Fiona Casson
Smell the salt of the ocean as you check the wind for the day’s journey. Explore Patagonia’s fjords and learn about their ecology. Soak in the area’s history as you visit coastal communities and learn about their ways of life. Spend your days hiking through temperate rainforests and your evenings savoring meals cooked on a camp stove. This course weaves together two distinct skillsets, backpacking and sea kayaking. With both skills, you’ll start with the basics before progressing to more advanced outdoor skills. These will include things like minimum-impact camping, coastal navigation, paddle technique, map reading, and hiking off trail—everything you need to know to explore Chile’s coastline and be ready to travel in the outdoors on your own.
Leadership will be an important part of your course. As you live and travel in the outdoors, these experiences will be a part of your leadership progression. Setting up a tent during challenging weather, for example, is an opportunity to develop resilience. Working on a small team while paddling a sea kayak is a lesson in group dynamics and communication. Cross-cultural exchange as you meet coastal communities is your opportunity to grow in self-awareness and cultural competence. With these experiences and mentorship from your instructors, you’ll develop your own leadership style. By the end of this course, you’ll be prepared to be a leader in community and continue exploring the outdoors for the rest of your life.