What is so special about the Alaska College Leadership program?
This trip offers extended wilderness travel in the Talkeetna Mountains and in the Prince William Sound. These settings are the perfect classroom for teaching advanced outdoor and leadership skills. We’ve conducted this expedition each summer since 1985.
What does a leadership expedition provide that a typical Wilderness Ventures trip does not?
The Alaska College Leadership trip is for students who have completed high school. This leadership trip focuses in on honing two skills: sea kayaking and backpacking. Also, the program has two extended backcountry trips (7-10 days), instead of the shorter 4-6 day trips seen on most other Wilderness Ventures expeditions. These longer sections allow you to master important leadership skills ranging from backcountry navigation, to wilderness first aid, and allow you to develop as an outdoor educator and leader. Unlike other outdoor leadership schools, we do not mix 16 and 17 year-old high school students with those who have finished high school. This results in a much better group dynamic.
What kind of weather can I expect in Alaska?
Weather in Alaska during the summer is quite nice. During the day, you can expect sun with warm temperatures. Hiking in a t-shirt and shorts is the norm. In the evening, the temperatures will drop as low as the 40’s, providing the perfect sleeping weather.
What type of wildlife will I see in Alaska?
Alaska has a plethora of wildlife. You will see moose, caribou, bald eagles, marmots, mountain goats, big horn sheep, sea lions, seals, whales, and perhaps black or grizzly bears.
Once I’m old enough, I’d like to work for Wilderness Ventures. Should I participate in this expedition?
While completing the Alaska College Leadership trip does not guarantee employment with Wilderness Ventures, it does give you a great advantage in obtaining employment in this field. When hiring, we do give preference to those who have had training with us versus another company because of our philosophical approach and unique goals. On the trip your outdoor proficiency will greatly increase as you work with our most experienced leaders to learn many of the necessary skills (both hard and soft skills) to lead trips, either with us or on your own.
What will backpacking be like?
Backpacking in the Talkeetna Mountains in quite different from other areas where Wilderness Ventures goes. About 90% of the trip is off trail, requiring everyone to learn and understand the finer points of navigation. Traveling off trail allows us to reach remote, unpopulated areas that are off the beaten path. Doing this we will have the opportunity to see parts of Alaska that few have seen before.
What will my trip leaders be like?
One of the strongest components of Wilderness Ventures is the leaders. We take great pride in our leaders and spend a great deal of time and energy in choosing each one. You will get the chance to learn from our most experienced leaders this summer. You trip will have at least one male and one female leader. These are some of the most dynamic, intelligent, and interesting people in the world. Each has a love for the outdoors, and a passion for teaching and working with young adults. They are great role models and have an incredible ability to facilitate each trip from backcountry travel to group dynamics. Most are teachers in traditional schools, outdoor/environmental programs or other teaching related programs. Our return rate is very high so most of our leaders have worked with us for multiple seasons. You will have a great time getting to know your leaders and will benefit from their vast experiences.
What kind of food will I eat this summer?
Your fellow trip participants, with help from your leaders, will create the menus for your trip. Everyone will be involved in this process to ensure a wide variety of food choices that provide a balanced diet to fuel our bodies. We shop in regular grocery stores and teach you how to plan for and obtain great food for backcountry travels. The food is delicious, healthy, and there will be plenty of it.
Isn’t the sun always out in Alaska during the summer? How am I going to sleep?
Alaska is situated near the Northern reaches of the globe so it does receive quite a bit of light by the summer solstice. Since our trip does not take us to the Arctic Circle we will not be experiencing 24 hours of daylight. Instead we will experience nights that resemble dusk in the amount of light we’ll have. Don’t worry though, after days filled with activity you’ll have no trouble sleeping.
I’ve never done a trip with Wilderness Ventures before, can I still do the Alaska College program?
Yes! While there are a number of former Wilderness Ventures participants that come on this trip every summer, there are also just as many new participants as well. This trip is a great experience for anyone who has previous outdoor travel experience and has a desire to lead trips of their own one-day.
