Packrafting 101

Day 1

The course departs central Queenstown at 8am and together we'll make our way up to the Northern end of Lake Whakatipu and into the Rees Valley. From here we will run through the art of packing for a packrafting journey, the gear you’ll need and that which should be left behind. With bags on backs we will move up the Rees Valley getting experience with river crossing and river hydrology before having lunch and transitioning into river mode. Please ensure you have enough snacks and some lunch with you, this walking is hungry work!

You’ll now learn how to rig your packraft safely and paddle effectively and efficiently on a wilderness river. Learning the way of braided rivers we will move down the Rees, gaining experience in river navigation, hazards and group management. In the heat of the afternoon, we’ll learn how to recover from a spill and to help others when they have had unintentional swum. 

Accomodation and Food

While this trip doesn’t include accommodation, we pass 12 Mile campground (DoC) and Mrs Wooly’s campground (private) on the way to and from the Rees each day, and we can pick you up and drop you off - upon request. Please make sure you bring adequate food and snacks for the course. 

Day 2

We will build on your river skills and get experience in whitewater! To prepare you for this new chapter we will start the day with a deep dive on river hydrology, what makes rivers tick and how best to navigate them. We’ll get onto the water and further our paddle repertoire and learning a new suite of techniques. You will complete the puzzle with an introduction to rescue skills before graduating on a "mini-expedition" travelling down the river, running exercises, scouting, managing the group and finding how widely you can smile!. 

Equipment

We encourage you to bring as much of your own equipment as possible so you get used to the gear you will use in the real world - this is especially true of your rescue gear. We do however understand that this is a "try before you buy" for many people and folks may not have gear yet. We are very happy to supply equipment for a nominal fee. The reason we charge a small fee is to encourage students to take ownership of the equipment used during the course and mitigate against the occasional loss and damage of our kit. This nominal fee ($40 per day) can be used towards any equipment purchases made through us after the course. We will also show a range of gear, so you know which flavour of packrafting suits you.