This past weekend we welcomed our last Summer Expedition course whose itinerary includes plenty of thrilling adventures on the water in their days to come. The group headed to our rainforest base in Tres Rios from the airport where they were greeted by their first customary dish of rice and beans and introduced themselves while also getting to know their course instructors Zach and Spencer. The boys spent the rest of Saturday acclimating themselves with base while also receiving an orientation about their upcoming activities for the next two weeks. Sunday morning they rose early to begin a service project in our local Tres Rios reserve, just behind base where they grabbed their rakes and shovels and hiked over the creek to our reserve trails. The group worked together to maintain the trails as they cleared debris and rubble in order to create clear paths to the local water plants. After the boys completed their service project, they prepared their duffle bags for their next couple of weeks on the river, at our Manuel Antonio base, and Avellanas.

Monday morning they loaded the vans and made their way to the Río General where they spent the next three days rafting through the class III/IV whitewater rapids. At the Río General, students are briefed by certified guides on basic rafting commands and safety procedures before they began their expedition. Students developed their leadership skills as they took turns guiding the rafts and leading their group with commands as they trudged down the river. At night, the group joined together assembling their tarps and sleeping pads and learned how to prepare hearty meals in the Outward Bound style! During their expedition, the group faced adverse weather conditions as a storm increased the water levels for an even more exciting paddle through the rapids. Students had many amazing views throughout the Río including raging waterfalls and even sighting a crocodile! Yesterday they finished their rafting expedition and headed en route to Manuel Antonio National Park to get their first taste of surfing and begin their CPR training.

Check out updated photos of the group in our Facebook albums and also stay updated through our Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest pages! Pura Vida!