I want to share a great source for developing your skills! Outdoor leadership is different. What works at a Troop meeting or in the boardroom does not always translate well on a week-long backpacking or canoeing trip. Scouting offers great administrative training and valuable supplemental training in outdoor skills and safety. What we don’t have is a comprehensive training […]
High Adventure
Podcast 263 – Wilderness First Aid
Wilderness First Aid is highly recommended, but when is it required? In this week’s podcast we’ll do our best to tell you when wilderness first aid training is required (although it’s just good common sense too!) , I’ll also answer questions about uniforms, the effective date a Scout earns a rank, and how Venturing Crews use the patrol method. […]
Podcast 253 – Shared Expecations
When a Scout takes on a position of responsibility… … we’ll discuss and agree on a set of shared expectations, and begin what will be an open dialog for their tenure in that position. Reconciling what a Scout did or did not do before a Scoutmaster took on the role is one of the things we’ll […]
Scouts Survive Boundary Waters Canoe Mishap
On Thursday June 12th a group of Scouts on a trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness with the Northern Tier High Adventure Program were rescued by helicopter after their canoes capsized in a storm. Everyone survived, there were no major injuries. I study incidents like this carefully because our troop has been doing canoe treks in […]
An Ontario Scouting Adventure
John Wiebke Scoutmaster of Troop 358 in Zionsville, Indiana, shares his summer plans (and what great plans they are!) Nothing makes the winter pass quicker than looking forward to a great summer adventure! Every other year our troop travels to Ontario, Canada, for summer camp at Haliburton Scout Reservation (three hours north of Toronto on Lake Kennabi) […]
What Would You Do? Wilderness Emergencies
Most wilderness emergencies are avoidable, but, if you spend enough time in the outdoors, one will likely come your way. What will you do? Studying scenarios and reports is a one way to sharpen your outdoor leadership skills. Canoe guru Kevin Callan is the author of 11 books, including the Paddler’s Guide series and The […]
Tell Me about Your High Adventure Trip
It’s time for show and tell! What high adventure trip did your Scouts participate in this summer? ( I am sure the Jamboree was great, but I am looking for reports on wilderness treks) Where did you go? How was the trip? Have any pictures? Answer in the comments below (you can include links to […]
What is a Scout Vacation?
A Scout vacation doesn’t fit most people’s definition of a ‘vacation’. We were out walking uptown at our hometown art stroll last night talking to our friends (most of them present or past Scouts and Scouters). We chatted about the usual things; how the kids are doing, vacations, the weather. One couple was headed off […]
Taking Scouts Caving
Taking Scouts caving is a popular, adventurous and exciting activity, but it’s not something to approach casually. The National Speleological Society, A volunteer organization dedicated to the study, exploration, and conservation of caves has made it clear that untrained, unprepared cave explorers endanger themselves and cause irreversible damage to fragile cave environments. Access to wild […]
ScoutCircle – Kandersteg International Scout Center
Here’s Arlen Ward and I discussing Kandersteg International Scout Center on the most recent ScoutCircle. I’ll be returning there next Summer and I encourage you to look into the possibility of taking your Scouts. If you are interested in arranging a trip I’d be happy to help. Kandersteg is a picture postcard town in the Bernese Oberland […]
Satellite Phone Rental for Wilderness Travel
We depend on satellite phone rental for emergency communications during our annual high adventure canoe trips. Since we’ll be travelling out of cell phone range we want some way to contact help if needed. There are a number of technologies available but a satellite phone is the only one that enables two-way voice communication If you look around you’ll find a […]
High Adventure Canoe Trip 4 – The Kitchen
On our high adventure canoe trip each crew packs and cooks food for a group of five to nine Scouts. Our menu is a combination of freeze dried and grocery store food that keeps the cost reasonable while providing good nutrition and good eating. After making adjustments to our menus and the kit we assembled to prepare it over […]
High Adventure Plans
If you read and listen regularly you know I am a big promoter of High Adventure in Scouting. How are your plans for your next high adventure trip coming along? That’s right, you, how are the plans coming along? Here’s a few reasons why most of us don’t even get started: It’s too expensive. No, […]
Tahosa High Adventure Base
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Tahosa Alpine Adventure is true back country mountaineering. Backpack thirty to fifty miles in the Indian Peaks Wilderness with a trained guide while learning all about mountaineering skills and practices. Rock climb in a true back country environment, glissade down snow fields in July, learn about weather patterns, summit peaks of over 13,000 […]
Camp Del Webb High Adventure
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Philmont style High Adventure Treks and Stake Encampment features. Slot canyoneering and Bicycling the top trails of Brian Head are two of the most requested side trips that can be built into the program for the units. Areas such as Mountain Men, Rappelling, Aquatics, Mountain Biking and Canyoneering areas all have a different […]
Group Air Travel – A Saga
In August fifteen of our Scouts and leaders are off to visit Kandersteg International Scout Center in Switzerland. We started planning and raising money last spring. Lots of research has gone into constructing a budget, planning the trip and making reservations. There is very little reliable information to be found about group air travel and the rules seem […]
Lenhok’sin High Adventure – Goshen Scout Reservation
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Backpacking, Climbing, Kayaking, Cycling At Goshen Scout Reservation crews backpack from outpost to outpost on mountain trails on a schedule they choose. Program outposts include forge, caving, rock climbing, mountain biking, mountain man, civil war, and lumber jack. Crews arrive on Sunday and leave on Saturday. Crews visit 3-4 outposts and do one night of ‘primitive’ camping. In […]
Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Some people have called our High Adventure Program at Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch a “Little Philmont”. We think our program has as much to offer in a smaller, more secluded setting. One of the big differences is that you won’t be hiking on trails that are more than knee-deep or running into many crowds […]
Latimer High Adventure Reservation
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Climbing and Rappelling from several heights ranging from 50 feet to 110 feet Mountain Biking on a 10.2 mile trail with elevation changes of over 600 feet Shooting Sports with rifle, pistol and shotgun Whitewater Rafting on the Oocee River Sailing and canoeing on our 21 acre lake Backpacking All Treks at Latimer […]
Manistee Quest – Northern Michigan
PROGRAM OVERVIEW The trek or “quest” is a 5-day and 4-night excursion that will follow the North Country National Scenic Trail with optional rendezvous with the Muskegon, Pere Marquette, Pine, or Manistee Rivers for day or overnight float trips. All treks will be accompanied by a trained Owasippe trail guide. Two of the above-mentioned rivers […]
Hanna Venture Base
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Hanna Venture Base offers week-long treks catered to what your group wants to accomplish. From kayaking in the Apostle Islands to backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains, Hanna Venture Base welcomes all that strive for the ultimate challenge of experiencing the outdoors. No trip is impossible if your Scouts have the imagination and courage […]
High Adventure Facts and Myths
Conversations of high adventure trips usually center on the B.S.A’s popular and heavily promoted big three – Philmont, Seabase and Northern Tier. Council high adventure programs usua;;y focus on putting crews together for trips to these three destinations but there are hundreds (if not thousands) of other places for Scouts to experience a high adventure trip. […]
Sail School Bahamas
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Sail School Bahamas runs a superb range of sailing adventures for Scouts that offer excellent value for money. Your group can learn how to sail while traveling from island to island in the Sea of Abaco in the beautiful northern Bahamas. Our main focus is ensuring you have FUN, so each morning you can […]
Floodwood Mountain Scout Reservation
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Canoeing Sailing Backpacking Climbing Waterskiing Floodwood Mountain Scout Reservation is a high adventure base located in Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks. It is owned by the Northern New Jersey Council, Boy Scouts of America. Floodwood specializes in hiking and canoeing treks. Floodwood itself is a base camp from which canoeing and hiking treks […]
