Thanks for bringing the splendor of the McKenzie River to my family. This was the second time we had rafted with HCE and after rafting in other states (as well as Oregon) are always impressed with the experience you provide... first class. Also, thanks for making room for my Aunt Lillian (Lillypaddle) on short notice. Finally, your suggestion to visit the Belknap Hot Springs gardens was great for our picnic. Thanks again, Jody LaBenz
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River Guide Schools/Programs > River Guide Schools
A Note from the Owner
River Guide Training
River Guide Schools, Rafting Guide Schools, Advanced Whitewater River Guide Training & River Rescue Clinics
Interested in river guide training? Our guide training programs cover the full range of river guide & rafting guide experiences: whitewater river training, river rescue training, and rafting guide training. When you complete your guide training you'll be prepared to lead a whitewater river expedition.
Whitewater Rafting Workshops & River Rescue Clinics Overview
High Country Expeditions whitewater guide & river rescue schools provide our students with the most comprehensive hands-on exposure to the world of river guiding.
Our guides and instructors are a wonderful eclectic compilation of highly educated and skilled boaters with an amazing array of skills, from Class V river guides to nature photographers, EMT's, river rescue instructors, ski-patrollers and storywriters.
High Country guide schools are a truly hands on outdoor adventure experience. People retain 20% of what they hear, 50% of what they write & 80% of what they do! We focus our energy on having our students experience as much as possible hands-on rather than just being shown & told. This makes for a much more effective learning experience and really helps our students retain what they have learned. These guide schools encompass not only the fundamental skills of reading whitewater and maneuvering boats, they also cover knot tying, raft rigging, signals, safety put-in talks, dealing with clients, class V safety techniques, equipment maintenance and repair, river conservation, local history, being in the wilderness and the finer points of creating safe, enjoyable river trips. High Country courses will give you the solid educational foundation that is critical in the unforgiving river environment. This is a hands-on learning opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts wanting to get involved in commercial or private river guiding as well as for guides with previous experience wanting to enhance their skills. Having a variety of schools available allows you to pick the one that fits your needs and schedule. We offer several different types and lengths of schools to choose from according to what your individual goals are. We offer one week classes as well as weekend workshops for those who cannot commit to a one week course. We also offer a Spring Break Guide School for students and teachers in the school system wanting to learn river skills.
To get more information and a copy of our enrollment form please contact us
by phone at 1-888-461-7238 or via e-mail.
We look forward to sharing an exciting and educational river adventure with you!
Register Now!
Please check back soon for a detailed picture tour of past guide schools
- 2009 Spring: Whitewater River Guide School 3/21 - 3/28
Spring River Guide School: Scheduled over an seven-day period during Spring Break, and taking place on the finest whitewater rivers in the COUNTRY! The course is designed for those seeking true adventure and comprehensive instruction, as well as summer employment opportunities as river guides for the upcoming season.
The course is conducted in the California Salmon River region: The Salmon river basin offers some of the most diverse & complete whitewater rafting opportunities in the world. 
We will depart from our outpost in McKenzie Bridge, OR (various meeting locations are available) on the Saturday morning before Spring Break and return on the following Saturday evening with the option of a bonus day Sunday. (Details will be sent with your enrollment form).
Day one at camp: The first half of the day consists of a camp, gear and location orientation, description as well as an overall introduction to the world of whitewater and guiding. After which you go on the river and begin learning the art of river guiding and all it entails.
The evenings consist of discussions of the days events and various dry land activities readying us for the next days adventure.
Day 2: From here on it is a rapid and intense succession of river training, rescue and navigation learning exercises. The majority of the course, conducted on the river, learning and experiencing all the skills needed to successfully guide in a whitewater environment.
As a student you will be exposed to and learning the following: Leadership & Guiding Philosophies, River Hydrology, Reading whitewater, Flipped-Raft Drills, Unwrapping Rafts, Wilderness First Aid for the River, Basic River Rescue, Class II-V River Captaining in a paddle raft as well as an oar rigged raft configuration, Wilderness Camp Preparations, boat rigging, river and guide etiquette, river knots & many more necessary skills to be able to guide in a private or commercial environment.
The week will be spent camping in a wilderness setting along the river, running a river everyday. High Country chooses not to try to go to more than 2-3 rivers during this course since with experience we end up spending more time in the vans than on the water. Instead, we set up one or two base camps and stay there for the duration. These rivers offer whitewater experiences from class I-II up to class V. There are only a few locations in the Northwest where all these levels can be experienced on the same river, and we choose our locations to utilize this, for maximum exposure to our students.
This course offers you the opportunity to experience every water level classification with an extraordinary 1:4 instructor student ratio. We are confident this will be more than just an amazing learning adventure, but a lifelong memory as well. Days do not only consist of running rivers, but also engaging in a wide array of boating exercises. In the evening, relax around the warmth of the campfire while practicing various knots and rope work, and enacting land based scenarios such as camp setup and guest hospitality.
This course is highly recommended for all first year future High Country Expeditions guides, and for anyone else interested in river guiding on a professional level. We are confident that this course will lay the groundwork for anyone seeking to become a professional river guide.
A Certification of completion is provided and class size is limited. We will also assist those interested in finding work as river guides for the upcoming rafting season, either with High Country Expeditions or one of our many partner Outfitters in the Northwest.
The cost of this 7 day course is $695.00. This includes all meals, travel, instructors, instructions, literature, all boating equipment and necessary gear and maximum river and captaning time.
To get more information and a copy of our enrollment form please contact us by phone at 1-888-461-7238 or via e-mail.
We look forward to sharing an exciting and educational river adventure with you!
Register Now!
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- Private River Guide Training
Private river guide training
Have you ever wanted to be a river guide, experience river guiding, wanted to be able to get to those desirable fishing holes or fine tune some of your river guiding skills, but never found the time or where unable to take a week-long guide program.
This is a one on one program specifically designed for outdoor enthusiasts with a busy schedule, for those looking for private lessons & river folks wanting to hone in on specific skill sets.
This river training course covers and exposes you to the primary fundamentals necessary to ensure safe and exciting river running.
There is a lot more to being a safe, responsible and proactive boater then knowing how to basically maneuver a river craft.
This course is taught by senior High Country river guide/instructors.
With this in mind private river guide training is only available during none peak season dates, September through May.
Our course philosophy is to expose one to as many hands on river scenarios as possible.
People retain 20% of what they hear,
50% of what they write
& 80% of what they do!
Depending on what your goal is you will be exposed and have the opportunity to learn some or most of the following:
River running
Whitewater river Navigation
Oar & paddleboat techniques
Route selection
Foresight, proactive and aversive boating techniques
Hydraulics & reading water
Strategies (momentum, ferry angles
)
River etiquette
Paddle & Oar boat safety talk reviews
River rescue & safety
Swimming in whitewater
Ropes, knots, slings, and anchors
Dealing with flips
Dealing with wraps
Basic "Z" rigs
Swift water crossings
Throw bag rescues
Strainers
Hand signals
Foot entrapments
Dealing with an accident
Evacuation strategies and planning
Load Placement Strategies
Rigging frames
Gear rigging strategies
Proper Care of Gear
Boat patching - valve repair, jammed valves
To name a few.
This is a very unique opportunity for anyone wanting the utmost attention and exposure to this wonderfully spiritual world of river running.
Please contact us and let us create a course designed specifically to your needs and desires. Whether you are looking for a one day private river experience or a custom course that can stretch out over a season.
We look forward in sharing a wonderful, exciting and educational river experience with you on the river.
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High Country Expeditions leads whitewater rafting trips on some of the finest scenic rivers in Oregon and California.
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