Maine Northwoods Canoeing & Rock Climbing
Leave busy daily life behind traveling the remote waterways of the northeast wilderness on this 15-day whitewater canoeing and rock climbing expedition.
This is your opportunity to seek fresh challenges in a unique wilderness environment and an intense team setting. As you move through mountains, lakes and rivers, learn to camp and travel simply, relying on each other and what you can carry with you. Acquire beginning, intermediate and advanced skills in lake navigation, paddling technique, river hydrology, woods craftsmanship, weather observation, climbing site safety, risk management and campsite set up. Engage in regular group discussions, reflect on each day’s progress and ensure that leadership and responsibilities are shared so that every crew member is part of planning each day. As you live and work closely together, you’ll learn far more than wilderness travel skills. The habits learned and strengthened on this expedition will serve students for life.
NOTE: Outward Bound strongly recommends that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 and up to date as defined by the CDC prior to arriving to their course start. For all open enrollment courses beginning on or after April 15, 2023, Outward Bound will no longer require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For questions regarding this policy please see this page or call us at 866-467-7651.
UPCOMING COURSES
This course is closed for the season.
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JOIN WAITLIST
Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
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COURSE IS FULL
When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED
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Wilderness canoe expedition skills are the mark of a New England outdoorsperson. In the heart of Maine’s Northwoods are networks of remote lakes and rivers that flow through a five million acre forest. Students learn to maneuver canoes using paddle strokes such as the sweep, draw, pry and J-stroke. To get from one waterway into another, the group will portage (carry the canoes on their shoulders) and line (guide the loaded canoe down the sides of unrunnable rapids). On whitewater, students practice swimming in rapids (so they will know what to do in the event of a capsize) and learn whitewater strokes, river reading skills, route finding and rescue techniques. Whitewater sections like “Seboomook,” “The Sluice,” “Surprise,” and “The Maze” test students’ draw, cross-draw and bracing techniques. Upstream travel is achieved by “poling,” another traditional means of travel that involves propelling a canoe upstream using a 12 foot long setting pole. In learning to work, communicate well and coordinate efforts with their paddling partners each day, students discover the power of people truly working together
Among the waterways of the Maine Northwoods are many granite cliffs, known locally as “Half Dome” and “Big Moose.” The group will learn to use climbing equipment, tie knots, climb and belay each other while Instructors provide overall supervision of the site. Climbing hones and develops balance, coordination, flexibility and grace on the rock. Climbing presents many individual challenges for the group, while the team must work together to set systems up.
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Getting Started
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.