Winter Wise
What if winter became your new favourite season?
3 classes in Kahnawake
+
Mini Expedition near Kamouraska
Learn the wisdom of how to thrive in winter, by adopting strategies from northern cultures and the animals that thrive in the cold. Winter is a beautiful time to be out on the land. It does take work, but it doesn’t have to be a struggle.
Following deer and coyote tracks in the snow, we’ll trace the stories of the land and learn winter’s ecology. You’ll learn how to be comfortable and resilient at (almost) any temperature. And if you join us for the Winter Mini Expedition, you’ll get to experience the unique pleasures of a hot-tent winter camp: sitting on a floor of spruce boughs, sipping tea, and swapping stories in total warmth and comfort.
{The Workshops}
Winter Warmth: Clothing and fire skills
Saturday, January 11th
Learn to use the same strategies that the animals do to stay warm in all conditions, and hone your fire skills so they can stand up to winter. We’ll show you how to blend the best of traditional and modern gear and knowledge to significantly increase your winter comfort outdoors.
Winter Living: Shelters and Hot-Tent Camping
Saturday, January 25th
Mountaineer-style “cold camping” can work for short periods of time, but traditional hot tenting methods are significantly more comfortable. Learn all about winter camping with snowshoes, hot tents, and wood stoves, and practice building winter survival shelters like the snow trench and quinzhee.
Winter Nature: Animal Tracking and Trees
Saturday, February 8th
The forest is always telling a story, right under our noses. Read the tales written on the land by following animal trails and learning to recognize trees in winter. Knowing the land in this way helps you feel at home in nature and provides endless mysteries to explore.
Hard work and deep joy in the winter woods
This will be a 4 day, 3 night, winter camping trip focused on learning and building skills. Meals are included!
Our guest instructors Arnaud Caron-Daineault and Alex Daigle, of Les Néo-Anciens, are both skilled artisans specializing in traditional winter skills. They craft beautiful snowshoes, toboggans, mitts, moccasins, and canvas tents, then uses them on remote winter expeditions.
Camped on wild land near the Maine border, we’ll spend our days exploring the winter forest and practicing the daily skills of a winter camp: gathering spruce boughs for the tent floor, setting snares for snowshoe hare, cutting firewood, cooking on woodstoves, crafting projects, and certainly sipping lots of hot drinks and swapping stories in our cozy hot tents.
Cost
Full Program
$960 +tx. for all 3 classes + 3 night campout.
À la carte
Classes $130 +tx.
Campout $650 +tx
Solidarity pricing
Are you an artist/student/single parent/just need a break?
We have a discount available for those who would love to participate but can’t afford the full cost of a course. Send us an email, and we’ll set you up.
Time and Location
- Classes run 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Classes are held in Kahnawake, a 20–40-minute drive from Montreal.
- The Mini-Expedition takes place near Sainte-Louise, 4 hours from Montreal.
- We help participants organize carpooling.
Dates
Classes
Sat. January 11th
Sat. January 25th
Sat. February 8th
Mini-Expedition
Thurs-Sun. February 20-23
What you get
- A tailored, small-group experience with significant 1-on-1 support.
- 3 classes in Kawisente’s incredible backyard forest in Kahnawake
- 3-night, guided mini expedition, all meals included—we eat well.
- Use of all group gear, including tents, stoves, toboggans, etc.
F.A.Q.
Besides basic winter clothing, there are a few items that you’ll need to borrow/rent/buy, specifically for the mini expedition:
- Snowshoes, as large as possible. Small modern ones won’t float you very well.
- A winter sleeping bag (or layer two decent 3 season bags)
- Two sleeping pads (eg. a foam one and a thermarest).
- A sled for your gear. A long kid’s toboggan will work.
A full gear list with recommendations will be provided when you register.
Our workshops are primarily taught in English, but we are happy to translate into French as needed.
Our guest instructors for the mini-expedition, Arnaud and Alex, are francophone but speak English.
Our courses are meant to build on each other over a season, and the community and friendships that develop often turn out to be people’s favourite parts. End-of-season events and campouts are closed to drop-ins. We prefer small groups that go deep, and we feel that you’ll get more value this way.
That said, we get that you might want to try a single workshop before committing to a full course, or maybe there’s just one topic that interests you, so we do offer up a limited number of spots in each workshop à la carte. Join our mailing list to find out when these become available.
If one of our courses appeals to you but you know in advance you can’t make it to every session, get in touch and we can offer you a pro-rated price.
While we do allow a limited number of children at some of our other classes, this is not an ideal course to bring kids to.
Our courses are accessible regardless of experience, age, and physical ability. That doesn’t mean they’re easy. Land-based learning is active and physical, and some of the skills we teach are hard work to master. Being outside can also be tiring. Expect some moderate physical and mental effort for most of the day, with 45 minutes of down time at lunch and some breaks throughout. We respect the group’s energy levels, and you’re always welcome to adapt or opt out of an activity if it’s not working for you.
Participants are also expected to help care for the site by splitting wood, carrying water, cleaning up after themselves, etc.
To see all of our policies including those for cancellations, liability waivers, privacy, and photo consent, Click here
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