Alaska Mountaineering & Rafting

This course combines two adventures - one in the Kenai Mountains and one on the Copper River or it tributaries. Besides travel into two beautiful and remote wilderness areas this course also includes solo, a service project, peak attempts and an opportunity to experience leadership and independent travel. This course is physically challenging and best suited to those willing to give it their all as a member of an expedition team.

From 18 to 20 hours of daylight will be the rule with a golden glow for the twilight of the night sky. All living things will be in full gear for the burst of summer. All types of Alaska’s habitats can be found on the Kenai Peninsula: tundra, alpine, rivers, wetlands and forest. They are home to wolves, lynx, beavers, caribou, wolverines, black and brown (grizzly) bears, Dall sheep, salmon, trout, mountain goats, bald eagles and numerous other small birds and mammals.

The Copper River and its tributaries like the Nelchina and the Talzina are swift, cold and clouded with glacial silt. Traveling on them requires skillful maneuvering, and learning to guide the raft successfully will be one of your first challenges.

The Kenai Mountains is a land of precipitous peaks, dense forests, vast landscapes, omnipresent wildlife and water, in every form imaginable - snow, swift streams, waterfalls, ice, rain, whitewater rapids, fog and rainbows. The Kenai Mountains are located in south central Alaska bounded by the Gulf of Alaska to the south and Prince William Sound to the east, the range rises abruptly from the ocean fjords.

The Outward Bound Difference
Throughout the course there are evening discussions to review personal and group challenges encountered during the day. Topics include leadership, independent decision-making, responsibility and teamwork. At other times during the course you have the opportunities to learn river hydraulics, geology, environmental ethics and natural history. Successful completion of your course demands mastery of skills, trust, fitness, confidence, tenacity, leadership, initiative and compassion. The promotion of these qualities, and the discovery of what’s in you, is the purpose of Outward Bound. Come challenge yourself this summer with us!

This course may be the hardest thing you have ever done. Outward Bound philosophy maintains that by facing the challenges the course will offer you, you will emerge physically and mentally stronger, with an increased mastery of expedition skills as well as a better understanding of your own capabilities. We think that the payoff is well worth the work, but you should be aware of what you’re getting into and excited about tackling the challenges.

Course Description
Your first venture into the Alaskan outback will be in small, six-person rafts. You have the chance to experience the role of both crewmember and “captain,” traveling through forests and between towering cliffs. You will paddle down two or more contiguous sections of tributary rivers in the Copper River drainage on the north flank of the vast Chugach Range. River sections traveled vary as you adjust to the ongoing changes in river conditions related to melting snow and glacial ice.

Next, you trade in your river equipment for backpacking and mountaineering gear. Initially on a trail through the forest, and later onto the alpine tundra above, you climb above the river and lake valleys to the heights of the Kenai Mountains. Trails penetrate only the first few miles into the backcountry; from there it is off-trail travel through forests, over passes, across tundra and onto the numerous glaciers. Learning new skills of wilderness travel will be necessary as you travel by foot to gain access to the high-country above the forests. From the summit, with your ice axe in hand, the view reaches all the way to the Gulf of Alaska, not to mention the tough territory you have traversed to gain your lofty goal. A variety of other activities also fill your 21 days including snow and/or ice climbing, an endurance activity and a solo experience.

NOTE: Pack weight is between 50 and 70 lbs dependent on participant's body weight. Packs on Alaska courses weigh more because of additional gear brought into the field. We encourage you to test out a pack that is this heavy prior to choosing this course.

To enroll in this course click the enroll button next to the course dates that work for you. To shop comparatively on line visit our Advanced Course Finder or better yet call one of our expert Admission Advisers at 866-467-7651. Course tuitions listed below do not include our Application Fee or Transportation Fee.

Region: Alaska

Activities: Mountaineering, rafting, peak attempt, low-impact camping, glacier travel possible, solo and final expedition

Additional Information:
Application Fee
Transportation Fee

scholarship program pick
Dates	Days	Age	Location	Tuition	Course	Enroll
06/25/08 to 07/16/08	22	18-22	Alaska	$4095.00	AQO851
07/26/08 to 08/16/08	22	18-22	Alaska	$4095.00	AQO852