SALTY SURVIVAL: A SAILING, SCAVENGING, AND SEA-GOING ADVENTURE Teacher: Chris Knapp 14 days, Moderate Skill level: Beginner-Advanced Ages 14 – 16, July 27-August 9 Imagine…Two giant wooden canoes, a stiff salty breeze, and 14 paddles dipping and swinging in rhythm. We are scavengers of the seacoast, on our way to a distant island. We feast on mussels, wild greens, seaweed and snails. We barter for lobsters from the local fishermen, navigate through thick fog and riptides, and carve our bowls from the curious burls that grow on island trees. This is a trip about relishing the riches of the sea and the gifts of the Earth. On our way to the coast we will have a tour of the Knapps’ homestead and harvest vegetables from their garden. Once at the coast, we will focus on paddling, friction fire, wild foods, craft work, coastal navigation and the ancient art of making a home in the wilderness. We will need a good crew to form a strong community. There will also be time spent alone contemplating the amazing landscape and our place in it as humans. Back to top

EXPEDITION PRE-COLUMBUS: A TREK AND PADDLE BACK IN TIME Teachers: Lisl Hofer, Tom Rosenberg 14 days, Moderate-Strenuous Skill level: Beginner-Advanced Ages: 14-18, July 13 – 26 Imagine a time when canoeing down a swift current was the fastest way to go places, a shelter of bark and boughs was a welcomed home, and roots and berries were the snack of the day. On this trip we will step back into this time and learn to combine the beautiful gifts of the land and some modern tools of today to create a simple and exciting lifestyle all with our own will and strength. The sun, the lay of the land, and our map and compass will guide us for the first half of our trip as we bushwhack deep into the woods to reach our hidden camp. Here we will sleep under the stars, building our base of wilderness skills and knowledge: making fire by friction, coal-burning wooden bowls and spoons with which to eat, and tracking and looking for other beings of the forest – moose, deer, bear, coyote. When we’re ready, we will hike over the mountains and down to the river’s fast current, which will carry us in canoes to new adventures! Being on the river will open up new opportunities for paddling rapids, making baskets, swimming, and whatever other adventures cross our paths! One of our guiding principles will be to remember our role as caretakers of the land, so that through our actions, we leave a healthier forest than what we found. We will work together, support each other, and look out for one another, creating a true old-time community. On this trip we will experience a way of life whose roots stretch back thousands of years but whose skills and philosophy apply to all times. Back to top

CLIMBERS JOURNEY UP NORTH Teachers: Mathias Dammer 14 days, Moderate - Strenuous Ages: 14 –18, August 10-23 Welcome to our 2008 Rock Climbing Expedition! We are excited once again to offer a trip in which living in the woods, swimming, drumming and climbing remote cliffs will fill our lives and strengthen our spirits. Days 1 – 5: We will meet at Kroka Farm and spend our first night getting to know each other and organizing all our gear. Early the next morning we will head straight to the rocks. The first part of the course will be spent at excellent local climbing sites, taking advantage of what the last departing glaciers left in our very own back yard – rocks!! We will focus on reviewing basic skills including belay techniques, body movement, gear protection, knot tying and anchor placement. We will also spend some time on orienteering (learning how to read map and compass) so we can bushwhack through the woods to find our remote sites. Days 6 – 9: Our expedition planning, food, gear, minds and spirits will be set for a new adventure. We will head north, to explore the amazing rocks around the Bark Eater Cliffs in the Adirondacks, where we will continue working on our technical skills and understanding of the rocks. We will also get to practice our balance and concentration on the “slack line,” swim, laugh and play music as part of our daily lives. Days 10 - 14: We’ve finally gained all the skills to venture onto the big granite walls of the Adirondacks. The Emperor Face, and the Chapel Pond Slabs provide an amazing setting for long multipitch climbs of all levels. Great exposure and beautiful views of the surroundings will mark the end of our climbing journey. Climbing is not just a sport - it is a way of life in which you connect with nature and with your inner self. The mountains are the means and the self is the end. This year rainy day climbing will take place underground! Back to top

CAVES, CLIFFS AND WATERFALLS Teacher: Mathias Dammer 14 days, Moderate Skill level: Intermediate- Advanced Ages 12 –15, June 22 – July 5 For brave souls who dare to meet the gnomes, trolls and challenges of the underground and vertical worlds! This program will combine rock climbing with underground climbing and exploration. The first half of the program will focus on above-ground rock climbing and rope skills. We will learn belaying techniques, body movement and knot tying. There are many wonderful cliffs hidden in the forest around our camp, and every day we will climb, swim, see new places and enjoy base camp life. Then the time will come to pack our food and gear for caving adventure! We will set our camp in the Western Green Mountains. A day of farming and helping at Someday Farm in Dorset, Vermont will provide us with our own harvested vegetables and eggs before we venture underground. Each caving day we will explore new caverns, going deeper into the underground world as we gain experience in speleology (the skill and science of caving). We’ll scurry through tunnels, wade through underground streams and witness stalactites and stalagmites that have been forming for thousands and thousands of years. Corkscrews, sump holes, sinks, slots and siphons will become familiar words. After swimming and washing off the cave mud in a mountain river or a waterfall, we will spend our afternoons at camp learning how to start a fire using the bow-drill, making baskets with bark and roots, gathering wild edibles, and living joyously and simply in the forest. We will end our days with campfire stories and songs. Back to top

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He is in the middle of that difficult life change called adolescence. He came home in such a beautiful place and so centered in himself. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to Kroka for providing a time in the summer for him to return to himself and for us all to see who he is again.

She was glowing when she returned; it was like some inner light in her had been nurtured and brought into being. She was quite different for a week or so – more focused, confident, serene.