Welcome to the Center for Adventure Leadership

Our mission is to train adults, 18-80+ to be safe and effective adventure leaders for youth. Kids need real adventure, and they need adults who support, inspire and keep them safe.

Adventure travel—and the leadership skills to make it happen—takes time and commitment. Let us help you get started.

Our technical skills training, leadership development and ongoing coaching will help you plan and pursue the right adventure for your experience level. We’ll walk with you every step on your path to new skills and confidence.

Soon you will be entirely self-guided, exploring the world with the people you most care about, on your own terms. Your new abilities will be with you always, supporting your leadership of others, as well as your own adventures you pursue just for you.

  • Technical training

    How to safely conduct adventure activities

  • Event planning

    All you need to organize your adventure

  • "What-if" skills

    Be prepared with skills to manage emergencies—as a first step, take wilderness first aid

  • Adventure resources

    How to get there, what to do when you arrive

  • In-field coaching

    Help managing the adventure you’re in

  • Backcountry travel

    Upon completion of Backcountry Leadership Training, you will be ready to lead a weeklong backpacking trip in the Cascade, Olympic or Rockies mountains.

    You’ll learn core technical backpacking skills required for wilderness travel and camping through a combination of classroom sessions, field days, and overnight trips.

    We’ll provide you with the planning tools for backcountry trips, with a special focus on how to work with teenagers and to facilitate groups. We’ll teach you the strategies for decision-making and risk management in backcountry and in low angle environments (that is, not climbing).

  • Mountaineering

    Upon completion of Mountaineering Leadership Training, you will be ready to lead an ascent of a glaciated volcano in the Pacific Northwest.

    You’ll learn core technical mountaineering skills required for glacier travel and camping through a combination of classroom sessions, field days, and overnight trips.

    We’ll provide you with the planning tools for alpine trips, with a special focus on how to work with teenagers and to facilitate groups. We’ll teach you the strategies for decision-making and risk management in alpine environments.

  • Sea kayaking

    Upon completion of Sea Kayak Leadership Training, you will be ready to lead a weeklong kayaking trip in the San Juans Islands or South Puget Sound areas.

    You’ll learn core sea kayaking skills required for safe open water travel, camping and trip management in inland marine environments through a combination of classroom sessions, field days, and overnight trips.

    We’ll provide you with the planning tools for sea kakaking trips, with a special focus on how to work with teenagers and to facilitate groups. We’ll teach you the strategies for decision-making and risk management in inland marine environments.

  • Whitewater rafting

    Upon completion of Whitewater Rafting Leadership Training, you will be ready to lead a multi-day whitewater rafting trip on the Deschutes or Lower Salmon Rivers.

    You’ll learn technical whitewater rafting skills required for up to Class III river travel and camping through a combination of classroom sessions, field days, and overnight trips.

    We’ll provide you with the planning tools for whitewater rafting trips, with a special focus on how to work with teenagers and to facilitate groups. We’ll teach you the strategies for decision-making and risk management in a Class III reiver environment.

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