My dad and I took a trip to Denver for a week or two to stay with some family friends and explore the beautiful state. He knew how much I’d gotten into climbing the last couple of years, so he signed us up for a day climbing the Third Flatiron with just us and Dan. This was essentially my dad’s first experience climbing, and he wasn’t quite sure what to expect, or if he’d be able to find success; meanwhile, I had led some easy pitches on trad before, and was hoping to learn a lot from Dan so I could continue my journey with confidence. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide than Dan, as he helped my dad to have fun and be mentally comfortable. Aside from answering my many questions, he let me lead one of the pitches with his gear and gave me critical feedback (and was very patient as I spent a LONG time building my anchor). Now I’m leading steeper pitches on my own gear, and my phenomenal experience with Dan was certainly the biggest turning point for me, confidence-wise. His demeanor throughout the whole experience was such that it felt like we were all friends by the end, though I’ve never had a poor experience with any outdoor adventure guide. Highly recommend for anyone visiting the Denver area who’s looking for this sort of experience!