Whitewater Rowing School
AT A GLANCE
Highlights
- ACA Certificate For Graduates
- Experience 2-3 different rivers
- Certified ACA instructors
- Camping on the Rio Chama
Overview
In 1978 Far-Flung Adventures began to teach its first whitewater rowing schools. Many of those graduates went on to fulfill long river-running careers by working as commercial guides, following their entrepreneurial spirit and opening their own outdoor companies, protecting our nation’s river resources as River Rangers, or as private boaters safely enjoying beautiful days on the water with family and friends. Some graduates from the “old days” went on to foster a new generation of lifelong river enthusiasts, instilling in their children a love of and excitement for the great outdoors and providing them a venue to develop their river-running skills from a very early age.
We are excited to continue this tradition of education and hope to play a part in not only helping you to safely enjoy rivers but also to perpetuate a love of the outdoors as well.
Our rowing school will take place over the course of 6 days, based out of the Taos, NM on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama. The course will be taught by thoughtful, patient and experienced instructors and will cover a wide array of rowing and river-running skills. It is important to note that the scope of the whitewater rowing school is wider than to provide training for those considering working in the river industry: traditional center mount rowing is the best way to go down the river in a raft powered by a single person and is the go-to method for overnight floats across the country. If you have ever dreamed of rowing your own boat down the Grand Canyon, or a river of similar stature, this rowing course will get you well on your way to having the skills to do it!
This course is open to previous graduates, intermediate rowers, complete newbies and kids 14+ that have an outgoing and adventurous mindset!
Objective: The objective of this course is for students to complete a run of the Taos Box, taking turns rowing its class III and IV rapids. For everyone’s safety, we will reserve the right to deem students unready for the Taos Box and have them complete a different stretch of whitewater. Depending on Rio Grande water levels, our class IV portion may be based on the nearby Arkansas river in Colorado.
A private instructor and raft is an option for students wishing to row the entire Taos Box on their final day but is subject to availability and may incur additional costs.
Sample Itinerary
This is our “plan A” itinerary. Depending on weather and water conditions your specific itinerary may have adjustments to the order of things presented below. If water conditions require, the final portion of the course may be conducted up the road from us in Colorado. Please reach out for questions about your specific date. We must make this adjustments, or at least present you with the options in order to provide a top-notch experience. We appreciate your flexibility.
Arrival:
All participants will plan to arrive in Taos, NM the evening before the rowing school begins.
Day 1: Intro to rowing: Day 1 will cover all the basic principles of gear and the biomechanics of rowing. We will do a trip on the mellow float section of the Rio Grande. In the afternoon we will pack for our Rio Chama 2-day trip.
Day 2-3: Rio Chama 2-Day: We will meet again at our office in Taos and will load up and head out for 3 days of camping on the Rio Chama! The Chama is a fantastic learning section as it is mostly swift moving flat water and class I-II riffles for the first two days and then has several class II+ rapids on the final day.
Day 4: Lower Gorge: Practice on the rapids of the Rio Grande will resume the morning after returning from the Rio Chama, though students who would like to have a late morning and rest a little are welcome to join us after lunch that day. Day 5 will be spent on the Lower Gorge section of the Rio Grande with multiple “laps” possible on the class III Racecourse section.
Day 5: Rio Grande Racecourse: All of day 6 will be devoted to more advanced techniques and to repetitive practice on the class II-III rapids of the Racecourse section.
Day 6 (TEST DAY): Our objective will be to have our final exam on the Taos Box section of the Rio Grande, with students taking turns rowing its larger and more complex Class IV rapids under the watchful eye of one of our instructors who will be ready to jump in and help at a moments notice. If students are deemed unready or are simply uncomfortable then they will be encouraged to either ride along on test day or will be given the opportunity to take their final exam on the Lower Gorge.
Please contact us with any questions: info@farflung.com
Included
What’s Included:
- All rafting and safety equipment
- Professional Instructors
- Shuttles and transport
- All camping equipment
- All lunches
- All meals on Camping Trip
- Camping with wifi, water, communal kitchen and showers
Not Included:
- Breakfast and Dinner non-camping days
- Instructor Gratuities
- Lodging (camping available – hotels not included)
On-site Camping
We have an onsite Rv park and campground with electric hook ups, community kitchen, refrigeration, showers and wifi. You are welcome to bring your Rv, van, or sleep in your vehicle. If you would like to camp we are happy to provide any camping equipment you may need free of charge. Let us know if you have any other questions about this detail.
BOOK YOUR TRIP TODAY!
Join us for an adventure that you will never forget!