AGE GROUP: 14-16
8 DAYS
$1270

SKILLS: Backcountry Basics, Kayak Strokes & Rescues, Ocean Travel, Marine Navigation and Weather, Surf Landings and Launchings, Trip Safety

Dates:
July 5-12, 2009
Spots Available: 10

IMPORTANT: All camps need a minimum enrolment of 6 to run. Each expedition has a maximum of 10 participants.

A WYLD EXPEDITION demands a lot from its participants. It asks you to lead your group and to follow, to be resourceful and creative and to explore and discover. It requires you to learn and master new skills, to build your level of fitness and confidence, and to work together with your team. In return, it gives you the opportunity to see and do things that you once could only dream of. It offers you the chance to push your self to the limit, and bring home more than you left with.

SEA KAYAKING NOOTKA SOUND

The 8-day Nootka Adventure takes you through the awesome seascape of Nootka Sound. From remote inlets to secluded sand beaches, and from tidal pools to rich native history, the west coast of Vancouver Island is an adventurer’s paradise. Students learn much of technical skills needed to travel safely in open waters: paddling techniques, navigation, chart reading and surf landings are just a few of the many topics covered.

Like every WYLD EXPEDITION, the team fully participates in every aspect of traveling and surviving their wilderness experience. This includes setting up and breaking down camp, planning/cooking meals, learning about your natural surroundings, and navigating/route finding.

ITINERARY

DAY 1
On your first day, your instructors and the rest of the group members meet you in Campbell River. From here you drive to your first campsite on the shores of Upper Campbell Lake. It is here that you get to know your group and prepare for the journey ahead.

DAY 2-8
The adventure starts early this first morning as you are dropped off on the West coast of Vancouver Island, in Nootka Sound. As the trip begins there is much to learn. You are introduced to your sea kayaks and to the Backcountry Basics. These include outdoor cooking, campsite selection, shelter building, paddle techniques, and minimum impact camping. Your comfort and confidence build as you and your team tackle these daily challenges with increasing ease.

On a typical day, everyone is up early packing up their tarps and sleeping bags and preparing breakfast for the group. Care is taken to waterproof all of your stuff as you put in your bag. There is a lot to do and everyone is busy. After breakfast and once all the gear is packed up and loaded in the boats the group is ready for the day's adventures. The better portion of the day is spent exploring the inlets and shoreline and learning about your new environment as you make your way to the next night’s campsite. You may spend time fishing for dinner or scrambling around tidal pools, teeming with new and exciting sights, or you may just lay back and float, enjoying the peaceful solitude of the wilderness. Once you have found a place to camp, you begin to prepare for the night. A campsite must be selected and tarps set up, dinner must be organized and prepared and a fire lit for warmth. Tomorrow is another day, with more adventures just around the corner.

During your exploration of Nootka Sound you will visit Friendly Cove, an original settlement that has been inhabited by First Nations people for centuries. The history of Captain Cook and his initial discoveries can be seen in totem poles, and an old church which still stands on the water's edge.

As days pass you find your camping skills honed, allowing your group to take over more of the responsibility from your instructors. You have become a self-sufficient expedition group now, and the final phase of your journey is your chance to fully manage the navigation, campsite selection/set-up, and meal planning/preparation. It is your opportunity to use everything you have learned to finish your journey and succeed, as a team.