Who Is Adventurtle?

Adventurtle started the way a lot of real adventure stories do: not in a boardroom, but somewhere between trailhead conversations, long drives north, and the kind of friendships built on shared rope systems and early alarms.

At its core, Adventurtle is a platform designed to make outdoor adventures easier to access—especially when you’re new to an area, don’t know the terrain, or want the confidence of going with someone who truly knows the route. It connects clients with guides so booking a trip can feel as straightforward as planning your weekend, not like solving a puzzle of DMs, referrals, and scattered links.

And behind it are two founders who know, firsthand, what it means to chase adventure in the margins of a busy life: Gábor Krajczár and Todd Middleton.

Two Founders, One Shared Instinct: Get Outside

If you spend a few minutes with Gábor and Todd, you get the sense that Adventurtle wasn’t born out of a trendy startup idea—it grew out of something more personal: the belief that life feels better, clearer, and more like you when you’re outside.

For Gábor, the outdoors has always been more than a weekend activity—it’s been a thread running through his life for years. His adventure story began in Hungary, where he was introduced to caving and quickly fell in love with the mix of curiosity, problem-solving, and teamwork that comes with moving through the underground world. From there, his interests naturally expanded: hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing, trekking, and eventually mountaineering.

That wide-ranging background is part of what makes Gábor such a natural builder of Adventurtle. He understands the full spectrum of adventure—from first-time experiences to technical objectives—and he knows how much easier (and safer) the outdoors becomes when you have the right people and local knowledge in your corner.

Todd’s relationship to the outdoors is equally deep, but his presence brings a different flavor: steady, self-aware, and quietly funny. He’s an ice climber and mountaineer who will also tell you—without blinking—that he’s scared of heights. It’s not a contradiction so much as a reminder: you don’t have to be fearless to do big things. You just have to be willing to show up.

That shared willingness—to go anyway, to learn, to take the long way if it’s safer—became a defining value not only in their partnership, but in the brand they built.

How Todd and Gábor Met: The Start of a Partnership

Gábor and Todd met in a setting that’s familiar to climbers: a climbing course, a shared day on the ice, the kind of place where you learn quickly whether someone is steady under pressure. Todd, being his friendly self, was chatting and asking questions and they exchanged numbers. But like many “we should climb sometime” connections, nothing happened immediately.

Then about a year later, Todd reached out, inviting Gábor on an ice climbing trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Gábor said yes, and that trip became what they call a “compatibility check.” Not just whether they could climb together, but whether they could travel well together, problem-solve together, make decisions together—whether their styles aligned when it mattered.

They did.

From there, the friendship turned into something consistent: Colorado trips, ice festivals, and long stretches of conversation that happen naturally when you spend hours driving toward the next objective.

Their dynamic also became clear: Gábor is the planner, the one who wants to map out details and anticipate problems. Todd is the pusher, the one who says, “Let’s build it,” and means it.

That balance—careful + committed—became the engine for what came next.

The Problem They Kept Running Into

Some of Adventurtle’s best ideas were born from a simple, repeat experience: even skilled adventurers hit a wall when they’re unfamiliar with an area.

Gábor puts it plainly: there were times he had the ability and technical skills,  but not the local knowledge. The route details. The conditions. The best approach. The “what you don’t know you don’t know” factors that can turn a good day into a bad one.

Like many people, he’d hired guides in the past—not because he couldn’t do the activity, but because the guide provided what mattered most in that moment: confidence, familiarity, and safety.

Then came one particular trip—a long drive north to Michigan's Upper Peninsula—where Todd & Gábor’s conversation shifted from casual brainstorming to something sharper.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just… find a guide, book a trip, and go?

Not through a maze of websites and old Facebook posts.

Not by hoping someone answers your DM.

Not by guessing whether a listing is current or legit.

Something as simple as: open your phone, choose what you want to do, book it, and meet your guide. A platform that removes friction so the adventure itself can be the main event.

At first, it was “just an idea.”

Then Todd came back with the words that shifted everything:

We should really do it. I’m serious.

Building Adventurtle: The Long Game

Like most meaningful companies, Adventurtle didn’t appear overnight. The early work was unglamorous in the way real building always is: meetings, sketches, iterations, and systems.

The process took time—because they weren’t just trying to make an app. They were trying to build something that actually works in the real world of outdoor experiences, where trust and logistics matter.

Why It’s Called Adventurtle

The previous name started as a working title—something plain and functional. But it didn’t feel like them.

Then came a suggestion during the design process: “Adventurtle.”

A mash-up of adventure and turtle—paired with a turtle logo they were already exploring.

It wasn’t instantly obvious, which became part of the point.

People pause on it.

They say it twice.

They think about it.

It sticks.

And once they developed the logo further, the name clicked into place.

The Adventurtle icon isn’t just a cute turtle, it’s a symbol. The shape on its shell references a location/search pin—representing the idea of helping users find the right guide. And later, they made the turtle’s feet ice tools, a nod to the founders’ climbing roots and the kind of technical terrain they respect.

For Todd, the turtle also represents something deeper: a slow, steady, safe approach. Not rushing. Not cutting corners. Doing things the right way.

What Adventurtle Exists to Do

Adventurtle exists for the moment when someone wants to get outside—but the steps between wanting and going feel too complicated.

It’s for:

• People new to a region who don’t yet know the terrain

• Adventurers who want local expertise for a route, conditions, or access

• Beginners who want to try something new with professional support

• Anyone who wants the confidence of knowing the trip is legitimate, planned, and led well

  
  

Gábor describes it in emotional terms: outside is where people feel alive again. Where the day’s stress burns off. Where the body works hard and the mind finally quiets.

The vision behind Adventurtle is simple:

Help more people get that feeling—safely, reliably, and with the right guide.

The Adventure Starts Here

Gábor and Todd didn’t build Adventurtle because they wanted to “start a company.”

They built it because the outdoors changed their lives—and they believe it can change other people’s lives too, especially when the path to entry feels intimidating.

Adventurtle is the bridge between curiosity and experience.

Between scrolling and showing up.

Between “someday” and “this weekend.”

And if you’re ready to take the next step, the invitation is straightforward:

Download Adventurtle, find a trip that sparks something in you, and meet the guide who can take you there.

Download the app here!