What’s better than young people learning leadership skills? Learning leadership skills on raging whitewater!
Splash wars on the Tatshenshini!
At the end of July, BYTE partnered with Champagne-Aishihik First Nation and Tatshenshini Expediting to take a group of Champagne-Aishihik youth rafting. But this wasn’t your average rafting trip—this was a river rescue and raft guide training camp that taught youth skills they’ll be able to use in the future.
We kicked off the camp with a day trip down the Tatshenshini River. We practiced swimming through rapids, rescuing swimmers, and navigating whitewater. Despite the intimidating wave trains, everyone jumped in on the first day and successfully swam across the river—multiple times.
Practicing river crossings.
Things got even more exciting over the next two days. By the end of BYTE River Camp, youth participants were guiding rafts down the river. Youth who seemed quiet or reserved at the beginning of the camp quickly assumed leadership roles as raft guides, yelling “Forward paddle! Back paddle!†to their peers.
We wrapped up each day with a BYTE-style debrief and games, as well as stories from Ron Chambers, a Champagne-Aishhihik elder with lots of experience working on the land for Parks Canada.
On the last day, when youth were taking turns guiding through the three big rapids, Natalie—who rafted the Tatshenshini River as a guide for five summers—noticed one youth taking lines and using techniques that takes most raft guides at least a summer to master. At the end of the camp, he told us he wanted to get a job as a raft guide.
A youth takes a turn guiding.
Lots of youth participants asked us if we were going to run the camp again next summer. One youth loved it so much he suggested we do the 10-day full trip down the Tatshenshini and Alsek rivers to Glacier Bay, Alaska.
BYTE River Camp is a pilot project spearheaded by our Community Outreach Coordinator, Natalie Sands. Natalie has a ton of experience raft guiding and running outdoor education programs for youth. Her goal was to mix BYTE’s leadership activities with something else she loves – taking youth down the river.
We’re incredibly proud of all the youth that participated, and had so much fun on the water with everyone. We hope to run BYTE River Camp again in the future!
