Skills
To select a skill click one of the following links or scroll down the page.
Backpacking
Beginner
- No overnight backpacking experience
- No off-trail hiking experience
- Minimal backcountry camping skills
Intermediate
- Limited overnight backpacking experience and limited off-trail hiking experience
- Previous trip experience has been in duration of less than 5 days in length and/or on developed trails only
- Capable of hiking up to a 5-hour day through uneven terrain and changing elevations of up to 2000ft with a 20-25kg backpack
- Moderate backcountry camping skills
Advanced
- Participated in numerous overnight backpacking experiences with trips of greater than 10 days in length.
- Your off-trail hiking experience has requiring route finding and lengthy amounts of bushwhacking
- capable of hiking sustained periods of time with a 30kg backpack while climbing elevation gains of 3500ft or more at a time.
- Strong backcountry camping skills
Please Note
We can teach people backcountry camping skills more quickly than we can improve you physical conditioning. If you are in good or excellent physical condition but have limited backcountry or hiking experience and would like to attempt a more advanced backpacking trip, please contact us. We may determine that your experience matched with your fitness will enable you to successfully participate in more challenging trip.
Canoeing
Beginner
- Little or no previous experience canoeing or in other paddle sports
- Minimal backcountry camping skills
Intermediate
- Previous experience canoeing on flat water or well experienced in other paddle sports
- Knowledgeable in the basic canoe strokes (forward power stroke, back stroke, j-stroke, pry, sweep and draw and cross bow draw)
- Backcountry experience of overnight camping in the wilderness of several nights.
- Moderate backcountry camping skills
Advanced
- Previous whitewater experience each season for at least the last two seasons and are able to paddle class II-III whitewater with instruction and support of a guide. Competently able to perform the basic canoe strokes without review i.e. forward power stroke, backstroke, J-stroke, pry, draw and cross bow draw
- Able to perform back-ferries, eddying in and out of the current and other technical moves
- Previous experience with basic river rescue i.e. using throw bags and safely swimming in moving water
- Can read moving water and navigate a canoe with a partner accurately.
- Previous experience in the backcountry consisting of expedition style trips in duration of more than 5 days
- Strong backcountry camping skills
Please Note:
If you have strong paddling skills from another discipline this may qualify you for a more challenging trip. Many of the paddling skills are transferable and lead quick skill acquisition.
Sea Kayaking
Beginner
- No previous sea-kayaking experience
- minimal backcountry camping skills
Intermediate
- Previous experience with day excursions sea-kayaking.
- You have moderate backcountry skills
- Have been exposed to and attempted wet exists, self-rescue, and assisted rescues.
- Moderate backcountry camping skills
Advanced
- Previous experience with multi-day sea kayaking expedition.
- Have paddled through wind and waves and done large open water crossings.
- Strong backcountry
- Able to launch and land in surf.
- Able to perform wet exists, self-rescue using paddle-floats and can participate in assisted rescue proficiently.
- Strong backcountry camping skills
Please Note
If you are interested in a specific trip but are unsure if the trip is above your skill experience please contact us. Many trips have different skill levels integrated into them and have the ability to be altered to fit you skill level. There is also the possibility of have skill training sessions inserted into the beginning of the trip. All sea kayaking trips begin with mandatory wet-exit by clients and participation in wet exits
Cycle Touring
Intermediate/Advanced
- Has previous experience with multi-day cycle touring trips of more than 10 days in length
- Has cycled through wind and foul weather and has cycled at least 150 km before in a single day
- Has good camping skills (able to set a tent, manage their gear and clothing effectively)
- Has a good understanding of bike mechanics. Regularly maintains their bike themselves and is familiar with all basic maintenance procedures
- Has logged a minimum of 1500 km training mileage prior to the trip that season and is in good general health
- Comfortable traveling through remote settings with little to know access to facilities during the course of the day (the road surface is great, but there is only mountains and wilderness for long sections)
