Nicholas Valentine
Explore glaciated mountains and lush valleys in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Build community with a small group of adults ages 23 and up as you hike across sweeping expanses of tundra. Summit rugged peaks and cross braided streams fed by glaciers. Along the way, learn about local ecology and keep an eye out for Arctic wildlife like caribou, moose, and wolves.
Designed to fit into your busy schedule, this two-week expedition starts out with a bushplane flight into the wilderness. As you trace the route back on foot, build your outdoor skills and develop your personal leadership style. You’ll start with the basics of backcountry living: pitching a tent, reading a map, and cooking tasty meals on a campstove. Later, move on to more advanced topics like off-trail navigation, wilderness first aid, and risk management.
Rather than guide every step of the process, your instructors will support you as you build the experience and confidence to lead the group. Practice good communication and teamwork as you navigate a river crossing or steep slope. Learn to take on different leadership roles to best serve your team. Form lasting relationships and return with the skills to lead in your community, in the outdoors, and beyond.
“This course dropped me immediately out of my comfort zone into the deepest wilderness I’ve ever seen and said, “You’ll figure it out”. And, that is possibly my greatest take away from this course. Watching my instructors plan and navigate the course without a set trail or an idea of what was on the other side of the ridge or the ability to get rid of the freezing rain and just make it work, was just what I needed. They were completely confident and comfortable relying on what they knew and their ability to figure it out. Handing over the reins of the course to the students was the supportive push that let me know I, too, was capable.”