MEET THE DIFFERENCE
Our staff is the backbone of our success

We bet that you’ll notice as soon as you start ambling around our basecamp: All those people in Class VI staff shirts smiling at you, looking you in the eye, anticipating your needs, cutting up. “What’s up with these folks?” you might ask, because they are giving you the distinct impression that they genuinely enjoy their jobs. We are proud to say that this impression reflects the truth: we have an upbeat, well-trained, productive and efficient staff that is psyched about what they do. They don’t need micro-managing because they know what Class VI is about: Exceeding our guests’ expectations while helping them have a world-class adventure vacation. We empower them with the tools they need to accomplish this (i.e. great equipment and clear, sensible policies) and then stay out of their way!

Ours is a seasonal business which usually means that staff turnover is high. Not here. We hire the best and work hard to keep them with us. We offer full-timers a profit sharing program. We listen carefully to problems. We treat each employee as respectfully as we treat our guests. The proof is in the numbers: our guides average twelve years with us and our support staff, five. Over the years we have given out 21 ten year jackets and 20 twenty year.

Our employees work in six major departments (food service, guide staff, office/ reservations, retail sales, transportation and video), that all work together to make sure that your vacation goes smoothly and safely. Our weekly managers’ meetings ensure that there is good communication between departments and that problems are addressed and resolved quickly.

Our guide staff is the most experienced and well-trained in the business. With an average of 12 years on the river and frequent clinics in river rescue techniques and safety, you can be assured that not only will your guide know the best line through a rapid, but also, what to do if something should go wrong. Our goal is to keep you in the raft, but occasionally rafts flip and pin, people fall out, unexpected things happen. This is where your guide’s experience and training come into play. Can they rig a Z-drag quickly? Can they get their raft flipped back over? Veteran guides cost more and some companies keep their costs down by keeping a relatively inexperienced guide staff. We believe that the investment we make in our guide staff pays off by giving you a safer, smoother trip.

We have come far in the 26 years we’ve been in business and we know that it is mostly because of the professionalism and enthusiasm our staff has consistently brought to their jobs. Come meet some of them and judge for yourself –just don’t try to hire them away