Risk

Without risk life is just pretty boring.  Everything we do out here has inherent risk.  Much of what we do is try to understand those and build systems, processes and programs around mitigating these factors.  But we will never, ever be risk free.  Part of our institutional philosophy revolves around the importance of accepting risk. 

The Matanuska Outdoor Institute program and activities take place in the outdoors at our Base Camp and the “backcountry” of Alaska.

We teach our students to use knives, fire and other tools. There are significant inherent risks of these activities and while we strive to mitigate these risks we cannot eliminate them.

MOI is backed, trained and operated under the guidance of the outdoor professionals of MICA Guides. For over 20 years, MICA Guides has helped thousands of visitors explore and challenge themselves with zero major injuries or incidents. (“Major” defined as any incident resulting in death or long-term disability.)

Risks range from slips, trips and falls to encounters with wildlife, to hypothermia and COVID.

We look at health risks as we do all other risks that we manage. The most common illnesses in the backcountry are intestinal resulting from poor hygiene practices.  We manage this risk with strict protocols for handwashing and kitchen cleanliness.  For airborne viruses such as flu and COVID, we mitigate by being outside in the fresh air.  Other than sharing tents for sleeping, we are rarely indoors and not often in a vehicle.  

If a student gets sick for more than a couple days, or if it’s something that we cannot manage resulting in further risk to the student, they will be sent home possibly resulting in inconvenience or expense to the parents.  And the student will miss out on a great experience.  Examples of this include a fever that cannot be brought down or diarrhea resulting in dehydration.  

Like all risks of this program, students and their parents must recognize and accept these risks and commit to taking steps to manage for the sake of their student and the rest of the team.