Who
are the leaders?
Your instructors
are highly qualified and competent outdoor educators, who genuinely
enjoy working with young people. They have wilderness medical
training, CPR and lifeguard training, and their average age is
25. Each expedition travels with at least one male and one female
instructor, and additional instructors accompany the trip while
sailing or whitewater rafting.
Where
do we sleep?
When possible, we sleep out under
the stars in some truly amazing and beautiful places. When in
the backcountry, we always carry lightweight 3 to 4 person tents
and, depending on your trip, you may sleep on a sandy beach, an
alpine meadow or on a remote sea island. When sailing, we sometimes
sleep aboard our sailboats when not camping on an island. When
traveling between activities we sometimes stay at state or national
park campgrounds.
What
do we eat?
With the help of your instructors,
you plan and cook our own food. All meals are well-balanced and
are well-suited for each activity. When backpacking, we emphasize
simple and lightweight food, but it could include chicken stir-fry,
burritos, pizza or calzones, pasta or fresh fruits and vegetables.
Are
there additional costs?
Trips costsare all inclusive,
except travel/airfare to and from the place of origin and personal
items. We will pay for food, all activities, entertainment, laundry
and showers.
What
about showers & laundry?
As you may imagine, we don't have
the opportunity to shower or do laundry often. Generally speaking,
you can expect to shower 1-3 times on each expedition, between
activities. Even when we are in the backcountry, finding a swimming
hole is usually possible.
Will
we be able to keep in touch with family and friends?
There will be several mail drops over the
course of each trip as well as opportunities to make phone calls
home between activities.
How
do we get around?
We travel between activities in
new vans, but every effort is made to minimize travel time. We
often move seamlessly between activities in true expedition style,
spending less time loading the van and driving and more time in
the wilderness.
How
challenging are the trips?
If you are in reasonable physical
shape and enthusiastic about participating, you will have an amazing
and incredibly positive experience. Our expeditions are carefully
planned to be progressively challenging and are designed to balance
challenge with fun.
Who
sails the boats?
When we are sailing, we are all
involved with steering, navigating, performing sail manuevers,
anchoring and even docking. Each sailboat is staffed by a experienced,
licensed U.S. Coast Guard Captain who teaches all the necessary
skills to be able to handle our sailboats. Find
out why we have exceptional sailing instruction.
How
far do we backpack & how heavy are our packs?
Depending on terrain and the point
in the trip we are, we backpack between 4 and 12 miles each day.
We design our backpacking components to be progressively challenging,
but also give us time to explore the area we are traveling through.
Packs typically weigh 25-30 lbs. - and we often divide group food
and gear based on body size.
Do
I have to carry all of my stuff with me?
No! That would make for a heavy
pack! For each activity, your instructors will work with you to
pack what you need - and the rest of your belongings will be kept
in your duffel bag, safely in our van or trailer until you return.
What
about spending money?
We recommend no more than $15 spending
money per week for film, gifts and postage.
Do
you offer financial aid?
We are able to offer full and partial
scholarships, based on need. Click
here for more info.
Do
you have an additional question or concern?
E-mail us by clicking here.
