About us

Perhaps the questions we get the most are the ones about us.

Teamlink Inc. is the overall and legal name for the entire operation… it covers Teamlink – the team building side of our operations, and Shenandoah Mountain Guides (SMG) –the mountain sports and outdoor education component.

Teamlink is known for providing experiential and adventure-based programs in team development and personal growth. Specializing in the development of corporate teams and youth character formation, Teamlink has received wide acclaim from the North American business community as well as from regional public/private school systems.

Shenandoah Mountain Guides, (known as the Teamlink Mountain Sports Center until 2006) is a recognized leader in mountain sports, environmental education and backcountry guiding, and is the premier guiding service for Shenandoah National Park and the surrounding mountains. (Legend has it that “Shenandoah” means “daughter of the stars”.. we cannot think of a more appropriate, or lyrical, descriptor for these mountains, rivers and valleys. Or our company..)

Founded in 1993 by Andy Nichols, Teamlink/SMG has roots that run deep in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountain ranges of VA, WV and MD. Growing up in Rappahannock County VA, with the headwaters of the Rappahannock River out his back door and the Blue Ridge crest/Shenandoah National Park and Appalachian Trail out his front, it was only natural to develop a deep love of the outdoor world in which he was immersed. Despite life experiences that have often taken him far from his Blue Ridge home, the region continues to be the focal point of his life and his life’s work.

Today, as the Director of Programs, he surrounds himself with a staff that shares a strong love and respect for the natural world. Each member of the staff is not only tremendously skilled in their particular field of expertise, but they are excellent teachers and facilitators of outdoor education and team building. Our staff is the true cornerstone of our reputation.
 
The typical resume of a staff member reads like this:

• 10 years guiding/teaching experience (with international/Alaskan guiding experience)
• Average age – 34 yrs.
• Native to the Blue Ridge region
• Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician NR-(W)EMT-B
• LNT Master Educator
• Eagle Scout / Gold Award Recipient
• Baccalaureate degree (minimum)
• 5 years corporate experience
• Adjunct faculty member (at one of the 7 colleges/universities at which we teach)
• National training/certifying asset for mountain sport skill sets

(All staff for Teamlink are personally sought out and selected. As a rule, no applications are accepted.)

The diverse nature of Teamlink/Shenandoah Mountain Guide offerings is a direct result of the three intertwined features of our mission and location.

Mountain Sports

Until 2006, Shenandoah Mountain Guides was simply “the Mountain Sports Center”.  We decided our name should more accurately reflect the focus of our mountain activities: the Shenandoah Valley region of the Northern Blue Ridge and Potomac Highlands. Our educational and guided activities  (climbing, backpacking, paddling, mountain biking etc) are a natural outgrowth of working in the Shenandoah region, and our staff’s expertise. Many of our team building programs occur at regional mountain resorts and retreat centers, and much of our educational programming is focused on mountain sport skills, adventure challenges and environmental issues that pertain to our native mountain/headwater environments.

Team building.

People are important, period. If we cannot work together with mutual respect and the ability to communicate effectively with each other, regardless of age and background, then chaos is the end result… not winning, not success, not accomplishment, not peace. We conduct team building. throughout the country with groups that want to grow stronger through synergy. Our youth programs have been recognized nationally, particularly for our work with youth at-risk.   

 

Environmental Education

Whether teaching Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics or guiding a group down a Potomac River tributary … our environmental education programs reflect our total commitment to ensuring that our guests (the teams and individuals that we build, teach and guide), are fully aware of the world around them. We want our guests to consider the environmental impact of their actions and decisions, not just on today’s and tomorrow’s world, but on the next seven generations.

The Teamlink/SMG founding philosophy is the belief that the most effective and productive teams and individuals are forged through (shared) challenge and the (collective) conquest of adversity.  The outdoor mountain environment, the hands-on learning experiences and the adventure challenges we offer throughout the year are dynamic media through which individuals and groups of individuals are transformed into confident and capable teams and practitioners.

The menu of year-round programs and activities are not only unforgettable learning opportunities for individuals and groups; they are also unmatchable enjoyment.

Browse through our site for more information on our programs, or email us:  adventure@teamlinkinc.com or info@shenandoahmountainguides.org

We hope to see you soon.