Joe Moerschbaecher ‘03

Major: Double - Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education and Integrated Studies
Was: A runner to beat all runners
Is: Master of the Adventure Universe
Current Title: Founder and Owner of Pura Vida Adventures

Meet Joe. You could say that he looks destined for a corner office. If, by corner, you mean the corner of a rock face on a mountain like Cerro Aconcogua in Argentina, which stands at 22.835 ft (and which Joe solo-climbed in 2004). Or maybe you meant a corner turn through rapids while kayaking (as Joe has done many times on the Rio Manso in Argentina and Rio Liucura in Chile) among many others.

Joe grew up in New Orleans and ran competitively on his cross-country team. He visited Brevard College for a runner’s camp in 1998 and loved the mountains, the town and the campus. That same year, he participated in the Student Conservation Association and soon recognized BC as the place he wanted to be.

Joe became a big part of Brevard campus life. He participated in Student Government, was VP of the Environmental Advocates group, and was in the Recycling, Outing, History and Ecology clubs. He also ran cross-country and track. Joe also participated in the 2001 Voice of the Rivers (VOR) trip to Patagonia, Argentina.  It was this trip that transformed him into a leader.

Today, Joe owns Pura Vida Adventures in Brevard, a company that specializes in guided trips through white water rapids, over mountains and ropes courses and through anything else his customers want to experience. Pura Vida ("the good life") was the first company in the southeast United States to offer guided canyoneering trips.

While at BC, Joe started participating in Adventure Racing. At 19, he took part in his first “eco-challenge” race, where teams, logistics and stamina were merely what it took to get you into the game. Many of his friends and competitors thought he was nuts … and passionate about what he was doing. At that time, he was one of the youngest to pursue adventure-racing and he continues to exude that passion … about his business, his life and his pursuits.

What does perfect harmony mean to an adventurer? Challenge brings out that balance, Joe believes. “’Without adventures, civilization is in full decay’” he says quoting Whitehouse. “Adventure is risk – academics, relationships, finances, politics, … it’s all risk and you can’t get to perfect harmony without risk. It all goes hand in hand.” 

These risks helped develop Joe as a man and as an entrepreneur. Pura Vida has a second outpost, beyond Brevard. His partner, Diego, runs Pura Vida – Patagonia. They met on his 2001 Voice of the Rivers trip. Diego was his guide and, after their shared three months on the rivers, became his friend and partner.

Not everyone leaves college with a vocational path in mind. Joe says, “I created my own path and started my own business with Pura Vida. I learned through experience and use what I learned from philosophy, ecology, wilderness leadership and business to be where I am now. No one’s life is perfect, but life is good. The hard times, learning from your mistakes and challenge … they are all good for you.”

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