PREREQUISITES: Level 1 course, swiftwater rescue training, or mastery of level 1 curriculum from either personal experience or other courses/training.

Venue:

Day 1: Anchorage, Goose Lake

Day 2-3: Eagle River and/or Willow Creek

Curriculum

Gear

• Gear for river & whitewater paddling
• Stowing gear & rigging for whitewater

Boat Control

• Paddle Strokes: Forward, backward, sweep strokes, draws & bracing
• Effective body mechanics

Safety & Rescue

• Wet exit & re-entry techniques/self rescue
• Assisted & group rescue techniques
• Defensive swimming techniques
• Practical scenarios & practice on flat & moving water
• Using throw ropes: a hazard & a tool

Fundamentals of River Mechanics

• International Scale of River Difficulty (American Whitewater Safety Code)
• Current (cfs), volume, gradient, water levels
• Down & upstream V's
• Eddies & eddy lines
• Waves
• Bends
• Ledges & horizon lines
• Wood hazards
• Rocks and pillows
• Holes and hydraulics
• Cold water
• Undercuts & ice

River Running

• Catching eddies
• Ferrying
• Navigating river features & hazards
• Communication & signaling: universal river signals
• Group organization on the river
• Scouting & portaging
• Multi-day & Wilderness Trip Considerations

Itinerary

Day 1: 5-9pm

Location: Goose Lake

We gear up & meet for group introductions & course expectations. We practice paddle strokes, receiving individual feedback to refine technique & proper body mechanics.  Instructors demonstrate effective methods for re-entering a capsized boat (self-rescue & whitewater swimming practice).  We take full advantage of the warm temperatures & calm water to practice group rescue scenarios & quick decision making before applying it to moving water later in the course.

Day 2: 9am-5pm

Location: “Bridge to Bridge” section, Eagle River.  Meet at Eagle River Day Use Area

We focus on reading rivers and class II whitewater while growing our paddling skills & boat control.  Day 2 emphasizes catching eddies & effective ferrying to maneuver within fast current. Awareness of downstream hazards and how to scout & portage rapids are taught.

Students may have the opportunity to negotiate a class III rapid feature by the end of the day.  Running a portion of Campground Rapid is always  “challenge by choice,” & up to instructor discretion based on student ability & current water levels/river hazards.  Whether we paddle it or not, Campground Rapid is a great opportunity to practice scouting, risk assessment and possibly “setting safety” for those who run the rapid.

Day 3: 9am-5pm

Location: TBD depending on water levels.   Eagle River or “Red Gate” section, Willow Creek.

Day 3 begins with a “mini classroom” session: unpacking basic hydrology concepts & how it applies to packrafters.  Throw rope rescue techniques are demonstrated & practiced on dry land before going to the river.  Additional rapid scouting tools are shared before continuing with paddle skills, boat control and river reading throughout the morning session.

Once we’re warmed up, get ready for some “controlled chaos!”  The rest of the day, we practice various rescue scenarios in swift current.  Swimming, or having an “out of boat experience” is a part of packrafting; practicing what to do & how to help your partners is crucial and an essential component of the sport.

So the saying goes: In  whitewater, things are fine….fine….fine….not fine, NOT FINE-NOTFINE !!*@*&^*#%!)  Rivers are in constant motion- safety conditions change quickly, & demand calm precision when responding to a personal or group rescue situation.  Sufficient rescue skills & timely reactions come only by practice.  And more practice after you practice.  Instructors are skilled at creating opportunities to practice these tools in a controlled setting with a “challenge by choice” but encouraging attitude.  (Throw rope use, self-rescue, assisted rescue & group rescue)  Course closes at the takeout with discussion about multi-day trips & Alaska/wilderness considerations.

Q & A, debrief and course wrap up before departure.