Penticton outdoor adventure company offers programs with COVID-19 safety in mind

A Penticton adventure company is working with health authorities to put together programs aimed at improving their guests' outdoor training and experiences.

Penticton’s Hoodoo Adventures chief executive officer Lindi Hill says Hoodoo Adventures is offering a number of clinics in winter outdoor activities with a focus on COVID-19 protocols and safety.

“There is an outdoor sporting category with Interior Health, and we are following those guidelines,” Hill says. “COVID-19 has highlighted the need for people to get training and experience before venturing outdoors, notable from the increased calls for service from first responders and search and rescue operations.”

Hill says Hoodoo Adventures is focussing on things such as how to make informed decisions about going into backcountry. The company has also put together general tours to encourage people of all abilities to get outside.

“We want to offer people the opportunity to learn how to safely enter the outdoors,” she says.

Hoodoo Adventures is currently offering outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, including rentals and tours and ski tours, providing guidance for all levels of skill and ability.

Hill says beginner tours provide basic instruction and opportunities for self-guided tours, while intermediate level tours can provide additional guidance for those wishing to take their outdoor experiences a step  further, but aren’t sure how to go about it.

Hoodoo Adventures will be offering an intermediate ski and splitboard tour with beacon search to provide practice with search and rescue skills on Feb. 6 and 7 near Apex Mountain Resort.

The company also has a new indoor climbing wall experience coming to its facility at 131 Ellis St. in Penticton.

“We have a new climbing experience called the Moonboard coming this month," Hill says.

Billed as the standard for indoor training, Moonboard is an effective strength training tool for climbing.

The wall comes with a smartphone app and LED integration where users can browse, filter, select and illuminate an interactive climbing experience. The wall can built at angles of 25 or 40 degrees, depending on the user’s difficulty level.

More information about Hoodoo Adventures outdoor programs and climbing wall can be found at its website here or its Facebook page here.

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