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.
Follow the adventure
Sometimes, Pico is a simple walk up. Other times, it is a rugged ascent through rain into freezing, windy, whiteout conditions. Follow Dale, Evan, Frances, Ian, Mark and Paige’s journey as they work together to meet whatever weather shows up.
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Technical training
How to safely conduct adventure activities
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Event planning
All you need to organize your adventure
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"What-if" skills
Be prepared with skills to manage emergencies—as a first step, take wilderness first aid
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Adventure resources
How to get there, what to do when you arrive
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In-field coaching
Help managing the adventure you’re in
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
