Alpine is the one-on-one time that you have with your raft guide, where they make the trip feel more personal.
“They made me feel as though I am a part of their family,” wrote one Alpine guest.
Sharp says the staff’s goal is to serve. They do their best to make your day is better than where it started. They make sure you get the most you could possibly get out of your encounter with them, and they put effort into making your experience as thrilling as possible.
John Skaggs, Adventure Guide for Alpine, said, “What makes Alpine Adventures successful is its spiritual impact, friendly staff, and professionalism.”
What has set Alpine Adventures apart during the summer is its ability to challenge hearts and make an adventure experience life changing. They divide into small groups to focus on learning the names of their guests and to build a relationship with them.
Skaggs says, “They are able to create a memorable experience with friends during their time with Alpine in a professional way.”
No matter what size the group is, every person is seen as important, and Alpine does its best to serve every person individually. For these reasons, people do not only go on adventures with this company once, but usually continue to come back to experience it again every year.
Skaggs shared an inspirational story about a guest Alpine had during an adventure in the summer of 2020. Skaggs was able to build a relationship with him and the guest was so challenged and moved through his experience that he came back this past summer of 2021 to guide the river and work with Alpine, so that he can impact others in the same way that he was impacted.
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