Current Schedule

Fri, Jan 9, 7pm -- Cuyahoga Valley National Park Monthly Lyceum Series -- Happy Days Lodge, Brecksville, OH -- $8 admission, (330) 657-2909

Sat, Jan 10, 10am -- Lightweight Backpacking Clinic for Boy Scout Troop 321 – Hudson, OH -- This is a private clinic but if you would like to attend I am sure the Scoutmaster would welcome you. Please email me.

Thurs, Jan 15, 1:30 PM and 7:30 PM -- Mystic Seaport Adventure Series -- Mystic, CT -- $5-$15 admission

Sunday, April 5 -- Colorado College "2009 State of the Rockies Conference" -- Colorado Springs, CO

Presentations and Lightweight Clinics

-- Please contact Skurka for information, pricing, and availabilty --

Andrew Skurka is an extremely experienced and articulate speaker whose stories, take-home messages, personality, and age appeal to a broad range of audiences. He has given over 130 presentations to a cumulative audience of over 9,000. He has spoken to fellow outdoor enthusiasts, college and K-12 students, Boy Scouts, Young President Organization members, and corporate outdoor clubs. And he has presented in 5-star banquet halls, community theaters, outdoor retail stores, classrooms, church basements, and college auditoriums.

But most important, Skurka just thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to share the experiences that he has been fortunate to have. With each audience his goal is to pass on some inspiration, some knowledge, some good stories, and some additional appreciation for the natural world and for life.

Presentation Descriptions

Skurka is prepared to give three different presentations. Each presentation can be tailored to the organization, event, and event objectives.

The first presentation, entitled "The Great Western Loop: 6,875 miles, 7 months, and 1 magnificent West," is designed for outdoorsy crowds. In November 2007 Skurka became the first person to complete the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop, an ambitious journey in which he linked together five long-distance hiking trails and passed through 12 National Parks and over 75 wilderness areas. He covered the distance -- which is equivalent to 262 marathons, or twice the distance between Boston and San Francisco -- in 208 days, a blistering pace of 33 miles per day; he carried a mere 7 pounds of gear and ate a whopping 7,000 calories daily. In addition to witnessing many of the most pristine and beautiful landscapes in America, Skurka saw how mankind both adversely affects them yet critically depends on them for water, food, and resources. Skurka's inspiring and informative slideshow is complemented with beautiful images and entertaining video. The presentation usually concludes with a Q&A session, an opportunity to purchase some of Skurka's best photographic prints, and sometimes a gear raffle. The optimal length for this presentation is 45 minutes; Q&A requires another 15 minutes.

The second presentation is designed for corporate audiences, and is based on Skurka's Great Western Loop hike. But instead of his backcountry experiences being the focus, they become a means to talking about seizing opportunities, pursuing passions, setting and achieving goals, learning through diversity of experiences, and maximizing simplicity in order to maximize results.

The third presentation is a lightweight backpacking clinic, which is of most interest to Boy Scout troops, university outdoor clubs, and outdoor retailer customers. The clinic starts with a big-picture discussion: why lighter is better, the core principals of lightweight, and how to go light. Then it transitions to specific pieces of lightweight gear -- packs, shelters, stoves, clothing, water purification, etc. Finally, there is an open discussion to address class-specific concerns: how to go light in an institutional setting, with a family, in 4-season conditions, etc. Questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the clinic. The optimal length is 2 hours, but it could be as short as 60 minutes or as long as 4 hours, depending on how comprehensive and hands-on its organizers want it to be. The ideal clinic size is about 20 or 25; the hands-on element begins to get lost with groups larger than that.