Company Of Adventurers

What Company Of Adventurers does

Company of Adventurers (COA) is a privately held outdoor education company founded in 1990 and based in Calgary, Alberta. It designs and delivers seasonal outdoor adventure and environmental education programs for school groups (Grades 4-12) and youth organizations across Kananaskis Country and the Canadian Rockies. The portfolio is organized into a Winter Semester (Snowshoeing, Avalanche Awareness, Cross Country Skiing, Winter Hiking, Winter Overnight) and a Spring-Fall Semester (Day Hike, Backpacking 101/202/303, Wildland Overnight), plus custom-designed programs for groups with specific objectives. Programs are led by ACMG-, OCC-, IGA-, and CANSI-certified guides holding university degrees in Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership, with 80-hour wilderness first aid training and enforced low guide-to-participant ratios (1:10 to 1:14). The company holds Alberta Camping Association (ACA) accreditation.

The business model is a per-student unit-pricing model with program fees ranging from $45 (Day Hike, Avalanche Awareness) to $200-$300 (multi-day Winter/Wildland Overnight). Minimum group sizes (typically 20 students) and seasonal operating windows (Sept-mid Oct, May-June, Jan-March) constrain capacity. Go-to-market is direct-to-customer: schools and youth groups book via the website or through direct outreach to the Youth Program Director, supported by content marketing (Teachable Tuesdays blog, Stories page, newsletter) targeting educators. Distribution is wholly domestic single-country (Alberta / Western Canada) with no third-party resellers; venue partnerships (Ribbon Creek Hostel, Paddy's Flat, Kananaskis Outfitters, University of Calgary Outdoor Centre) provide operational infrastructure. The company is founder-owned by Bryce Willigar, has no disclosed institutional investment, and operates with approximately 8-11 staff including guides, a Youth Program Director, and a Marketing & Communications Manager.

Name

Company Of Adventurers

Legal name

Company of Adventurers

Website

https://companyofadventurers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Company of Adventurers is a Calgary-based, founder-owned outdoor education provider delivering seasonal wilderness and environmental education programs (Grades 4-12) across Kananaskis Country and the Canadian Rockies since 1990, charging per-student fees with certified guides.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Education

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA), Winter & Mountain Guides (Ski, Snowshoe, Avalanche, Ice Climbing) (THAAALAF), Instructor-Led Skills Academies (Climbing, Paddling, Mountaineering Schools) (THAAAOAI)

Keywords

• Outdoor education programs
• Wilderness adventure programs
• Environmental education services
• School group expeditions
• Youth wilderness training

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Outdoor Adventure Program Fees: Per-student fees for educational outdoor programs including day hikes, backpacking trips, winter activities, and overnight adventures. Programs range from single-day experiences to multi-day wilderness expeditions for school groups and youth organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Company of Adventurers provides guided outdoor adventure and environmental education programs for school groups (grades 4-12) and youth organizations in the Canadian Rockies and Kananaskis Country. Offerings span single-day hikes, multi-day backpacking trips, winter activities (snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, winter hiking), avalanche awareness, and overnight wilderness programs delivered by certified guides with low guide-to-participant ratios.

Product overview

Company Of Adventurers provides a portfolio of seasonal outdoor adventure and environmental education programs. Winter programs include Snowshoeing, Avalanche Awareness, Cross Country Skiing, Winter Hiking, and Winter Overnight. Spring-Fall programs include Day Hike, Backpacking 101, Backpacking 202, Backpacking 303 (progressively advanced backpacking curriculum), and Wildland Overnight. Custom-designed programs are also available. Programs serve students from grades 4-12 with professional certified guides, focusing on environmental education, wilderness skills, and outdoor safety.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Snowshoeing

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kananaskis OutfittersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquipment rental partner located next to Ribbon Creek Hostel providing cross-country ski rentals for program participants who choose cross-country skiing as their winter activity option
• University of Calgary Outdoor CentrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended gear rental partner for cross-country skis, ski boots, poles, and winter camping equipment; also rents 4-season camping gear year-round for program participants
• Paddy's Flat Group CampgroundminorOthersHost venue for Wildland Overnight programs located in Kananaskis Country; program fee includes campground fees
• Ribbon Creek HostelcoreOthersPrimary host venue for Winter Overnight programs in Kananaskis Country; provides accommodation, full kitchen facilities, and access to world-class surrounding scenery
• Alberta Camping AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry accreditation body providing organizational accreditation and standards compliance verification for outdoor education providers
• Outdoor Council of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional certification body for outdoor leadership; guides accredited at Leadership Level 1 or equivalent
• Association of Canadian Mountain GuidescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMountain guiding certification body; some guides hold ACMG Apprentice Hiking Guide certification
• Interpretive Guides AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional interpreter certification body (formerly MPHIA); guides certified as Apprentice or Professional Interpreters for environmental and natural history education
• Canadian Avalanche AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry body administering Avalanche Skills Training courses; COA recommends students pursue AST certification for backcountry winter travel after completing COA's avalanche awareness introduction

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pursuit Banff Jasper Collection: Major Canadian Rockies tourism operator offering guided experiences, lodging, and attractions; comparable on guided outdoor experiences in the same geography but operates across a much wider portfolio including hotels and attractions rather than youth-education focus.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): Large, established US-based wilderness education organization with multi-week expeditions and instructor-led skill curricula; overlaps on outdoor leadership pedagogy and progression-style programming, but at much broader scale and longer course durations.
• REI Co-op Outdoor School: National outdoor retailer operating instructor-led skills clinics and youth programs across the US; comparable on instructor-led outdoor education but offers this as part of a much broader retail and experiences portfolio rather than specializing in school-cohort delivery.

Direct peers

• Camp Chief Hector YMCA: Alberta-based outdoor education provider in Kananaskis Country operating youth and school-group programs with certified guides; closest geographic and customer-segment analog to Company of Adventurers.
• Outward Bound Canada: National non-profit running expedition-based outdoor education programs for youth and schools; directly comparable model combining certified guides, multi-day wilderness curricula, and curriculum-aligned programming for school cohorts.
• Yamnuska Mountain Adventures: Alberta Rockies-based mountain guiding and outdoor education operator using ACMG-certified guides and offering multi-day skill-building courses; comparable on geography, guide certification stack, and experiential learning delivery.

Others

• Child & Nature Alliance of Canada: National organization advancing nature-connected programming for children and educators; thematically adjacent to COA's environmental-education focus and could be a partnership or referral channel rather than a direct competitor.
• Alpine Club of Canada: National membership-based mountaineering organization offering accredited skills training and group trips; adjacent ecosystem player whose guide-training and certification pathways overlap with the outdoor-leadership credentials COA's staff hold.

Regional players

• Banff Adventures Unlimited: Banff-based guided outdoor activity operator offering hiking, snowshoeing, and winter experiences; comparable on guided outdoor activity delivery in the Canadian Rockies but oriented more to tourism/leisure consumers than K–12 school programs.
• Strathcona Park Lodge & Outdoor Education Centre: British Columbia-based outdoor education centre running school-group programs with certified instructors and multi-day wilderness curricula; highly comparable operating model but serves a different provincial geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/company-of-adventurers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Company Of Adventurers