Our Story
Our Mission
Is to provide safe, experiential, challenging and highly rewarding adventures in the outdoors for participants in all walks of life.
Our Vision
Is that people of all ages will find deeper connection with themselves, others, the natural world and especially the Creator of it all.
ABOUT US
Wilderness Adventure Outreach is a High-Adventure Outdoor Pursuits program based in Southwest British Columbia, where we use the wilderness as the foundational component for all our courses. For our more remote programs, we specialize in working with groups of 12 or less, as this enables us to keep a high margin of safety while at the same time empower students to maximize learning outcomes and develop personal-hands on leadership skills.
We are dedicated to helping all participants discover a deeper sense of connection with each other, themselves, their environment, and the One who makes all this possible. We do this by creating a framework that requires teamwork and leadership, quiet times to promote reflection and self discovery, good education on leave no trace principles and sound environmental practices, and opportunities for discussions and reflective sharing. Our simple, yet rugged programs offer a fantastic experience, whether learning to camp with an awareness of our footprint, or discovering the skills and abilities needed to work well together in a small community of fellow adventurers.
Our Core Values
- Integrity - Courage - Resilience - Purpose - Education - Leadership - Adventure - Community -
WAO's History
As an outdoor program, Wilderness Adventure Outreach was born in 2004 when Walden Darwin brought his knowledge and diversity of outdoor skills under one program. Acquired through years of instructing for various organizations, his teaching in the backcountry has included the lakes and rivers of Ontario, the High Sierra of California, and the rugged Coast range of British Columbia. Walden has a huge passion to help others grow and develop through well crafted outdoor experiences and seeks to combine the best of what he's seen and experienced over the years into a solid adventure program. Working with other similar minded instructors, he has the privilege of positively impacting many leadership groups, school programs, and outdoor based centres over the years.