Experience the thrill of adventure and wilderness while creating a close circle of new friends. This program is designed as an introduction to Kroka and will cover the basics of our curriculum: navigation, backpacking, canoeing, camp craft, and rock climbing. After two days of "Kroka 101" training at our base camp, we will depart for our journey by foot and paddle, experiencing the beauty of the wilderness as we swim, craft, and spend evenings by the campfire. This program is designed as a bridge for students who are new to Kroka's expedition lifestyle, and participants will be able to enter any intermediate Kroka program with competence and confidence.
For students who are interested in adventure sports training and practicing Kroka’s lifestyle in the middle of a busy vacation destination.Join us for an extraordinary week of adventure sports, sun and sand at the amazing ocean of Cape Cod. This trip is a must! In partnership with our friend, Eric Gustafson of Fun-Seekers, we will surf on surfboards and kayaks, windsurf when the winds allow, swim and paddle across the bay to Provincetown for dinner and ice cream. Camping in the forest of the Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary we will mountain bike on single tracks to our daily destinations. Proven to be a fantastic experience, this trip is an awesome way to start your summer.
Calling all rock climbers, tree climbers, parkour athletes, and bouldering enthusiasts for a dynamic week of rock climbing in nature. Journeying into the hills and hollows of Western Massachusetts we will establish a wilderness outpost close to three famous crags with climbs that will challenge beginner and experienced climbers alike. Each morning we set off to explore a different line of cliffs to practice toprope, sport, and trad climbing. Afternoons find us searching for caves and ruins in the forest, bouldering, cooking over the open fire, and practicing knot tying. Add to the repertoire the slack line, cliff-jumping and refreshing swims in the river and you‘ve got yourself a perfect summer week!
The White Mountains are famous for their dramatic rocky summits and steep valleys, and boast the highest peaks in the northeast. This exciting multi-sport adventure connects many hidden gems of the Whites and introduces students to all of Kroka’s core adventure sports. We begin at Kroka Village preparing food and equipment for our extended expedition. Setting off on foot, we follow the Appalachian Trail up and over Mount Moosilauke (elevation 4,802) and down to a network of old logging roads perfect for practicing map and compass navigation. Switching from backpacks to mountain bikes, we travel for three days along stunning singletrack bike trails to the headwaters of the Pemigewasset River. Here we find canoes awaiting ready for a paddle down the swiftly-flowing river that takes us to the foot of one of the most famous rock climbing crags in New England. Along the way we will be rewarded with breathtaking views, practice low impact camping, and study geography, geology and ecology of Eastern Alpine.
Wild Girls unite! As a unique community of adventurous, supportive, and collaborative girls and non-binary friends, we will embark on a journey full of singing, sunshine, water, and beautiful views. We will backpack through the mountains and down to the river where we will travel by canoe enhancing our paddling skills and ability to read the landscape around us. This rite of passage program is focused on development of willpower and wilderness skills leading up an experience of independent student travel where they must rely on each other and the skills they’ve learned. Within the enchanting landscape of mountains and rivers we will develop a strong connection to self to community, building sisterhood and confidence. Throughout the week we will have plenty of time for journaling, crafting, taking long swims, and observing wildlife.
Warning: Caving requires a love of tight, dark, wet, muddy spaces as well as a thirst for adventure and discovery of secret places. Students should be physically fit to carry an overnight backpack up and back down the mountain with a smile!
There is no adventure sport more secretive and alluring than caving. Hidden deep in the infamous Berkshire Hills are miles of underground passages with hidden entrances off the beaten track. Many of these caves were just discovered within the past 10 years! We begin the week at Kroka Village exploring abandoned mines and practicing vertical rope skills. From here we head west and establish a wilderness camp at the base of Mount Greylock. With map and compass and our traveling gear we will set out each day to explore the region's known caves and search for those that have not yet been found. We will swim in pristine waterfalls, descend into abandoned quarries, and visit natural marble bridges. We will cook delicious meals over the fire, share stories, and learn a wilderness craft. The journey ends with a 3-day expedition to a mountain peak, an exciting day of multi-pitch climbing, and a day-trip through one of the longest and most notorious caves in the Northeast.
Our intermediate/advanced level training program is for everyone who loves the sport of white water canoeing and kayaking. Students without prior paddling experience will be asked to complete prerequisite training prior to attending.This year we will return to Paddler’s Journey’s original stomping ground on the Rapid, Magalloway, and Androscoggin Rivers in Western Maine. We will outfit our boats and practice our rolls in the Kroka pond before departing on expedition. Once in Maine we will begin with a learning progression on a stretch of class II training rapids along the Androscoggin. From here we will take a day trip to an exciting class III rapid on the Magalloway before departing to the South Arm of Lake Richardson: the starting point of our four-day Rapid River expedition. Here, in a beautiful wilderness setting we will work our way down challenging class III and IV rapids. At the completion of the Rapid run we will cross beautiful Lake Umbagog, circling back to the Androscoggin: these class I and II rapids will look so small all of a sudden! Our journey will conclude at Mahoosuc Guide Service, Kroka’s partner organization, in Newry, Maine. We will base here at the foot of the spectacular Mahoosuc Notch, providing community service and helping take care of 36 sled dogs! We will end our journey climbing one of the high peaks and butt-sliding down some of the best waterfalls anywhere!
Boys Rite of Passage is open to male-identified and non-binary participants.
A call to all boys who wish to become the best that they can be! Join us in meeting a challenge that could change how you grow into a man. During this two-week expedition we will challenge our minds, bodies, and spirits while immersing ourselves in the beauty of the Vermont wilderness. Like the ancient school of the Samurai, we will wake early in the morning with exercises that build our concentration and dexterity, our strength, and our will. The coming expedition will test us. We will carry everything we need on our backs. The mountains and river valleys will be our guides, the wind and the rain our teachers. We will not follow trails but blaze our own way, relying on maps, compasses, and our intuition. At night, we’ll gather around the fire to share wisdom and tell stories. As boys crossing the threshold into manhood, we will experience ceremony, build a joyful community, speak from our hearts, and have an opportunity to be alone in the wilderness. Will you join us?
A rough, wild line that few sail, and fewer kayak. Dramatic cliffs and prominent tides. Paddling towards Canada, sometimes with the water, and sometimes against it. The name of the coast speaks for itself. After honing our sea kayaking and expedition skills along tamer sections of the Maine coast, we will set off for the easternmost miles of the U.S. coastline, paddling by day and carefully searching for hidden coves to spend the night. We’ll dive into the history of the region, of colonial settlers, of lonely lobstermen and shipwrecked boats, of the indigenous who came first, and take in the pristine beauty and nature of Maine's farthest reaches. After a brave final crossing we enter the safe waters of the harbor and arrive at our destination. Come along on an adventurous paddle that is a feather in the cap of any sea kayaker!
For students who have completed Climbing Rocks and those with independent climbing experience. Students should be physically fit to carry an overnight backpack up and back down the mountain with a smile! Living in the woods, swimming, crafting, and climbing remote cliffs will fill our lives and strengthen our spirits. The first part of the week will be spent reviewing the basic skills of belay techniques, knot tying, and anchor placement. Then it’s off to the peaks of the Adirondack Mountains where we will continue to advance our technical skills. In addition to top roping and bouldering, students will practice following a leader on multi-pitch sport and traditional climbs up to 5.8. At the culmination of the training we will climb a magnificent slab with breathtaking views all around. Our climbing expedition will end at the foot of the renowned Hudson River Gorge where we will paddle Kroka’s Russian catarafts down class III and IV rapids. Climbing is not just a sport: it is a way of life in which we connect with nature and our inner selves. Bring your spirit and determination and challenge yourself to take the next step. You are sure to experience the rewarding feelings of accomplishment, pride, and connection.
Singletracks is a sequel to No Brakes or Bike Girls, or for students with independent mountain bike experience.This new and exciting week is all about mountain bike riding along the most beautiful exciting trails in Vermont. Departing Kroka’s basecamp for the Green Mountains, we will set up a welcoming camp hidden deep in the forest where we can pedal to some of the most fascinating bike courses Vermont has to offer. Each day we will set off on our bikes along a mixture of single and doubletrack trails that wind and swerve up and down the mountain. Along the way we will stop to pick berries, jump into refreshing swimming holes, and learn about the mining history of the area. Afternoons find us cooking delicious meals over the fire, carving wooden spoons, forming a close-knit community of friends. Come join us for loops, climbs, berms, and some of the most exciting drops and jumps of New England!