There’s nothing like an exhilarating outdoor adventure to take the edge off a busy meetings schedule, and in Taos, there are plenty of options to choose from year-round—from hitting the slopes at places like Angel Fire Resort in winter to hiking and mountain biking in the wilderness regions surrounding town during warmer months.
One of the best ways for groups to get a taste of the great outdoors while bonding and learning leadership skills at the same time is on a white-water rafting trip with Los Rios River Runners. The company, founded in 1978 by New Mexico native Francisco Guevara, a storyteller, historian, conservationist and champion dancer, offers everything from half-day excursions to three-day adventures.
The company can handle groups of up to 150 people, depending on the type of trip, and its myriad offerings include everything from a relaxing native culture feast and float trip to its premium adventure through the raging white-water rapids of the Taos Box, which follows the Rio Grande Gorge through a wilderness flanked by towering canyon walls.
Guevara says the Taos area is unique for white-water rafting due to its interesting combination of geology, culture, history and remoteness, and Los Rios sets itself apart with its vast experience and its unique approach to the overall river rafting adventure.
“We have been doing river rafting trips longer than anyone in the area, we’re native-owned and -operated, we use a lot of Native American guides, and we have a higher percentage of female guides than any other company in New Mexico,” he says. “We believe a lot in equality and giving everyone a fair chance, and with our Native American guides, it gives us a unique perspective on the history and culture of the area. I’m a historian and storyteller, so we make sure all the guides are way above average in terms of knowing the local culture and history and being able to educate people about that; we do seminars with our employees throughout the year.”
Guevara says Los Rios works with numerous corporate companies throughout the year, many of which are repeat customers.
“We have a good track record and background with corporate groups because of our longevity and experience, which has put us in a good position for companies to use us either as an [incentive] reward or for team building, or a combination of both,” he says. “There’s nothing more inspiring that will be burned into your memory than getting a group coordinated in a raft to make the proper line in white-water and have a successful run. It illustrates how important being a leader is as well, and we give each of them the chance to be the leader in the raft throughout the journey.”
For more information, call 575.776.8854 or visit www.losriosriverrunners.com.
