FALL SEMESTER 2010

East Coast/Canada

World Class will meet for the beginning of the school year at its home base, Crystal Springs, 30 miles west of Missoula, MT where river safety classes and orientation occur prior to beginning regular coursework. Once classes are underway, the school heads east to Quebec, Canada to paddle at the renowned Ottawa River. From the Ottawa the school moves on to Montreal to visit the Lachine Rapids before turning south to West Virginia. Toward the beginning of October, the school continues its southern journey to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Upon arrival in the southeast students and teachers finish mid-term exams and the first quarter of the school year prior to fall break.

Zambia/Uganda - Previously Visited Fall 2004 and 2007

The fascinating and varied cultures of Eastern Africa and the legendary Zambezi and White Nile Rivers make this semester an incredible journey into a different world.  Dropping over Victoria Falls and forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Zambezi River offers amazing whitewater in a spectacular gorge.  With access to the river available only by the foot trails running into gorge, the Zambezi has a wild and remote feel; rare for day-trip river runs.  The backpacker’s hostel where the group stays during the time off the water provides security, shade and great space for class and camping.  On the drives to and from the river each day, the group can see local villages and chat with the porters, young men who work for the river companies carrying rafts and kayaks in and out of the gorge.  In between the Zambezi and the Nile, the group will go on an overnight safari to a Botswana game preserve, where there will be an opportunity to see the full range of African wildlife — crocs, hippos, elephants, giraffe, kudu and even lions, if they're lucky.  Moving over 1,000 miles north, the lush green hills of southern Uganda are an interesting contrast to the dusty aridity of the dry season in Zambia.  At the source of the Nile as it flows out of Lake Victoria, the White Nile offers exceptional whitewater for a global community of kayakers.  With a dam currently under construction at Bugagali Falls, 2010 is predicted to be the last year to paddle some of the famous upper rapids, whereas downstream of the dam site, Nile Special and the Kalagala section will offer the usual Nile whitewater playground.  Our service work with Soft Power Health on the Nile adds a special element to the itinerary.  Students visit a nearby health clinic and elementary school where they are greeted with great enthusiasm by the ever friendly Ugandan children.

SPRING SEMESTER 2011

China – Previously Visited Spring 2007 and 2009

China’s growing influence to both America and an increasingly global world, provide a strong rationale for visiting this amazing country during our 2011 spring semester.  The itinerary encompasses the Yunnan province, along the southwest fringe of China’s “Western Front,” where economic development such as tourism, hydropower and resource extraction spurned by the east’s increasing demand contrast significantly with cultures holding on to ancient tradition.  At the heart of this struggle lies the Nu Jiang or Salween, China’s last free flowing river and the subject of 13 hydroelectric dam proposals.  One of the finest kayaking rivers on earth, the school will spend a month paddling along the 200 miles of river accessible by road to interact with local minorities and witness first-hand what role ecotourism can play in influencing sustainable development at the local level.  When traveling away from the Nu Jiang, the school will visit other nearby areas in the province to gain a diversity of perspectives, climates and cultures.  These include a trip on the Great Bend of the Yangtze, as well as a visit to the Mekong River Valley, lying between both the Nu and the Yangtze drainages, all of which originate on the Tibetan Plateau.  WCKA’s stay in China will also include time in the vibrant city of Lijiang where The Nature Conservancy of Yunnan is based to gain a perspective of the difficult issues confronting China’s long term development in both the region and the world abroad.

Following spring break World Class once again begins the tradition of packing up its vehicles and heading to California.  Enjoying the run-off of the Sierras, the school visits the famous granite lined rivers that make California a destination for whitewater enthusiasts worldwide.  By the end of April the school will have made its way north to Oregon for field trips to the Bonneville Dam and salmon hatcheries on the Columbia River Gorge, as well as daily runs on its famous basalt tributaries.  Following these adventures and the end of our regular class schedule, the school travels back to Montana for final exams and graduation at our headquarters – Crystal Springs.

For questions, updates or further information please call our office, (406) 829-8071, or send us an email at info@worldclassacademy.com.