Smell the salt of the ocean as you check the wind for the day’s journey. Walk along coastal tide pools and study their ecology in the 24-hour Arctic light. Immerse yourself in the area’s history as you visit coastal communities and learn about the hunter-gatherer traditions of the indigenous Sami people. Spend your days exploring paddling or hiking to new places and your evenings savoring meals cooked on a camp stove.
On this course, you’ll split your time between sea kayaking and backpacking—during both sections, you’ll focus on minimum-impact camping and living comfortably in the quickly-changing environment of Scandinavia. On the backpacking section, you’ll learn to navigate the Arctic tundra and peaks with and without a trail. While sea kayaking, you’ll paddle through Norway’s ocean fjords and tiny islands, starting with the basics, like paddle technique, and progressing to more advanced skills, like self-rescue.
In addition to outdoor skills, leadership will be a key part of this course. You’ll learn about group dynamics as you live in a small community in the mountains. You’ll practice communication and decision making as you find routes through high passes and lush valleys. Paddling a sea kayak during challenging weather offers opportunities to learn tolerance for adversity. Each day you’ll fill a different leadership role, honing your personal leadership style. You’ll go home ready to be a leader in your community and continue exploring the outdoors for the rest of your life.
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“The fjords of arctic Norway and Sweden were absolutely breathtaking. The experience was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. I wanted to be challenged and I was. Everyday! I was expecting to meet some great people, but I didn't realize I would leave with friendships that would last a lifetime.”
