Guide School Itinerary & Curriculum Itinerary

During our guide school we'll be rafting two or more of Oregon's best day-trip rivers. (Our primary focus will be the the Clackamas river, but we will supplement this with runs on the North Santiam and/or Deschutes rivers as well.)  Convenient access points, proximity to our guide house, and car-accessible riverside camps allow for considerable program flexibility. As a result we can choose our river and stretch of river in accordance with the needs of our students and in light of springtime's changeable weather and water levels.
 

Curriculum

O.R.E.'s Guide School provides a hands-on experience. Dry land and on-river instruction cover a comprehensive array of skills and topics. Our Instructors begin by explaining the basics and teach by example. The emphasis throughout is on learning by doing, so students will be actively involved in every learning experience, from cooking with a Dutch oven to paddle captaining to river rescue to rowing a gear raft.

Our curriculum includes

River Skills

• River dynamics: understanding the way rivers flow ("reading water")
   
• Raft setup and rigging
   
• Rowing skills
   
• Paddling skills 
   
• Paddle captaining techniques
   
• River safety 
   
• Swiftwater rescue techniques
   
• Knot tying

Off-river and Camp Skills

• River ecology and minimum impact camping techniques
   
• Menu planning and camp cooking
   
• Equipment selection, repair and maintenance

Professional Skills

• Trip leadership and group development
   
• Interpretive and instructional skills
   
• Permits, regulations, and guide responsibilities

And more!

If you have any questions about our Guide School or about working as a river guide please feel free to contact us. We can be reached by phone, mail, e-mail or fax.

Recommended Reading

The O.R.E. Guide School Handbook, and  The Complete Whitewater Rafter, by Jeff Bennett will be provided to all students. We also recommend:

For a detailed introduction to river rescue and safety -

Whitewater Rescue Manual, by Charles Walbridge and Wayne Sundmacher. Ragged Mountain Press, (1995).

River Rescue, Slim Ray and Les Bechdel, Appalachian Mountain Club. (1997).

Also worth a look, if you can find a copy -

What the River Says by Jeff Wallach. Blue Heron Publishing. (1996). (Stories of life on the river from a guide’s perspective.)  (Out of print.)