Learn to Packraft for Beginners: 2-3 Day Courses

Learn to Packraft Course: 2-3 Day Beginner Courses

Animas River 2-Day Course - Durango, CO

From 10a.m.-4:30p.m. over two days, you’ll learn basic paddle and river reading techniques on the Animas River on up to Class II rapids. We’ll teach you what you need to know to enhance your existing backcountry skill set.

This Packraft Instruction course is for adventurers wanting to learn basic packrafting skills, from paddling and reading rivers to overnight adventuring. 

Acquire the packrafting skills you need to embark on your own exciting adventures! Through this Packrafting course, we seek to offer opportunities that, “get you on the edge of your own reality to feel things you’ve never experienced,” as FCG co-founder Steve “Doom” Fassbinder says. And we work hard to enhance your existing backcountry skills so you can do bigger and more exciting bike and packraft adventures, while at the same time pushing you just a bit further so you can, “find out what you’re really made of.”

We feel certain you’ll walk away from this course with a deeper sense of enjoyment for both living in and utilizing human-powered tools to pass through remote landscapes. We want your experience to be the milestone in your life that you measure everything else up to.

Get 10% off your adventure with the coupon code: TripOutside10!

Animas & Dolores 3-Day River Course + Overnight Excursion

This Learn to Packraft Course is for adventurers who want to learn packrafting skills in whitewater, from paddling skills to caching eddies to reading rivers and to applying those skills on an overnight adventure.

On your first day of this Basic Packrafting Skills course you’ll meet your guide from 10a.m.-4p.m. in Durango for a day of training on the Animas River. And then you’ll then practice your skills in the backcountry on an overnight excursion on the San Miguel and/or Dolores rivers. No packrafting experience required. But basic backcountry skills are necessary. Can you cook your own food and set up your own tent? If so, this course is for you.

Get 10% off your adventure with the coupon code: TripOutside10!

About Four Corners Guides

Our self-supported, low-impact bikerafting and packrafting courses are geared toward that subset of adventurers who prefer human-powered adventures, where they have a limited impact on the environment and a low-carbon footprint. While we do drive to get to a start point for an adventure, our goal with everything we do is to do more adventure with less stuff. We hope you can take what you learn back to your “normal” life. We also seek to show you less crowded corners of the Four Corners region.

Popular Four Corners destinations like Moab and Durango are busy. You can’t go anywhere even in the backcountry without seeing people. We cater to those of you who don’t mind suffering a bit in order to find more solitude. The terrain in the Four Corners is complicated, remote and rugged. We believe if we give you a safe, but difficult and engaging extraordinary experience, we may change your life and enhance your reverence for and understanding of this landscape.

Instructors

Course instructors are certified American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors, have Swiftwater Safety Certification and are certified Wilderness First Responders. 

Our instructors are early adopters of packrafting that have led many expeditions and courses across the American Southwest.

What Customers Love About Four Corners Guides

Reviews from customers are overwhelmingly positive about their experiences with Four Corners Guides, highlighting several key aspects they loved:

• Expert Instruction: Guides like Steve, Dan, Ben, and Doom are praised for their expertise in packrafting and biking, providing personalized instruction that caters to various skill levels.
• Comprehensive Courses: The courses are comprehensive, covering everything from basic techniques to self-rescue, and even packraft repair and expedition planning.
• Practical and Hands-On Learning: Participants appreciate the practical, hands-on approach to learning, with opportunities to practice in real river conditions and receive immediate feedback.
• Small Class Sizes: The small class sizes are a significant plus, allowing for one-on-one attention and a better learning environment.
• Delicious Food: The food provided during the multi-day courses is plentiful and delicious, satisfying even the hungriest of adventurers.
• Safety and Comfort: Safety is a top priority, with guides ensuring that participants are comfortable and secure, even when pushing them out of their comfort zones.
• Adventure and Mindfulness: The experiences are described as not only adventurous but also akin to a mindfulness retreat, offering a chance to connect with nature and like-minded individuals.
• Cultural and Environmental Respect: There is an appreciation for the respectful approach to the land and local culture, especially on trips through areas like the Ute Mountain Tribal Park.
• Personal Growth: Participants report significant improvement in their skills and confidence, enabling them to tackle more challenging adventures.
• Hospitality: The hospitality of hosts Doom and Lizzy is frequently mentioned, making guests feel welcome and well-cared-for throughout their stay.

What's Included

This course includes instruction, an open packraft, PFD, paddle, helmet, and (for the overnight excursion course) permits and camping fees.

Not Included

Drysuit, whitewater boat, lodging, shuttling or food.

You will need a drysuit for at least the first day of this trip. Rent drysuits locally at 4CornersRiversports.com (they only have four), or get a 15% discount if you order them online at BackcountryPackraft.com (we will give you the discount code once you pay your deposit).

For the overnight excursion course, you can add backcountry meals to your course when you book. You must be able to get yourself to the river put ins and take outs on Day 1, and we’ll work together on the shuttling for Days 2 & 3. We do not provide whitewater boats, drysuits, river knives, whistles or throw bags.

Dates Offered

• May 4th - 6th 2024: 3-Day Course + Overnight Expedition on the Animas & Dolores Rivers
• June 8th - 9th 2024: 2-Day Course on the Animas River
• July 20th - 21st 2024: 2-Day Course on the Animas River
• OR - create your own course and customize your dates - contact Four Corners Guides for more information!

What You Will Learn

We base this instructional courses on confidence and skill progression. The course starts with the basics. And then we push you a little harder as the days progress, tailoring the experience to your own personal abilities.

Beginners will learn basics paddling skills and river reading techniques such as:

• ✓Equipment (use and care)
• ✓Swimming and general water confidence
• ✓Self-rescue & buddy assistance
• ✓Dealing with currents
• ✓Aggressive & defensive swimming position
• ✓Decision making
• ✓Hazards & river dynamics
• ✓Basic paddle strokes
• ✓Using eddies
• ✓River commands
• ✓Spacing on the river

3-Day Course Participants Will Also Learn:

• ✓Swift water entry
• ✓River commands
• ✓Field repair-tips & tricks
• ✓How to pack light for backcountry packraft adventures

FAQs

What is the minimum number of people needed to do a course?

We may book a course with a minimum of two people. However, we reserve the right to add additional people to those small courses if all have similar abilities, skills and fitness levels. Our margins are tight. We don’t make money on courses with only two people. If you wish to have a private, one- or two-person course, please let us know in advance, as the price is higher.

What do I do with my poop in the backcountry?

We follow strict principles of leaving nothing behind. When camping in group sites we will use pit toilets when provided. On all dispersed backcountry bikepacking and packrafting trips, guests must dig six-inch deep cat holes no less than 300 feet away from any water source, campsite or trail, unless regulated otherwise, in which case approved wag bags will be used and all solid (fecal) matter will be carried out. On the river we will follow all regulations regarding human waste. I.e. we will use wag bags and hard-sided containers. No guest or guide will ever burn toilet paper or garbage. All toilet paper and hygiene products will be packed out.

What safety precautions are taken?

All our guides have Swiftwater Safety Certification and are certified Wilderness First Responders. Head Guide Steve Fassbinder has additional swiftwater and Kayak Instruction training. Guides will always bring a comprehensive first aid kit(s), appropriate for the length of trip and number of people. We have a Comprehensive Risk Management Plan that includes an Emergency Evacuation Plan. Plus, our guides will teach you about and regularly remind you to consider the following hazards:

1. Heatstroke and dehydration can easily shut down your tour and ruin your experience. We encourage you and will remind you to both bring and drink plenty of water, to eat snacks throughout the day, and to wear hats and sunscreen to minimize sun exposure. We will make plenty of water available to you, and our water sources will be scouted in advance.
2. You may also experience dramatic weather events. For this reason, we require that you bring sufficient warm, synthetic or wool clothing and waterproof rain layers.
3. Rattle snake bites are rare, but can happen.
4. You will be traveling over rough, uneven terrain; roots, rocks and sand are inherent to biking and hiking to and from the water’s edge to camp. You must always wear helmets (and gloves season/weather dependent) while riding.
5. For all packrafting and bikerafting courses, you must respect the power of both flat and running water. Strainers, rocks and swims in cold rivers can make your trip go bad quickly, as can swims in cold lakes due to powerful winds tipping boats over. You must always wear your PFD on the water, a helmet if there are rapids, and weather/season dependent, a dry or wet suit.