WHITEWATER RAFTING

River Guide School - Spring Session

The profession of river guiding offers an unsurpassed mix of fun, excitement, camaraderie, fresh air, and challenges in pristine outdoor settings. The hours are long and the work is demanding. But river guiding is a great way to spend a summer - or 20 summers!

O.R.E. expects to have openings for both full-time and part-time guides during the season, and plans to hire graduates of the Guide School (as well as guides with prior experience) to fill these positions.

Oregon River Experiences
O.R.E. is one of the oldest and most highly regarded operators of both raft trips and river guide schools. Now in their 31st year, they run half-day to six-day whitewater raft trips on some of the most beautiful and exciting wild rivers in the Northwest, including the Rogue, Owyhee, Lower Salmon, Grande Ronde, Deschutes, John Day, McKenzie, North Umpqua, North Santiam, and Clackamas Rivers.

The Training Program
For over 30 years, O.R.E. has been a leader in teaching river running skills in a safe, supportive, and innovative manner. Their purpose is to enable students to develop the skills needed to become professional guides, but the curriculum is also appropriate for those who seek to develop the skills needed to run private trips.

Tuition covers individualized, personal instruction by senior O.R.E. staff (one instructor for every four students), all meals, use of lifejackets, wetsuits, paddle jackets, helmets, and drybags, all river permits and camping fees, complementary copies of the "O.R.E. Guide School Handbook" as well as "The Complete Whitewater Rafter" by Jeff Bennett. Transportation from O.R.E. headquarters or from the Portland airport to the river is also available at no charge for those lacking transportation of their own.

Graduates will receive a certificate of completion, as well as opportunities for additional post-session training at no charge, and assistance in finding work with O.R.E. and with other companies.

Trip Details

Days 1-5: Guide Training
Itinerary
You'll be rafting two or more of Oregon's best day-trip rivers. (Among those to choose from are the Clackamas, North Santiam, Deschutes and McKenzie Rivers.) Convenient access points and car-accessible riverside camps allow for considerable program flexibility. As a result, O.R.E. can choose their river and stretch of river in accordance with the needs of the students and in light of May's changeable weather and water levels. In addition, this format allows them to minimize camp set-up and break-down time, which means more time on the river. Also, car-accessible camping allows them to keep the rafts light and maneuverable. 

Curriculum
O.R.E.'s Guide School provides a hands-on experience. Dry land and on-river instruction cover a comprehensive array of skills and topics. Their Instructors begin by explaining the basics and teach by example. The emphasis throughout is on learning by doing, so students will be actively involved in every learning experience, from cooking with a Dutch oven to paddle captaining to river rescue to rowing a gear raft.