Oregon Rafting & Mountaineering
Navigate the mountains, rivers and volcanic canyons of Oregon’s Central Cascades on these 15 and 21 day expeditions.
This expedition will take you 97 miles through the beautiful desert river corridor of the Deschutes River, carved through volcanic basalt and schist. You’ll get to experience wild and scenic environments that the Deschutes River is known for as it flows from the snowcapped Central Cascades to the Columbia River basin. Traveling down river for the first six days of the course, you will learn paddle captaining skills, river hydrology, river safety, teamwork, campsite set-up, backcountry cooking and Leave No Trace principles.
During the second half of the course, you will hike into the Central Cascades. Volcanoes dot the spine of the Cascade Mountains, rising over 10,000 feet above the forests, lakes, and rivers of the surrounding region. These glaciated peaks run north and south and create perfect mountaineering objectives for this course. Building on the skills of teamwork, communication and leadership that you developed on the river, you will begin preparing for your peak attempt by learning backpacking skills including on and off trail travel, map and compass navigation, and campsite selection. In progression, you will learn basic mountaineering skills like route finding, snow travel, ice axe use, and potentially technical travel. In late July through August, snow and glacier travel is less likely, though may be traded for fixed-line travel over rock. Please note that peak attempts are dependent upon variables such as weather, group dynamic and course length.
UPCOMING COURSES
This course is closed for the season. 2020 courses coming soon.
Rafting
Students will travel on the river, for four to seven days in four to six person paddle rafts, and learn to “captain” (maneuver) their paddle raft team through Class II to Class IV rapids. After lessons in basic river travel and safety, students progress to learning to read currents, anticipate obstacles, scout rapids, and negotiate technical portions of the river. Students will also learn river hydrology, swimming in currents, paddle techniques and expeditionary travel. While on the rafting expedition, there may also be an opportunity for short day hikes.
Mountaineering
The mountaineering section of this course moves through high mountain terrain and focuses on preparation for a peak attempt that may require the use of ropes, technical equipment and possibly rock climbing. Each day presents a different focus, with ample time for experiential learning. The instructor-to-student ratio is never more than 1:5 during this section, allowing for personal coaching on the physical techniques of mountaineering, as well as catering the curriculum to the specific interests and aptitudes of individual course participants.
Service
Service to others and to the environment is a core value of Outward Bound and is integrated into each course. Groups follow Leave No Trace ethics as part of their service to the environment and engage in acts of service while leading and supporting fellow students. Seeing the impact of their actions firsthand, students develop an ingrained appreciation of service and transfer this desire to serve their communities back home.
Solo
In order for profound learning to take place, students need time to reflect on their experience, and Solo is that opportunity. The Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. With sufficient food and equipment, students will set up camp at sites of their own, using the wilderness skills learned during the first portions of the course. The amount of time students spend on Solo is based on length of course, weather, student condition, age, and Instructor preference. Solo campsites are chosen to offer as much solitude as possible (yet be within emergency whistle-signaling distance of other group members). Most students spend their Solo time journaling, drawing, reflecting, thinking and resting as they process lessons of the course to focus on their goals for the future. Instructors check on each student at regular intervals, as safety is always the top priority.
Course Area
Deschutes River, Oregon
The Deschutes River is part of the national Wild & Scenic Rivers System. The river flows north from the Oregon Cascades to the Columbia River and then on to the Pacific Ocean. The Lower Deschutes is a popular river for both whitewater rafting and fly fishing. The river is spring-fed, which results in an unusually constant, cold-water flow year-round. Excellent geologic evidence is present all around this area. Courses generally travel anywhere from 50 to 100 miles along the Lower Deschutes. The rapids on the Deschutes, rated up to Class IV, are mostly Class II-III, and are excellent for learning paddle skills and teamwork. The group camps each night along the banks of the river. The Deschutes region has a colorful human history, including the presence of a railroad that borders much of the length of the Lower Deschutes.
Central Cascades, Oregon
The Central Cascade Range is home to the Three Sisters, Broken Top, Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, and Mt. Jefferson. Four 10,000 foot glaciated volcanoes are present in this course area, with a total of nine major volcanoes. One can find a unique blend of dry east side and wet west side weather conditions which allow diverse types of vegetation to flourish. The area has a complex geologic history that continues today. Active glaciers methodically carve away the mountains and the dramatic traces of avalanches that altered the landscape can be found throughout.
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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.
