2-Day Intermediate Packrafting Course

Course

In this intermediate packrafting course, you’ll spend two days learning a wide variety of packrafting and rescue skills on the Animas River. This is NOT a swiftwater rescue course, but some basic rescue techniques will be covered. Packrafting experience required. Email us for details or to sign up!

You’ll meet the Friday night before the course starts at Scullbinder Ranch, have dinner with your instructor and talk about your weekend. Saturday night you’ll reflect on what you learned during the day, watch videos of yourselves packrafting in the whitewater play park. And then you’ll discuss and reflect on your learnings. Both days will be spend on the Animas River, with a lot of intensive time in the whitewater play park.

What’s Included

This course is for people who already have packrafting experience, so most will have their own gear. However, if you have a lot of experience paddling a kayak or duckie and you don’t have a packraft, you may be able to join this course.

What’s Not Included

We do not provide whitewater boats or drysuit. However, you can rent them from BackcountryPackraft.com. Ask us for the 15% off discount code after you pay your deposit to hold your spot. You can also rent boats locally at Kokopelli Bike and Board in Cortez or 4Corners Riversports in Durango.

Price: $895

A 25% deposit is required to secure your space. Another 25% deposit is required within 90 days of the course. And we will need the remaining balance 30 days prior to your course. If you are registering inside of the 30 day window, the remaining balance is due immediately.

Instructor: Steve Fassbinder is one of the country’s first Level 3 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors, as well as a Level 3 Kayak Instructor. He is also certified in Advanced Swiftwater Safety and Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting, he has guided for three years and done remote packrafting expeditions around the world for over a dozen years.

Course Details: What You Need to Know:

We base our learn basic packrafting skills instructional courses on confidence and skill progression. We start slow and push you a little harder as we go, tailoring the experience to your own personal abilities.

For Beginner to Intermediate courses, you’ll learn a wide variety of skills, from the basics to more advanced river reading techniques:

✓How to pack light for backcountry packraft adventures
✓Equipment (use and care)
✓Field repair-tips & tricks
✓Swimming and general water confidence
✓Aggressive & defensive swimming position
✓Self-rescue & buddy assistance
✓Dealing with currents
✓Swiftwater entry
✓Aggressive & defensive swimming position
✓Decision making
✓Hazards & river dynamics
✓Basic & advanced paddle strokes
✓Using eddies
✓River Commands
✓Spacing on the River
✓Other TBD

About The Animas River

Most of the intensive training for this course will take place on up to Class III+ on the Animas River, with a lot of time spent on the Animas City Kayak Play Park. We’ll do various sections of the Animas to and from the Play Park.
Length of Play Park: 1.25 miles
Length of Daily Adventures: 5 to 8 miles
Gradient: 30ft/mile
Difficulty: Class II+ III at 500-2000 CFS
Class III to IV 2,000 CFS and up.
High Water Flows: May-July
Flow: below 500cfs is low;
1,000-2,000cfs ideal for this course
Water Flow please see water levels

Full 2023 Packraft Course Schedule:

✓April 15-16—2-Day Learn Basic Packrafting Skills – Course is Full
✓April 21-23—3-Day Learn Basic Packrafting Skills – No Frills
✓April 28-30—From Paddle Strokes to Multi-Day Adventures: 3-Day Learn to Packraft – No Frills
✓May 5-7—2-Day Intermediate Packrafting (includes night of the 5th at the Ranch)
✓May 13-14—2-Day Learn Basic Packrafting Skills – No Frills
✓May 25-29—5-Day Beginner/Intermediate Whitewater Packrafting Course
✓June 2-4—3-Day Learn Basic Whitewater Packrafting Skills
✓June 3-4—2-Day Learn Basic Packrafting Skills – No Frills
✓June 6-11—5-Day Packraft Expedition Training & Advanced Paddling Skills Course
✓June 14-18—5-Day Beginning/Intermediate Whitewater Packrafting
✓June 24-25—2-Day Intermediate Packrafting Course