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Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Summer Team Building Adventure

Monday, February 20th, 2012

Groups heading to Jackson Hole this summer have an opportunity to experience the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Grand Dynamics Style. One such program is the Grand Dynamics All Mountain Challenge program, and in particular the Mountain Traverse. The Mountain Traverse is a modification on our programming that has been taking place on the mountain for over ten years. This program involves a 4,000 foot aerial tram ride and navigation down the mountain on access roads to the Gondola.

This hike provides a scenic walk of about two miles, which is mostly moderate down-hill! There is a short ten minute uphill finish, approximately 10 minutes, to complete the experience and to access the gondola ride back down the mountain.

What makes this program unique is what happens along the way.

Headquartered in Jackson Hole since 1998, Grand Dynamics International has been offering unique team building programs and events for nearly 15 years. Grand Dynamics offers programs to groups who are seeking to optimize their time in Jackson through unique experiential learning programs. The setting of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort offers an outstanding venue for such an experience.

The programing that takes place on the mountain is unique to each group experience. After careful consideration of the groups goals and objectives, Grand Dynamics designs a series of experiential initiatives which take place at various “secret” locations on the mountain. Amazing race style checkpoints to longer facilitated initiatives, Grand Dynamics will choose the program that is most appropriate for your group in a way that maximizes the value and return for the investment.

One of the key focus ares is determining the critical conversations that would best suit the group throughout the experience. Sharing experiences on best practices, information sharing, relationship building, systems thinking, overcoming challenges, courageous leadership are just a few of the focus areas which are common in this type of an experience.

Contact Grand Dynamics today and discover what an amazing experience that awaits you, your team and your business in the mountains of Jackson Hole!

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Tags: Jackson Hole Team Buildng, JHMR, Mountain Team Building, Summer group activities in Jackson Hole, Team Building at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, team building in Jackson Hole, Team Building Jackson Hole
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Ultimate Customized Corporate Retreat Team Building Adventure

Sunday, November 13th, 2011

Track Line Rap Team Traverse

Check out this Grand Dynamics ADVENTURE element. This is one element we designed for a recent customized corporate retreat for one of our favorite annual clients based out of NYC.

Setting: Dunton Hot Springs, Colorado; Day 2 of a 4 Day Corporate Retreat

The waterfall you see in the picture is coming out of the mouth of the canyon and is about 100 fee high to its base. The sides of the canyon from left to right span about 400 feet from wall to wall.

Event Elements: Adventure, “Wow” Exposure, Overcoming Individual Fear, Teamwork, Trust

System: There are three ropes you see in this picture. One rope is know as the track line. This is a static line that is fixed from a high point anchor on the left side of the canyon and to the mid-low point on the far (right) side of the canyon. If you look closely you can actually see someone in an orange jacket at the bottom ride side of the picture – this is the LZ (Landing Zone). The track line is a 300 foot static rope. Rope # 2 is a 100 foot single rappel line. This is the rope the participant starts out on when they rappel over the cliff edge on the vertical left side of the canyon. As they rappel down the cliff the participant is also attached to the track line via 2 lanyards (Webbing with biners attached to the pulleys on the track.) Rope 3 is the belay line which runs all the way across the canyon.

Process: Participants begin with the rappel down the initial steep cliff face (Out of site to the left of this photo). About 25 feet into their rappel the slack line tightens and the lanyards catch on the pulleys on the track line, and they begin to float down and out on the track line across the canyon. This happens for 100 feet, until the rappel line runs out!

At this point the participant is now belayed by the third rope, the belay line, which was originally the back up belay for the rap. This is the crux moment. You are hovering 150 feet off the deck and must let go all control and put your trust in your team, and the system to get you to the ground safely.

What makes it even more complicated is that the participant on the traverse cannot actually see the teammates who are belaying them! However, they can see one “communication relay” person who is standing on the pinnicle where this picture was taken. The Person traversing communicated to the person on the pinnacle who then relays the information to the team, which then executed the release of tension of the belay line.

COMMUNICATION AND TRUST! The participant lets the rope go through the ATC (belay device) and the breakthrough moment where the rope ends and trust begins occurs. Teammates then lower the participant down and across the canyon to the far side. At the termination, the track line is then released and GDI staff lowers the system to drop the participant perfectly in place next to the pool beneath the waterfall.

How about that for an experiential team adventure element in a natural environment? We take whats available in the outdoor natural environment and create the most exciting and metaphoric experiences a team can imagine. An individual overcoming fear. A communication system requiring clear and timely information to enable trust in the team. All positioned in a dramatic and inspiring location. Now that’s GRAND DYNAMICS.

Want a dialed in customized adventure for your next team business corporate retreat? You know who to call!

BOOM!

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Tags: Colorado, corporate retreat, Customized Corporate Retreat, Dunton Hotspring, Experiential Adventure Course, Grand Dynamics, Grand Dynamics International, jackson hole, team adventure, Team building, Wyoming
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Treasure Island, California is all the buzz! Join us starting July 9th for a dynamic week of events!

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Whirlwind Promo Week coming up!

At GDI SF, we’re getting geared up for our whirlwind promo event week on Treasure Island!

Our week begins starting with the Treasure Island Triathlon the weekend of July 8th-10th, where we’ll be partnering with the folks who founded the T.I. Triathlon to bring an incredible endurance adventure event to the heart of the Bay! Visit me at our booth in San Francisco at the Presidio on Thursday and Friday and on Treasure Island on Saturday. Cheer on GDI President Tim Walther as he braves the cold waters and competes in the Triathalon Sprint Race on Sunday. There is still time to register!

Up next we have our signature Wine Interactive preview on Thursday, July 14th from 5:30pm-7:30pm (Bastille Day for all you Frenchies!), hosted at The Winery SF on T.I. during happy hour! Meet great people and share a variety of fun, interactive experiences while wine tasting at Winery SF. You’; never look at a cork the same again. AWESOME!

Friday, July 15th from 3pm-6pm, we will be previewing our signature Team Expedition Race on T.I. for GDI resort reps, event planners, and DMCs and and anyone interested in booking business with Grand Dynamics. This programs will provide a sample of Grand Dynamics awesome experiential training programs. You will learn about the psychology of individual performance, discover team facilitation and processing tools and have an outstanding shared team building experience on Treasure Island! It’s gonna rock!

Sunday, July 17th (2pm-5pm), I’m ecstatic to say that we’ll be hosting Stu Mittleman, one of the greatest endurance athletes of all time on T.I. for a promo run! Stu is known for running from San Diego to New York – 52 miles a day for 56 consecutive days! Want to find out how he did it? You’ll discover things about your body that you never thought were possible! Get out your running shoes and Hermes wings!

TOURS OF THE ISLAND TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GRAND DYNAMICS EVENTS ARE AVAILABLE ALL WEEK!

A summary of the upcoming week is below. I am off to go climb and ski Mount Shasta this weekend! Have a happy 4th of July and celebrate our FREEDOM!!! I look forward to seeing you next week!

Reuben Gibson -

A break down of upcoming GDI Promo events on T.I.:

Saturday – Sunday: July 9th-10th: Treasure Island Triathalon

Thursday, July 14th from 5:30 pm opening: Wine Interactive Networking Event Preview

Friday, July 15th from 3pm-6pm: T.I. Team Expedition Preview

Sunday, July 17th from 2pm-5pm: Stu Mittleman promo run on T.I.

For questions and all inquiries, send an email to info@granddynamics.com

Check out our Treasure Island Program Page

An Outstanding Venue with a compelling history:

Treasure Island California is host the newest division of Grand Dynamics International and the perfect destination for experiential training and corporate events. Treasure Island is literally the “treasure” of the San Francisco Bay Area waiting to be discovered. “T.I.” as we refer to it, is located right next to Yerba Buena Island between the East Bay and San Francisco, and is only a five-minute ride from downtown SF.

Boasting incredible resources, astonishing views, playing fields, space, and a rich history, Treasure Island is the perfect venue for an off-site group event!

Treasure Island, named after the novel of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson who lived in San Francisco in 1879, was artificially built for the World’s Fair Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939. Treasure Island was originally planned for and used as an airport for Pan American World Airways flying boats. During World War II, Treasure Island became part of a US Naval Base and served largely as an electronics and radio communications training school and as the major Navy departure point for sailors in the Pacific.

From the late 1980s and onward, Treasure Island’s old aircraft hangers served as sound stages used in film and television productions. Numerous pictures starring Robin Williams were filmed on the island, including Flubber, What Dreams May Come, Patch Adams and Bicentennial Man as well as many other films staring other famous actors. With the development of commercial enterprises like The Winery SF, special events are starting to pop up more frequently, and there is a palpable buzz!

Building one depicted as airport Flughaffen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

The Grand Dynamics SF office is located in Building One, which is a Streamline Modern-styled remnant of the World’s Fair and is one of the few buildings remaining from the exposition.

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Tags: Adventure, corporate events, corporate retreat, experiential learning, leadership development, teambuilding, Treasure Island
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The Equinox Resort & Spa offers ideal corporate retreat destination in New England

Monday, April 11th, 2011

When I started my branch of Grand Dynamics International (GDI) in Middlebury, Vermont, I thought to myself, what resorts are in located less then 3-4 hours from NYC and Boston that could help me promote our corporate team building services. I made it a priority to connect with as many resorts as possible that had the following criteria; a spa, hiking or nature preserve on property or near by, a golf course, conference facilities, wireless internet throughout the hotel, AAA 4 diamond awards, a pond or water source and above and beyond guest services. The Equinox met and exceeded all of these expectation, so I sent them a packet of information about GDI and waited for a response. One week later I received a call from Janet Walsh telling me that she was interested in our services and thought it would be beneficial to bring me in and present to the sales team. This was the break I was looking for and the moment of truth of whether or not this entrepreneurial venture was going to fail or succeed.

When I first arrived on property I was overwhelmed with the beauty and the grand size of the hotel. It was exactly like what the pictures on the web displayed. So I took the first hour to walk around the property and while doing so I set a couple of way points with my hand held GPS unit to set up a mock Teaming With GPS event so that the sales team could get a taste of what we could provide for their clients. After my presentation on the events, activities and services I set the sales team loose to go and find as many way points as they could in 20 minutes. The experience was a success because when all the teams arrived at the finish line each sales rep was laughing and smiling about what they had just completed.

The Equinox Resort & Spa had everything that we were looking for when delivering events and now that we had created a strategic partnership as their preferred team building provider it allowed us to start creating customized events on property. These events include our Amazing Race Adventure which highlight the Land Rover off road driving school, Orvis fly fishing headquarters, the falconry and the 80 acres of hiking trails. Change of Perspective which is a photographic scavenger hunt around the property and our Team Expedition which takes participants up to the pond pavilion area to have kayak races and fly fishing contests.

So to all of you who work at The Equinox Resort & Spa we really value our partnership and thank you for the opportunity to provide a great experience for your hundreds of guest all year round. We look forward to the many years of successful programs a head of us.

Will Leggett & The Grand Dynamics International Team

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Tags: Adventure, Blogging, corporate retreats, Equinox Resort & Spa, experiential training and development, Grand Dynamics, Resort Based Activities, Team building
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Does Team Building Really Work?

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

I have always wondered what resort representative think of team building and the value that comes from an event. When they Google Team Building, Corporate Retreats, or even Fun Activities for Corporate Groups are they thinking about the positive outcome the participants will gain from the experience or are they simply just trying to fill a time slot for the group. From my opinion it comes down to the initial contact with the resort representative and how you can describe your “Corporate Activities” to them with the understanding that Experiential Education really does help individuals become a Team. Also, if you can show statistical evidence that their is an return on investment after your programs they have no reason not to believe you. So when I go and present to new resorts sales reps. I make sure to reference our New York Time’s article about the ROI after one of our programs. I also like to provide an experience for them so that they can actually see the process of how our programs work. I will be visiting many new resorts in the next couple months so I will be sure to keep you updated on my interactions with the reps. and the Fun Team Building Games that we play.

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Tags: Adventure, corporate retreat, corporate retreats, experiential learning, experiential training and development, Grand Dynamics, Resort Representatives, Team building, team building adventure
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MassMutual GPS Competitive Challenge – December 6th,2010

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Finding waypoints in the snow

It is my honor and pleasure to announce another completed GDI program! On Monday, December 6^th, 2010, I delivered a three hour Competitive GPS Challenge Course for 11 executives from MassMutual with the help of GDI facilitator Skylar Atkins.

Skylar and I spent a significant amount of time leading up to the program worrying about the weather report. Snow was expected and it was coming our way! When we were setting up the course I kept thinking, “Man, I hope they still want to be outside!” Not only were we dealing with snow, it was also cold as hell! I thought to myself, this could be fun and if were participating in the program, I’d pretend that I was running around in the snow hunting for Orc, right out of the Lord of the Rings! All was set to go, the course was dialed in, the time is 1pm, and the MassMutual crew shows up in their shuttle. As the group begins to form a ready circle, the shuttle pulls out of the gravel parking lot, and away from our location, and the first thing I hear is a voice, “Oh no! Where are they going? I wanna get back in the van!” This statement was symbolic of the groups’ initial attitude as they were about to embark on the course. After all I don’t blame them! It was COLD, WINDY and we were in the middle of a WIZARD BLIZZARD! Skylar and I started them off with a with an icebreaker that we call “Tank.” The icebreaker was a success but I wanted to get people moving and I believe that feeling was mutual

In the Competitive GPS Course there is a multitude of caches that the teams have to locate and there is a point system assigned to the caches in the form of money (if you get the question right). At each cache there is a trivia question relating to the company or general knowledge question. The further away the cache or the more complex it is to locate, the harder the question and the more money it is worth. In the designated time frame, it is typically unlikely that the teams are able to reach all the caches. This requires communication and efficiency in executing the plan to optimize money acquisition overall. The incentive for collecting the money is in the final challenge where the money enables the teams to buy time off their best time in completing the final challenge.

As the MassMutual crew got moving and started the course they didn’t even think about the cold anymore! Skylar and I checked in on the teams as they worked their way through the course and they were having a blast! Everyone finished right on time and the group was excited about the final challenge. We went over the answers to the trivia questions on our hike back to the Equinox Resort and threw in a little slip and slide in the snow along the way.

The final challenge was great with every team improving on their time with each attempt through three rounds. A shout out to team “Shock and Awesome,” winners of “Key Punch,” which was the final challenge! A special thanks to the teams, “Firecrackers” and “Black Hats” as they were outstanding as well!

We closed up with a “Word Send,” which is a closing word sharing activity. Each participant shares one word with the group that illustrates their experience. It was great to hear a couple “Mind changing” word sends, even though it’s two words, I accepted them with open arms I loved seeing the shift in mindset from apprehensive about the cold weather and the unknown, to having a lot of fun and looking forward to the next challenge through the GPS course and Key Punch.

I am honored to have been able to work with MassMutual. Everyone was involved, enthusiastic and fun to work with, which made this program a memorable and enjoyable experience!

Thanks again to Skylar Atkins for providing wonderful support during this program.

I’d also like to thank Will Leggett for providing resources and support.

Thanks to Tim Walther for being there on the other end of line in fielding all sorts of random questions.

Yours in Adventure,

Reuben Gibson

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Tags: Adventure, adventure training, challenge, competitive, corporate retreat, experiential learning, GPS, Grand Dynamics, key punch, Leadership Training, return on investment, Reuben Gibson, Team building
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Archive for the ‘Resorts’ Category

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Summer Team Building Adventure

Ultimate Customized Corporate Retreat Team Building Adventure

Treasure Island, California is all the buzz! Join us starting July 9th for a dynamic week of events!

The Equinox Resort & Spa offers ideal corporate retreat destination in New England

Does Team Building Really Work?

MassMutual GPS Competitive Challenge – December 6th,2010