True wilderness
tent camping with
outhouses, firepits, firewood
Canoes, flatwater paddling
on the Gatineau River.
Island exploring and
a waterfall hike
Map and compass orienteering
with "Mantracker"
excitement added
Outdoor rock face
rappelling
Cave exploration
Day and night hikes,
flora and fauna identification,
wolf howls, camp skills, etc.
Typical Schedule for a 3-Day Camp
Day 1
Arrive 10am: introductions, set camp, collect firewood, eat lunch
1pm: map and compass instruction, rules of Mantracker
2pm - 5pm: Mantracker GAME ON!
6pm: campfire and dinner
8pm: wolf howl (optional)
10pm: sleepy time
Day 2
8:30am: half the class departs for the river, for a morning of canoeing and island hopping
9am: other half of class meets at The Ark for rappelling
11:30am: paddlers and rappellers return to camp for lunch
1pm: morning rappellers go canoeing
1:30pm: morning canoers go rappelling
5pm: camp time, campfire, dinner
8pm: Night hike (optional)
10pm: Sleepy time
Day 3
Day 3 options include packing up camp and shuttling everyone's gear to the road.
If activities were desired, we have some outdoor experiential team building activities to tackle or a cave to explore and play games in.
OUR
TESTIMONIALS
“I had the great fortune to bring many of my outdoor education classes to The Ark. Mike and his facility were a great place for students to explore the outdoors, refine skills and concepts learned in the classroom and to be challenged to think and work as a team. Orienteering, paddling, rappelling, team building activities and more. Mike places safety and inclusion as a priority and has always provided our student groups with an excellent experience. I highly recommend Mike and The Ark to any school group looking to find an outdoor education facility that provides a wealth of exciting activities all in one spot.”
Neil Purves -
Immaculata High School
James Bott -
All Saints High School
We love the Ark! It's the perfect distance from Ottawa; the perfect blend of activities; the perfect amount of challenge; and the perfect amount of fun. Mike is an amazing resource of experience and information and has a great rapport with the students. 8 years now and counting for All Saints!
I have known Mike since our whitewater rafting days on the Ottawa River in the 1980's. Mike has created a truly unique experience at The Ark, with one-of-a-kind activities like Mantracker. Mike has spent his life in the outdoors and his experience as a firefighter/paramedic and educator certainly make for some truly memorable outdoor education experiences.
David Stibbe
Kendra Read
At The Ark, Mike provides an engaging and active excursion for students and staff in a safe yet challenging environment. Mike's wealth of knowledge and outdoor experience guides and allows students an opportunity to experience various outdoor pursuits. The Ark is an excellent destination for an Outdoor Education excursion.
About the Ark...
I sold my house and cottage in 2002 and purchased The Ark as an abandoned sawmill. From there I went to work to turn it into not only our off-grid home but a venue where we could host weddings, trail and snowshoe races, corporate teambuilding, and outdoor education.
We are located 40 minutes north of Ottawa, 20 minutes north of the Wakefield Hospital and 7 minutes from the Low fire station. We are 4 minutes from the Gatineau River, where from above the Paugan Dam, you can flatwater paddle and explore the entire 20km current-free to Lac Ste. Marie. We are walking distance to the "Farrellton Grotto", which is a small cave located near my neighbour's hay field.
We have 10km of trails here, 12 orienteering checkpoints, a rappell cliff and a tent camping area with plenty of flat ground, 4 outhouses, 2 firepits, a kitchen prep area and an overlook with amazing views of the sunset.
About Mike Caldwell and The Ark
About Mike...
My life was forever changed when I joined the extra-curricular "Wilderness Skills Group" in my high school back in 1985. Our biology teacher, John Rudolph, took us hiking around Georgian Bay and canoeing in Algonquin Park. This is where my love for everything outdoors really took off.
I then took this passion to become an international whitewater raft guide, guiding rafts on the Ottawa River, in the Canadian Arctic, the French Alps, the US and Canadian Rocky mountains, and even the Grand Canyon. I also did numerous solo and group camping trips around the world, including a month in the Guyanese rainforest in 1992.
Career wise from 1990 - 2002, I worked as a firefighter paramedic, ultimately retiring in 2002 as the Ottawa Air Ambulance base supervisor. From 2002 onward I have focused on building the Ark and the businesses associated with it.
Ark
Outdoor
Education
A true wilderness experience, only minutes away from
civilization and safety
Create your own
outdoor adventure