High Adventure

The High Adventure Committee (HAC) is dedicated to promoting high-adventure programs in all NCAC districts. Volunteer scouters, including District High Adventure Coordinators, meet at 7:00 pm on the first Thursday of September through May via Zoom and soon may return to meeting at the Marriott Scout Service Center.  The HAC is responsible for:

  • providing information and assistance to NCAC youth and adults on High Adventure program opportunities with vacancies and recent news, including training opportunities
  • conducting planning, logistics and training for expeditions to National and regional High Adventure bases with contingent crews from our Council

Registration at the BSA National High Adventure (HA) bases listed below is usually in the fall for expeditions a year and a half later.  Spaces on NCAC council contingents become available during the year prior to the expedition and may have spaces still available as late as the spring of the year of the expedition.  For information on BSA National HA bases, NCAC’s Lenhok’sin HA Base and other councils’ HA bases in the Adirondacks, click on the name of the base below.  Registration for NCAC HAC-sponsored expeditions is accessed as indicated below.

  • Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico – email highadventure@ncacbsa.org to join an NCAC contingent on a 12-day backpacking trek
  • Northern Tier – leaving from 2 bases in Canada & Ely, Minnesota – hopefully there will be an NCAC crew for 10-days of wilderness canoeing in 2022
  • Sea Base – 7 days of sailing & snorkeling or SCUBA in Florida Keys & Caribbean – email highadventure@ncacbsa.org to join an NCAC crew
  • Summit Bechtel Reserve, Paul R. Christen HA Base in Mount Hope, WV – whitewater rafting, trail riding on bikes & ATVs, & super COPE on base
  • Lenhok’sin High Adventure Base at Goshen Scout Reservation
  • Adirondack BSA High Adventure Bases (several New York councils)

For more information, contact:
HAC Chairman John Blackwell  via email or call 301‐346‐0551
NCAC Staff Advisor Eric Smith via email or call 301-214-9188
or an HAC member from your district or other committee member on the roster.

Additional information is available from the NCAC Aquatics Committee regarding guidelines and requirements for high adventure activities on and in water, including sailing and SCUBA at Sea Base; rafting and kayaking at Summit; and canoeing at Northern Tier, the James River through Lenhok’sin, Maine High Adventure and at other councils’ high adventure bases, some of which are described in the High Adventure Sourcebook Volume 1.