Rafting Guide School at Marble Mountain Ranch

River Guide Schools At California’s Marble Mountain Ranch

Each spring, the expert outfitters and guides at Marble Mountain Ranch offer premier river guide schools for drift boating and white water rafting. This outstanding 6-day course is based out of our guest ranch home and involves comprehensive on-land instruction as well as daily, hands-on experience on some of Northern California’s most beautiful and exciting rivers. With over 30 years of experience, our instructors are uniquely qualified to teach the skills necessary to safely guide a raft or drift boat down the Klamath River and beyond.

Personalized Class Size

Our river guide school is highly personalized to make sure you get the most out of your river guide training. We maintain a maximum of 12 students per class with a 4:1 student-to-staff ratio. Small groups allow us to maximize the time you get in the guide seat and on the water.

While classroom instruction and observation are important, we believe the most valuable part of river rafting training is time spent in the guide’s seat. Under our supervision, you’ll have the space to navigate the learning curve while receiving immediate advice and correction.

Whether you are seeking summer employment as a professional guide or want to lead your own private outdoor adventures, we teach you everything you need to know.

Solo Kayaking

Learn to manage guests in a single-person inflatable kayak. Navigating the Klamath River in a kayak is great for beginners!

Progressively Challenging

We train on river sections that become progressively more challenging so that you are prepared for various water conditions.

Cool Down on the Klamath

From reading whitewater to strategic planning, you'll learn to professionally handle any condition in the heat of the day.

Whitewater Guide School Course Outline

Reading whitewater and understanding river conditions
Maneuvering paddle boats and paddle-assisted oar boats
Risk Management and River Logistics
Gearing for a trip, and Knot tying
River signals and river communication
River safety and basic river rescue skills
Equipment maintenance and repair
Meal preparation and food safety on the river
Entertaining guests & public relations

What Is Included

Your river guide school experience begins with breakfast Monday morning and ends with an award dinner the following Saturday. Our all-inclusive program includes:
All meals and cottage lodging at Marble Mountain Ranch.

Instructional materials: The Guide’s Guide: Augmented by William McGinnis and our proprietary Guide School Manual.

Use of all necessary rafting gear (including wetsuits and splash jackets).

Daily white water rafting on various sections of the Klamath River and California Salmon River.

Join us for our annual river guide school and see why Marble Mountain Ranch is a leader in family dude ranch vacations and professional wilderness training. For information about our upcoming guide school dates and costs, please contact us via e-mail or at 1-800-KLAMATH(552-6284).

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