Let’s face it—venturing into the great outdoors requires more than just an awesome sense of adventure. It’s important to have the right outdoor skills to navigate it, whether you’re backcountry camping, hiking, rock climbing, or engaging in any other outdoor activity. From knowing how to read a map and pitch a tent to understanding wildlife behaviour and practicing Leave No Trace principles, mastering these skills is essential for a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience.
That’s where Uplift Adventures comes in. Our mission is to not only lead you on unforgettable outdoor experiences (though there’s plenty of that, too!) but also to equip you with essential and practical outdoor skills that will empower you to explore nature with confidence and competence.
Here are just eight of the valuable outdoor skills you can gain by joining our informative courses:
- How to go rock climbing outdoors: Whether you’ve already tried and loved indoor rock climbing, or want to jump right into rock climbing outdoors, our Intro to Outdoor Rock Climbing course is your perfect next step to conquer real rock. This course introduces you to the fundamentals of climbing technique, safety protocols, and essential gear. You’ll learn how to tie knots, belay a partner, and make confident moves on the rock face, all under the watchful eye of our certified instructors.
All climbing gear, safety equipment, and the expertise of an ACMG Certified Top-Rope Climbing Instructor are included.
- Backpacking basics and essentials: Dreaming of waking up to breathtaking mountain vistas after a night spent under a canopy of stars? Then our Intro to Backpacking course is the perfect starting point for your wilderness adventures.
The backcountry is an unforgiving environment. Knowing how to navigate, set up shelter, use your gear effectively, and respond to emergencies can mean the difference between a safe and enjoyable trip and a potentially dangerous situation.
Our Intro to Backpacking course help you prepare for your first overnight adventure or hone in on backcountry and wilderness skills. We’ll cover everything from choosing the right backpack and gear to packing efficiently, setting up camp, and mastering campfire basics. This backpacking trip is designed for beginners who have some day hiking experience and includes a class portion and hands-on outdoor portion with a night in the backcountry.
- Leave No Trace principles: Preserving the pristine beauty of the Rockies should be a top priority for anyone who steps foot there. In our Intro to Backpacking course, we instill the importance of Leave No Trace principles and teach you how to minimize your impact on the environment by setting up a Leave No Trace campsite, respecting wildlife habitat, and going to the bathroom outdoors.
- Backcountry navigation skills: The lack of consistent and reliable cell service in the backcountry is both a blessing and curse. On the one hand, you can truly disconnect from beeps and pings of our fast-paced lives. On the other, it means you can’t depend on your phone for navigation. This is where backcountry navigation skills become crucial.
Our Wilderness Navigation course equips you with the skills to confidently find your way using a map and compass, as well as basic GPS techniques. Learn to read and create topographical maps, create waypoints and tracks, and make sound decisions on the trail, even when cell service is unavailable.
- Being bear-aware and handling wildlife encounters: The majestic wildlife of the Canadian Rockies is a highlight for any adventurer. But these incredible creatures also require knowledge on how to minimize and handle potential encounters.
Our Intro to Backpacking course teaches you proper food storage techniques to mitigate and manage wildlife from coming into your camp, and equips you with the knowledge and confidence to handle potential encounters calmly and effectively. A safe and positive experience for both you and the animals is paramount in the wild.
- Confidence and self-reliance: Beyond the technical skills, our Intro to Backpacking, Wilderness Navigation, and Wilderness First Aid courses all aim to foster a sense of confidence and self-reliance in the outdoors in different ways.
The Intro to Backpacking course is a good starter for beginners to the outdoors, instilling fundamental camping and safety techniques – but the other courses take navigation and safety to a more specific level. Our Wilderness Navigation course hones your ability to navigate the terrain with precision and confidence, while Wilderness First Aid goes beyond basic first aid training, equipping you with the skills to assess and respond to medical emergencies in remote locations, where access to professional help is limited.
Together, these courses not only provide practical knowledge but also instill a sense of empowerment and self-reliance, ensuring that you’re well-prepared to tackle any challenges that may arise in the great outdoors.
- Backcountry first aid techniques: The backcountry is an unpredictable environment. Wilderness First Aid is a powerful high-level course designed for anyone recreating outdoors. You’ll learn how to respond calmly and competently to outdoor injuries or illnesses that happen miles away from conventional medical care. We’ll prepare you for scenarios that involve an ambulance being a few minutes away, to the reality of providing critical medical assistance in remote areas where help may be hours or even days from reaching you.
- Weather awareness: Weather can be unpredictable in the mountains, but understanding the signs can help you stay safe and comfortable on the trail. Our weather awareness course covers how to interpret cloud formations, predict changes in the weather, and mitigate the risks of lightning, hypothermia, and other weather-related hazards. Our Intro to Backpacking course includes a critical component on reading weather patterns and mitigating weather risk.
Ready to take your outdoor adventures to the next level? At Uplift Adventures, we believe that the wilderness is the ultimate classroom – all our courses include hands-on teachings that transform theory into real-world skills that empower you to confidently explore the breathtaking landscapes of the Canadian Rockies.
Whether you’re scaling towering cliffs, trekking through rugged terrain, or simply enjoying the peace and tranquility of the backcountry, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.