A 50% deposit is required to secure your space. You’ll need to provide the remaining balance 30 days prior to your course. The remaining balance is due immediately if you are registering inside of the 30 day window.

Additionally, please review our cancellation policy, which you will find on our Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy Page.

We do not provide transportation on our courses. Please meet us at Scullbinder Ranch the night before the course or at Santa Rita Park, Durango, the first morning of the course. You’ll need to participate in the shuttling. Depending on how many people are on the course, we may need to shuttle multiple vehicles.

You should have your own packraft for this course, as we expect you to be an experienced packrafter. The one exception is if you are an experienced, higher-level kayaker wanting to learn packrafting skills. Then you need to rent or buy a whitewater boat.

Food, lodging (though you can purchase a food & lodging package), adult beverages, transportation, drysuits, river knives, whistles or throw bags. You will need a drysuit for the duration of the course. Drysuit and whitewater boats rentals are available locally at 4Corners Riversports or at Backcountrypackrafts.com. We’ll provide you with the 15% discount code once you register for the course.

Steve Fassbinder: Steve, aka “Doom,” is one of the country’s first Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors. And he will be a certified International Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO) and an IRF Whitewater Packraft Guide late April. Steve is also certified in Advanced Swiftwater Safety and Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting, he has guided or instructed bike-packrafting to kids and adults for over a decade. And he has done remote packrafting expeditions around the world for over a dozen years.

Some of the things you might learn…

Paddling Skills

• ✓Technical and complex strokes
• ✓Dancing with the river: running big waves and laterals.
• ✓Surfing
• ✓Paddling a expedition loaded boat in whitewater
• ✓How to read whitewater

Expedition Planning Skills

• ✓Using online resources: GIS, USGS water gauges, Google Earth, etc
• ✓Navigation in the field
• ✓Trip planning & logistics
• ✓Expedition pack lists
• ✓What to pack and how/where to pack it
• ✓Expedition vs. personal items
• ✓Expedition food planning and prep
• ✓Leave No Trace practices in the backcountry
• ✓Managing your backcountry camping and boating gear
• ✓How to find a good camp
• ✓Time management skills
• ✓How to efficiently transition from the river to camp
• ✓Read & run style boating
• ✓Reading whitewater/hazards and avoiding them
• ✓Expedition mentality

Group Dynamics

• ✓Scouting and decision-making
• ✓Group selection
• ✓Expedition group dynamics
• ✓Group downstream travel technique & communications
• ✓Eddy hopping, traveling in groups. How to travel down a river safely by eddy hopping in groups
• ✓Clear communication: hand signals
• ✓Setting safety and choosing challenges: review, practice and implementation

Packrafting Hacks

• ✓Backcountry repairs clinic
• ✓Storytelling

Swiftwater Safety: Handling common emergency situations on the river

• ✔Identify and demonstrate the use of appropriate rescue and safety gear for packrafting
• ✔Responsibilities of the group, rescuer, swimmers
• ✔Boat-based rescues
• ✔Group communication
• ✔Using throw bags
• ✔Swimming in rivers & water confidence (aggressive & defensive swimming position)
• ✔Self-rescue & buddy assistance (wet re-entry)
• ✔River dynamics: currents, obstacles and hazards
• ✔Rescue priorities: people, craft, paddle, gear
• ✔Discuss how to avoid and prevent cold water shock, hypothermia, and hyperthermia by choosing proper clothing and recognizing and treating early symptoms.