New River Gorge National River, Fayette Station Rapid

Ames Heights, WV (March 2011)

The whitewater rafting season officially got underway at Adentures On the Gorge March 27 this year with some changes on the campus at Ames Heights, WV and the welcoming of Songer Whitewater as a new partner. Len Hanger, vice president of Songer Adventures, LLC, and Paul Beuchler, president of Adventures On the Gorge, announced the merger this week.

“The whitewater rafting industry has changed,” Hanger said. “With the number of guests declining over the past several years, it is economically challenging for a single outfitter to maintain a base camp, marketing and customer services. Joining Adventures On the Gorge gives us the advantage of sharing costs, maintaining a great whitewater rafting product, providing more outdoor recreation options for our returning guests and for people looking for new outdoor activities.”

Buechler said the merger makes Adventures On the Gorge the largest outdoor recreation outfitter in West Virginia and is a great fit for both organizations. “Our philosophy is to offer our guests the best outdoor recreation options in the New River Gorge region. Songer Whitewater’s reputation for offering rafting trips with detailed attention to the customer fits into our program well.”

The merger will allow Songer to maintain its identity, just as Class VI-Mountain River and The Rivermen have done. All employees will remain with the company. “The purple rafts will still be on the river,” said Hanger. “The biggest change for our guests is that they will begin their trips at the Adventures On the Gorge headquarters on Ames Heights Road and not at our former Miller Ridge Road site. Other than that, I want to assure them they will still see their favorite guides, purple rafts and decorated helmets when they raft with Songer Whitewater.”

Songer Whitewater opened for business in 1978 and has hosted a quarter million guests, according to Hanger. “Many of our guides have worked for us for a long time and will continue to do so after the move,” he said.

“Strategically, Adventures On the Gorge continues to look for opportunities to build this destination resort and provide the best mix of exciting outdoor adventures and relaxation that our guests want to enjoy with their friends and family,” Buechler said. “For the 2011 season, we’ve added a new 3,000-foot zipline at the Gravity Zipline site, built ten new cabins on our campus and we’re doing extensive work on our food service facilities.”

At the Miller Ridge Road property, owner Susie Hofstetter is retaining the property and developing an RV park. “I am exploring this option and have hired a consulting company to complete a feasibility study,” Hofstetter said. “An RV park adds another dimension to lodging options here in Fayette County.”

Buechler said that Adventures On the Gorge also recognizes the value of an RV park in the area and will work with Hofstetter, who was one of the Songer Whitewater owners, to promote this lodging option when the park opens.

Adventures On the Gorge is an outdoor adventure desination operated by Adventure WV, LLC, in Ames Heights, WV. The destination includes Class VI-Mountain River, The Rivermen and Songer Adventures, LLC. It offers a diverse selection of outdoor adventure activities including whitewater rafting on the New and Gauley Rivers, TreeTops Canopy Tour, Gravity Zipline, Bridge Walk, kayaking, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing & rappelling, disc golf and paintball. Its lodging options include tent and cabin selections from rustic to luxury and the campus includes three restaurants. Located on the New River Gorge, the adventure destination borders three miles of the New River Gorge National River. The campus covers more than 1,000 acres and includes Wild Rock West Virginia, a sustainable community development.

MSNBC featured the story of the Adventures On the Gorge merger in November 2010. USA Today named TreeTops Canopy Tour one of the top ten ziplines in the United States in September 2010 and Class VI was selected one of the best adventure travel companies on Earth in a 2009 National Geographic Adventure survey. Fayetteville, located minutes from Adventures On the Gorge campus, was selected by Outside magazine as one of the top 25 best towns in its August 2010 issue.