wild.ca - Core Elements

Element #1 - Wilderness First Responder	8 Days (72hrs)
Certified through SOLO, the Wilderness First Responder course (WFR) is considered to be the international standard in first aid for outdoor professionals. The WFR curriculum uses the principles of long-term patient care, improvised resources and varying environmental conditions as the framework for learning.Course highlights include: Patient Assessment, medicolegal concerns, blood borne pathogens and infectious disease, trauma and medical emergencies, environmental hazards such as hypothermia and heat injuries, long term patient management, improvisational skills, basic search and rescue, patient packaging and evacuation techniques, dislocations/reductions, spinal assessment/clearance, advanced wound management, CPR certifications and protocols as well as practical simulations and mock scenarios to optimize learning opportunities. The WFR course is fast paced and both physically and mentally challenging.Created to provide outdoor leaders and guides with the knowledge and skills necessary to deal with crises in remote settings, the WFR course meets and exceeds all licensing standards in Canada and most DOT (Department of Transportation) standards in the US for outdoor guides/professionals and emergency care givers.
Element #2 - Level 1 Kayak Course	2 Days
Certified through Whitewater Ontario, the level one (beginner) whitewater kayaking course introduces students to the technical skills, strokes and maneuvers necessary to successfully navigate class I-II whitewater. Special emphasis is placed on river safety and group management. Proficiency level A
Element #3 - Whitewater Rescue Technician - Level 1	3 Days
Certified by Rescue 3 International, the Whitewater Rescue Technician level one (WRT 1) course is the internationally recognized standard for river rescue formerly called the SRT level 1 program. Paramount for whitewater professionals, this course is a comprehensive, competency based program designed to help rescuers aid others and at the same time help themselves. The WRT 1 course highlights the evolution of low to high risk rescue techniques and emphasizes self, team and victim rescue. Students will be taught to understand swiftwater dynamics, handle swiftwater hazards and obstacles, control in-water contact rescues, communicate effectively with endangered persons and set up simple technical rope systems. The course builds the necessary skills and confidence to perform safe and effective rescues.

Element #4 - Riverboard Trip Leader	1 Day
Riverboarding is an emerging whitewater sport gaining momentum in eastern North America. Riverboarding first originated in New Zealand and is known as "Hydrospeed" across Europe. As a whitewater discipline it is the simplest in technique, however, riverboarding has the potential for the most serious consequences. Instruction in proper technique, equipment issues, safety precautions, in-water group management and river running procedures is the emphasis of this one day course.
Element #5 - Raft Guide Training Course	3 Days
This 3 day course is structured around the instruction of technical strokes, maneuvers, river knowledge, river safety and group leadership pertaining to paddle guided, 14 ft. rafts. Students are taught the necessary skills to enable them to competently guide class II whitewater with confidence. Group/Team leadership strategies (i.e.: soft skills) are introduced and practiced within the non-threatening environment of their peers.
Element #6 and #7 - ORCA Moving Water Certification / Wilderness Canoe Expedition	10 Days
Certified by the Ontario Recreational Canoeing Association (ORCA), this course is designed to give students the opportunity to plan, organize and execute a multi-day whitewater (class II-III) canoe expedition. The 2003 WILD Canoe Expedition will take place on the Rupert River. Instructors will provide dry land instruction in route planning, meal planning, equipment issues and packing. Students will receive on-water instruction in basic strokes, techniques and maneuvers for flatwater and whitewater canoeing. This multi-day course is structurally organized by the students thereby giving them the opportunity to apply the river knowledge, safety and group management skill that they have acquired up to this point. Instructors are present to act as a resource for skill development as well as for safety.

Element #8 - Kayak Level 2	3 Days
Certified by Whitewater Ontario, the level two (intermediate) kayak course will assist students to go beyond the basic fundamentals of kayaking and to utilize more advanced river running strategies. The emphasis of the course is to develop the necessary skills and techniques to confidently paddle class III whitewater. Students will work on "bombproofing" their roll in both flatwater and whitewater as well as developing their offside roll. "Play boating", trip dynamics, advanced stroke development and simple boat based rescues are important elements of the course. WO Proficiency Level B
Element #9 - Guide Training Level 2	3 Days
The level two (intermediate) Guide Training course will assist students to go beyond the basic fundamentals of Guiding and to utilize more advanced river running strategies. Students will gain a solid foundation of experience while guiding class III rivers of the Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Further training in commercial rafts will enable students to apply these leadership skills and gain confidence with their in-boat team management.
Element #10 - International River Expedition	29 Days
This four week Element combines river experiences in the United States and Mexico. Students are able to apply their river skills developed on Canadian rivers on a variety of rivers across the eastern United States and central Mexico. Students will paddle in challenging locations such as the Youghiogheny River (Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania), the Gauley River (West Virginia), the New River (West Virginia), the Ocoee River (Tennessee) and the Natahala Outdoor Center (N. Carolina), Las Cascadas de Micos (San Louis Potasi, Mexico), Rio Santa Maria (San Louis Potasi, Mexico) and the Rio Filo-Bobos (Veracruz, Mexico). This Element provides students with international exposure to different river volumes, gradients and cultures.
Element #11 - Advanced Guide Training	5 Days
The advanced guides course builds upon the skills acquired from Elements 5 and 9. Whereas in Elements 5 and 9 the emphasis was on "day trip" raft guiding techniques, the advanced guides training course concentrates on multi-day/multi-sport guiding. Students will learn advanced river running skills, advanced safety procedures, trip dynamics and group management in continuous class III-IV whitewater, boat pins and wraps, multi-day trip packing/logistics, cultural sensitivity, ecological awareness and sustainable tourism. This course will serve as an introduction to the logistics and philosophical goals behind "international adventure travel". Students should, upon completion of the advanced guides course, have achieved the necessary skill level to achieve the "Guide Class III" award level from the International Rafting Federation (IRF).
Element #12 - Advanced Whitewater Rescue (WRT 2)	2 Days
Certified by Rescue 3 International, the Whitewater Rescue Technician Level 2 (WRT 2) course teaches advanced applications of river rescue. Essential for leaders within the whitewater industry, this course emphasizes victim rescue and recovery and sharpens the rescue skills taught in WRT 1 within a more difficult and hazardous environments. Horizontal rope systems are adapted to vertical situations and techniques for rescue and recovery management are explored. Incident command structures are studied and applied during a limited visibility night search.

Element #13 - Kayaking Level 3	5 Days
The level three (advanced) kayak course is a technical course centered on skill development in continuous class III-IV whitewater. Techniques for steep drops, boulder "boofs" and "read and run" scouting are applied on rivers such as the Pescados and the Barranca Grande. Rodeo play boating techniques such as stern squirts, cartwheels and flat spins are perfected along with more advanced in-boat and shore based rescue techniques such as vertical pins.
Element #14 Kayak Instructors Course	2 Days
Certified by Whitewater Ontario, the Level 1 Moving Water Instructor course is designed to give successful candidates a solid grasp of fundamental teaching techniques, risk management, professionalism and technical skill development. Instructional time will be divided between on-water practicals and classroom theory sessions. Candidates are continually evaluated on their technical knowledge, teaching technique, paddling and rescue skills.
Element #15 Oaxaca River Expedition	5 Days
Self-Guided Expedition. The final self-guided expedition is the ultimate evaluation! Your full range of skills will be put to the test as you execute this expedition. Over the final week, WILD students will plan, organize and run a multi-day expedition with your instructors available solely as a reference and safety back up. You will be making decisions and choices as a group, learning from each other and the river. This river expedition will take place on the Copalita River and will include 1 day of rafting, 1 day of cascading, 1 day of kayaking and 1 day of ocean surfing.