Wisconsin Basecamp Leaders

Basecamp leaders are selected for their skills working with groups, judgement, and experience in the outdoors, but also their personality and sense of humor. All leaders have Wilderness First Aid certification (with CPR) and go through our own customized leader training program.

Sara Giffin

Happy summer! I’m Sara Giffin, a graduated fifth year student. I studied art education and recently finished teaching photography and art metals and glass at Memorial High School. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Kenya last year and enjoyed experiencing Nairobi life, going on safari in the Serengeti and studying Swahili. I have always been passionate about outdoor adventure and spent spring break this year scuba diving and climbing volcanoes in Central America. Past summers I have worked at a variety of summer camps backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, biking and caving all around the US and Canada. Madison has been an amazing place for me to learn and grow, I live in a housing cooperative on Lake Mendota and am looking forward to enjoying Wisconsin summer to its’ fullest with all of you!

Lakhpreet Kaur

First things first. How to say my name: “Lack-preet,” it means “Lots of Love,” and I’m ready to share my love of the outdoors with all of you! I’m a senior graduating this year with Political Science Major. (What will I do with that degree? Frame it.) Last year I studied abroad in Australia and got to indulge my extreme side with rock climbing trips, white-water kayaking excursions, and surfing sensations. Hopefully, after I graduate I’ll have time to freshwater surf the shores of Sheboygan, WI. Camping has always been a part of my life, which is unusual coming from a South-Asian family. Immigrating to the US they hoped to escape hardships like sleeping on the floor, cooking over an open fire, and going to the bathroom behind trees. Too bad their American daughter rejected the luxuries of real beds and porcelain toilet and took to the woods. I've been a camp counselor for 8 years with Sikh Virsa and recently, we've expanded our camps to include camping excursions. So, my saweet hoofin' skilz will be a mad money to WI Basecampers!

Michael Metzger

Hey everyone! My name is Michael Metzger and I will be graduating this year with a degree in economics. I love to spend my time no matter where I am outdoors. My favorite things to do in Madison are ride my road bike around Lake Monona, play disc golf at Elver Park and take evening runs to Picnic Point. Last summer I went white water rafting in Fort Collins, Colorado, hiked part of the Appalachian Trial, and spent a week camping in northern Wisconsin. I’m really excited to meet all of you and can’t wait to hit the river for an unforgettable experience.

Tiana Riebe

HI! My name is Tiana and I'm a senior majoring in Biology and Bacteriology. I am a past president of the Hoofer Outing Club and I love doing anything outdoors. Last summer I spent a week in Arctic Sweden backpacking in 24 hours of sunlight! I've also been backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, in southeast Utah and a few other places in the Midwest. In the summers I spend a decent amount of time canoing on Lake Mendota and the Wolf and Wisconsin Rivers as well as lots of kayaking. Last year, I was also a Housefellow in Sellery Res Hall and have loads of funny stories from that! I look forward to meeting all of you and leading you on a rockin' trip this summer!

Ryan Schmudlach

My name is Ryan Schmudlach and I'm a senior studying Economics. I've done or tried just about every outdoor sport you can think of, but I prefer to stick with mountain biking, backpacking, and whitewater kayaking - though I'd like to get more into whitewater canoeing and kite surfing. Around Madison, I prefer campfires on picnic point, hanging out on the terrace, and coming up with random crazy stuff to do with the roommates. A couple of my favorite trips have been climbing Devil's Tower and backpacking through Arctic Sweden under the midnight sun. My leadership background mostly comes from the Wisconsin Hoofers club where I've served as backpacking chair, events chair, and the Vice President of Administration among others. After graduating, I will be moving to the Southwest to start an outfitter business where I can maybe put that economics degree to use.