Spend your whole summer in Alaska’s wilderness. Over 75 days, you’ll sea kayak through Prince William Sound, backpack across remote tundra, and learn mountaineering skills on glaciated peaks. Three sections, three skill sets, and nearly three months of living entirely in the backcountry under Alaska’s midnight sun.

Photo credit: Mauricio Clauzet

The order of sections varies by course. You’ll spend roughly 25 days sea kayaking 75-150 miles along pristine coastline, through fjords and past tidewater glaciers, surrounded by marine wildlife. You’ll learn paddle strokes, coastal navigation, tides and currents, and risk management. The backpacking section covers 90-115 miles of off-trail travel through the Talkeetna or Alaska Range, navigating tundra, river crossings, and steep terrain while carrying 45-55 pounds. The mountaineering section takes you onto glaciers in the Alaska, Chugach, or Wrangell Mountains, where you’ll learn rope-team travel, crevasse rescue, ice axe and crampon use, and route-finding on snow and ice.

Photo credit: Dave Hill

Expect highly variable weather throughout each section that can change quickly from hot sunshine to rain or snow. This course demands a lot, but your attitude, along with the community you help build, will carry you through challenging moments.

As your skills build, you may travel independently without instructors—first for a day at a time, then potentially for a multi-day student expedition during the backpacking section. You’ll leave with technical skills across three disciplines, leadership experience in remote environments, and bonds formed through months of shared challenge in Alaska’s wildest landscapes.

Photo credit: Liz Schultz