Great Alaska Council Ultimate High Adventure Welcome to the Great Alaska Council Ultimate High Adventure! As you begin to plan your Alaskan adventure you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed with questions. This Leader s guide was developed to help you answer those questions and plan a fun and successful trip. The first principle of Leave No Trace is Plan Ahead and Prepare. Use this guide to help you with that first step and ensure a smooth and enjoyable adventure! The points that follow have been put together to help answer some of the more general questions about the Expeditions that are offered. If you would like to discuss a particular Expedition in more detail, after you have read the information, please give us a call at 800-478-9549 with your additional questions. Items to consider when thinking about a trip of a lifetime to Alaska: 1. Alaska is twice the size of the state of Texas. It may look small on a map and the distance between two points may not appear to be that much, but rest assured it is and there may not be a road to it. Traveling within the state is very expensive. 2. The Great Alaska Council does not provide support to units that have not booked their Alaska trip through the Council. If you would like to customize your trip, please let the Council do it for you. That s what we do best. 3. The Base provides the following services for each trip; transfer to and from the airport (Anchorage International Airport), all ground transportation, meals, most specialized equipment, camp stoves, drivers, and Expedition guides. 4. The mission of the Great Alaska Council is to provide a high adventure experience to the youth in the Scouting program. While we encourage parents to participate with their sons or daughters, the trips must have 51% youth. 5. When considering travel arrangements to Anchorage, you may want to schedule your arrival and departure times between 9:00PM-2:00AM for the best prices (yes we will pick you up at 0 dark 30). Please do not book flights until you have a confirmed date for your high adventure trip. 6. To secure your space for an Expedition, a deposit is required (amount depends on the Expedition). Half of the remaining amount is due January 31st of the year you are attending. The balance is due by March 31 st. Adult Participation Each adult must be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America. This is BSA Policy and non-negotiable. There are no gender restrictions for adult leadership at the Great Alaska Council except that coed Venture Crews must have coed leadership over the age of 21. The Boy Scouts of America is a youth run organization. It is hard to develop tomorrow s leaders when youth are not given an opportunity to lead. Our staff will work with the youth in charge in day to day activities and duties. Adults that come to the Great Alaska Council with an understanding of that will have a much more enjoyable time.
Expedition advisors must be physically capable of participating at the fullest level for the duration of the expedition. The Council recommends that the groups identify alternate leadership able to step in at the last minute in the event a leader is not able to attend. While the Council encourages and appreciates the cooperation of families of the participants on these Expeditions it is important to understand that our trips our not designed to be family vacations. Adult leaders should be capable and experienced in the outdoors with at least one major Scout outing under their belts as should the youth. Unregistered guests or family members are not permitted. Youth Participation Youth must be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America, and may participate in the Council s expedition in one of the following ways: As a member of a chartered unit-scout Troop, Varsity Team, or Venturing Crew. As members of a council contingent or a district contingent with the required adult leadership. Youth Age Requirements Every participant must be 13 by May 1 of the year he or she will participate. To avoid disappointment, please do not request exceptions! The requirements for participation cannot be relaxed. Youth found to be under the age requirement will be returned home at the parent s expense. This policy does not apply to the Tour Alaska Trip. Conditioning and Training The conditioning or training that you do in preparation for the Great Alaska Council Expeditions depend on which Expedition the crew is participating in: River Rafting Expedition: Each participate must have the skills to pass the Canoeing merit badge and in some cases the Whitewater Merit Badge. Backpacking: Each participant must have the skills to pass the Backpacking Merit Badge. Each participant must be able to hike 5-10 miles a day on very rugged terrain and in some instances with no trail. You will each have a Bear Canister with food and the crew will split the group s supplies. Sea Kayaking: If doing an overnight, you will be in a tandem kayaks and must be able to paddle 5-10 miles in a day sometimes in very strong head winds. Each participate must have the skills to pass the Kayaking merit badge. Emergency Transportation Due to the remoteness of Alaska and the location of the Great Alaska Council activities, it will be difficult to contact people about emergencies that have occurred back home. The Great Alaska Council will assist with transportation arrangements when a family emergency (death or serious illness) occurs during your time in Alaska that requires a participant to return home. Due to the remoteness of the difficult activities and the high volume of airline passengers during the summer months, it may be several days before
a participant can return home. Participants will be required to reimburse The Great Alaska Council for any transportation services provided, including but not limited to the transportation from the remote location to the airport, and any fees encountered for changing airline tickets. Medical/Physical requirements Every youth and adult participant will be required to have and present a BSA National Physical Form Parts A, B, C, and D #680-001. There are no exceptions to this. This Physical should be reviewed within 90 days of their Expedition. An individual should always contact their family physician first and call the Great Alaska Council if there are any questions about the advisability of participation. The Great Alaska Council s chief medical officer and/or other medical staff reserve the right to make medical decisions regarding the participation of individuals at the council. The Alaskan wilderness is vast in size; communications, and emergency response can be difficult. Response time by medical personnel is not measured in minutes but in hours and days before help arrives. Careful consideration must be given to people with chronic illness participating in this program given the lack of emergency care available in the wilderness of Alaska. Other Paperwork Required Tour Plans are required for all participating units. Acknowledgment and Assumption of Risk contracts are required by each individual (youth and adult) participating in any Expedition. Memorandum of Understanding signed by the contingent leader. Swim Classification Form (Rafting and Kayaking Expeditions only) Copies of each of these forms are included in this packet. An individual missing any of this paperwork will not be allowed to participate. Likewise for the crew if the any of the crew paperwork has not been completed. CPR/Wilderness First Aid Requirements The Great Alaska Council requires that at least one person, preferably two or more, (either an advisor or a youth) must hold a current Wilderness First Aid certification approved by the ACA, as well as CPR certification. Medications Any participant requiring medications should bring an appropriate supply with them to Alaska. Insulin dependent Diabetics should bring a spare blood monitoring and injection kit in case one should be lost on the trail. People with an allergy to bee, wasp or hornet stings must bring an EpiPen or its equivalent. Participants should be able to self medicate. Our staff will not carry your medications for you and make sure that you take the appropriate amount at the correct intervals.
Religious Needs Each crew is encouraged to hold their own religious services. Buddy System The Great Alaska Council uses a four person buddy system. You never go anywhere in groups of less than four and this includes when you answer the call of mother nature. We do this for 2 reasons: 1. Bear attack in groups of three or more is exceeding rare. 2. If one person becomes injured it leaves one person to stay with them and two others to return for help. Leave No Trace and Bear Protocols The Great Alaska Council strictly adheres to the Leave No Trace policies. You will need to dig catholes and pack out your garbage. There are usually no campfires. The only exception to this rule is if you are camping where there is already an established fire ring or in the case of an emergency. Please bring a set of clothes to sleep in. We do not want you sleeping in the same clothes that you have worn all day and cooked in. We do not want any food smells in your tent. Please read the enclosed Wild Animal Policy. Crew Conduct and Discipline Crews should use the Scout and Oath and Law as a guide when conducting themselves before and on their Expeditions. They are representatives of their home councils and should behave as such. Any form of hazing, initiation, ridicule or inappropriate teasing is prohibited and must not be allowed. If a participant (youth or adult) must be removed from an Expedition, it will be at his/her or his/her family s expense. Discipline is up to the crew to enforce, not the Great Alaska Council Staff. If a participant continues to be a problem (youth or adult) he or she will be sent home and not be allowed to finish the Expedition. We strongly recommend that tobacco products not be used. All our facilities are nonsmoking. If an adult does use tobacco it must be done away from the youth and staff and the adult must be at least 19 years of age per state law. Possession or use of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs is strictly prohibited on Expeditions. Groups or individuals found in violation of this policy will be removed immediately at his/her expense or in the case of a youth their family s expense. Uniforms The Great Alaska Council strongly recommends travelling in uniform, however once in Alaska it is not necessary while on the trail or the river. If participating in a van trip your crew might find it helpful to travel in a Class B uniform but it is not required.
Security When you arrive at the Great Alaska Council your crew will be provided with a safe place to store luggage or valuables that will not be accompanying you on the trail or the river. However the Great Alaska Council is not responsible for loss or theft. Special Arrangements If members of your crew have special dietary requirements, or you are taking a van trip and wheel chair accessibility is necessary, or your crew has any other special needs, please let the Great Alaska Council know as soon as possible so that we can better accommodate your requests. Great Alaska Council Trading Post Your crew will have an opportunity to peruse our trading posts while in Alaska. We understand that Boy Scouts love their patches and how many chances do you get to pick up a Great Alaska Council Lodge Flap or Shoulder patch?