What Skills Do I Need To Succeed?
Starting in 2015, we’re adding a technical challenge scale to our programs based on a 1-5 rating. Technical difficulty refers to how skill-intensive a program is, and how experienced a person should plan to be before participating.
Wilderness Bushcraft Semester: 1
Boreal Snowshoe Expedition: 3
Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester: 3
Yearlong Wilderness Bushcraft Immersion Program: 4
Summer Woodsman: 1
Winter Woodsman: 2
What The Numbers Mean
1: Open To Beginners. No experience is necessary to participate.
2: Some Experience. With canoeing, should be comfortable loading and trimming boat, know basic paddle strokes, have tried poling.
3: Intermediate. Participant should have some skills and experience in place. With canoeing, should have paddled a multi-day trip, poled in moving water and be comfortable in class 2 whitewater. For winter, participant should have some experience camping or be ready to learn quickly.
4: Advanced Intermediate. Participant should be comfortable in challenging terrain. Poled and paddled easy rapids, completed a multi-day trip, comfortable camping in challenging conditions.
5: Advanced. Participant should be skilled and experienced. Paddling class 3 whitewater, poling up and downstream in strong class 2 whitewater, have completed a week long remote trip. Ready for a challenge.
What You Can Do To Increase Your Technical Competence.
During our immersion programs and expeditions, there is ample opportunity to practice skills and techniques. They get better the more you use them. Instructors are present to help guide you to mastery. They won’t force it on you, but for the student that takes the initiative, our instructors are always there to help. Be self-motivated to get better and in almost every case you will.
