Tim Kelley
Packrafting is a sport born of adventure racing and exploring wild mountains. With a packraft, you’ll be able to see terrain inaccessible by any other mode of travel. If you’re looking to develop a unique skill and immerse yourself in wild and rarely-visited landscapes, then this is the course for you!
This course will either take you to the remote Talkeetna Mountains in southcentral Alaska, or the pristine interior Alaska Range. No matter where your course takes you, you’ll learn essential camping and travel skills in remote, rugged environments.
Photo credit: Stéphane Terrier
Your development as a packrafter will begin with the basics, starting with camping and travel skills for the Alaskan tundra. While backpacking, you will carry your packraft and paddling gear inside your pack as you learn to route find in off-trail terrain. While paddling, you will stow your backpack in your packraft and learn paddling techniques on beautiful stretches of moderate whitewater. The balance of packrafting to backpacking will vary depending on route and river conditions. By the end of the course, you’ll have not only a solid foundation of leadership and camping skills, but also experience with a unique form of backcountry travel.
Photo credit: Stéphane Terrier