Testimonials

Below you’ll find some of the positive comments people have had to say about Venture Forth and it’s staff. You can read an article on one of our Advanced Mountain Leader training courses here: http://www.go2africa.com/africa-travel-articles/enlightenment-at-4-c

Walther, I just wanted to give you some feedback on the Advanced Mountain Leader course and the process of learning.  What I thought was going to be an 8 day course, has actually been a 3 month learning process and I have learnt far more than I had expected.  It’s really not about the classroom time at all - there is so much learning in the practical time we spend and in the personal study time required for the tests and the project.

I think it is about the most thorough training programme I have ever been involved in - and I have done a lot of training programmes! The combination of the classroom teaching with the practice of skills on the mountain is really excellent.  My main objective was to learn how to be responsible for a group of people - to learn how to run a safe guiding experience, dealing with emergencies and day to day needs.

And I have learnt so much and feel confident now to be a hiking leader and guide.  The most important were the first aid skills (specifically those relevant on the mountain such as the snake bites and fractures), the navigation, rope skills and the emergency procedures.  So many essential skills were covered - and all so important.

The combination of the classroom learning with the tests, the project and the practical - all provided different aspects of learning. And most important is realising there is always more to learn - it’s an ongoing process. But I know feel that I have an excellent foundation and with more practice and experience I will continue to benefit from what you have introduced to me.

So - I am a real fan and really appreciate all your input and support - I think the course is a must for anyone leading hikes on the mountain - and for those that just enjoy being on the mountain - the skills are so important to guides and hikers alike.
Jill Bogie, RSA (April 2010)

“Hi Walther. I’ve tremendously enjoyed the Advanced Mountain Leader course and the skills learned. I can’t really explain either to myself or others why the mountains hold such a fascination with me, nor do I know exactly where this passion may take me. Your enthusiasm and experience have been an inspiration.”
Alan Weber, RSA (Jan 2010)

“Walt, I really enjoyed the course and can’t believe it’s already over! I thought it was very thorough and much more in depth than I was expecting so that is a bonus.”
Lauren Kaminskas, USA (Jan 2010)

“Walt, just to thank you for arranging my 1.5 days climbing - Ross Cowlin was an excellent instructor/guide, and chose routes that built my confidence on outdoor rock (only my second time on ‘real’ rock) and then pushed me to my limits.”
David Lubich, UK (Dec 2009)

“We recently booked a climbing excursion with you on Table Mountain in South Africa. Our guide, Richard Slater, was truly excellent: he was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the trip enjoyable. We would definitely recommend him to any of our friends!”
Ben & Jen Shappee, USA

“Hi Alex. Thanks for a great day on Table Mountain.  It was our first hike doing major scrambling…so thanks for your patience.  Bert thought you had the perfect demeanor for being a guide…that you were nice and calm… which kept him from flipping out. Thanks again for our best day in Cape Town!”
Alyson Lee, USA

“You have helped me fulfil a dream which had its birth just 8 months ago and I feel a tremendous satisfaction!”
Sheila Lowe, RSA

“We really enjoyed the hike. Alex was a great guide and we were really lucky with the weather - no cloud cover at all.”
Amelia Wilson, UK

“Dear Walt, We want to thank you for deciding on Dido as our guide.  You made the perfect choice for us!  How lucky for us that you have the ability to correctly assess your clients and their particular needs.  We’re already certain that in the future too, Dido is “our man!”  We also appreciated it that you phoned to find out if we were safe while we were coming out of the Skeleton Gorge because it showed that you care about your clients and we felt safe and pleased we had chosen your company. Dido was so patient, re-assuring, and encouraging!  Without him we would never have completed the hike! He explained about the plants, the history, and related topics all along the way. What a wonderful experience we had!  We still can’t believe we actually did it and keep talking about it to everyone!  We’ve sent emails to all our friends (in England, Australia, Germany, South Africa) and have passed on your website, and warmly recommended your company and Dido, asking them to pass this information on to others who intend visiting South Africa.”
Desiree & Ludwig Guenther, Hamburg, Germany

“My clients were thrilled!!!!!  They thought they could climb Table Mountain themselves but once they had done it were very pleased that we insisted on a private guide for them.”
Sandra Fairfax, Blue Buyou Guest House, RSA

“Wow, what a great intro into climbing! Richard was indeed a super instructor and I’m sure has encouraged many to take up this sport.
Tamsyn Dixon, RSA

“The intro to sport climbing course was excellent and Richard delivered a perfect level of technicality and fun for my preference.”
Beryl-Lyn Cocks, RSA

“Thank YOU Walt!! The Advanced Mountain Leader course was far more fun and informative than I anticipated ….!!”
Louise Hemmes, RSA

“Hi Walt, I’m still basking in the pleasure of having been on the Advanced Mountain Leader course. Thank you very much. Please pass on my thanks to Berend, Roger and Elmarie as well. I specially appreciated the emphasis on skills and knowledge transfer, as distinct from making it an endurance exercise. That gave us time and energy to focus on absorbing the skills and lessons learned. One of the really enjoyable and helpful spinoffs was the way group work and chatting together at meal times (as well as the boiling up of endless mugs of tea!) helped us to bond as a group – which I believe is a critical aspect of mountain leadership. Not only does the formation of a friendly bunch of people contribute to the enjoyability of the course and the trip, but it also contributes to mountain safety.”
Tim Atwells, RSA

“I just want to thank you again for a superb day rock climbing! Got to be some of the best climbing I have ever done! The exposure was tremendous and because of the proximity of the cable car and the city I really felt it.”
Mike Hammill, UK

“Climbing on Table Mountain was one of the many highlights of my holiday to South Africa - thanks Anthony for your company and great choice of routes. I’ll be sure to recommend Ventureforth to anyone else wanting to get the most out of their time climbing in SA.”
Stewart Murray, UK

“Just to let you know that we had a fantastic half day with your superb guide. We could not have wished for a better route and it was the best part of our holiday so far.”
Ian Sampson, UK

“Your guide did an excellent job of leading; the climbs were challenging (for me) and yet even with the high wind conditions I always felt safe.”
Lynn Russel, UK

“Please be assured that we were very happy with our climbing on Table Mountain. We would certainly recommend Venture Forth to any visitors to Cape Town.”
Colin Hardy & family, UK

“Thanks for an awesome course, I learned all I need to get started.”
Michelle Hendrikz, RSA

“Thoroughly enjoyed it. Learnt lots of important things; and I can’t stop talking about it.”
Brenda Basson, RSA

“The personal and individual training scheme you provided was exactly what I was looking for. I found the experiences very rewarding and your instructors were so professional and knowledgeable.”
Adrian Bennett, Kenya

“Thank you for making it possible for me to attend the Rock Climbing Course. I had an incredible experience and thoroughly enjoyed the physical challenge. Richard is an excellent instructor!”
Shernel Ashton Wright, RSA

“We were really glad that we did the introduction to sport climbing last week. Richard is a great teacher and we had much fun in the group.”
Jeroen Kirchner, RSA

“Thanks a lot for a really amazing experience this weekend. I know I struggled more than everyone else, but when I saw the rock faces we were to climb yesterday and today, I didn’t think I’d make it up very far on any of them. The fact that I did was a testament to your encouragement and skill as a teacher.”
Gregg Gonsalves, RSA

“Richard was a great instructor, and next time I’m in SA I will use your company for climbing again.”
Kathryn Montilla, UK

“I would like to thank you and your guys for the work and effort you put into this camp - the kids really enjoyed it very much. You understand our needs and philosophy which makes working with you a pleasure.”
Mr Quentin du Toit (Somerset College)

“Thank you! We where so thrilled by the experience”
Gaynor (Sanlam)

“We all had a fabulous time. Thank you for providing us with excellent service.”
Turkessa May (Old Mutual)

“Thank you for organizing a superb event. We all had such and amazing time on all the activities and the bush braai was GREAT (awesome venue and totally delicious food). Please thank your team on our behalf.”
Jennifer Walker (Global Vision)

“Thank you so much for making Saturday’s team build a super-successful day by all account.”
Gillian Scott (My African Sky)

Done anything exciting with Venture Forth lately? Please contact us with any feedback whatsoever; we look forward to hearing from you.