lost creek llamas

Experienced packers have multiple seasons on the trail. Capable of passing at least PLTA MPL requirements without conditioning other than proper weight maintenance. Some of these animals may have actual MPL or EPL certification depending on the owners' available time. These llamas, IF available, command premium prices until age 17-20.

Some llamas advertised as "experienced" are from commercial packing operations. These llamas should be screened for flexibility to work in other settings, including but not limited to the ability to be calm and comfortable away from other llamas, and the ability to negotiate terrain without another llama to act as an example.

Green packers have at least one season on the trail (meaning they are at least 5 years old!): more than started, less than experienced. They are capable of passing at least PLTA MPL requirements without conditioning other than proper weight maintenance.

Green packers are good for people with llama experience who don't want to waste a year or more on the hassles of training trips or risk that an untried llama won't work out, but also don't want to spend the extra money for an experienced pack llama. Green packers can also be a good choice for people with large animal experience but little or no llama-specific experience.

A light-duty packer is a llama that will wear a pack and carry a moderate load for a few miles over moderate terrain, such as the BPL PLTA certification level. Examples of limited-duty packers are llamas capable of normal packing, but not suitable for harsh weather or requiring a llama companion on the trail, or requiring intensive conditioning.

Most advertised "pack llamas" fit into this category. Most are not certified in any way, and many are better described as "light duty pack prospects," perhaps having been briefly introduced to wearing a pack saddle around the farm. People who are already hiking and packing enthusiasts will not find light-duty packers satisfactory.

Started packers typically have trail experience but lack the full gammut of skills, usually those that are accumulated through multiple overnight and multi-day pack trips.

Typical started packers benefit from handlers that have knowledge and confidence, solid large animal handling experience, and backcountry experience.

Some started packers' training will have emphasized accepting, trusting, and working with multiple handlers over acquiring specific skills. This is actually more important for new llama owners, and well worth any "occupational skill deficit" tradeoffs.

A pack prospect is just that — someone has deemed it likely to be a packer, but the llama has no experience and no guarantees.

If the "someone" has a proven track record and the llama's parents (and any sibs) are proven packers, the odds are fairly good for a satisfactory outcome.

A "pack prospect" that doesn't lead well, can't or won't keep up with his/her handler, and/or isn't comfortable with basic handling and loading in a vehicle is NOT a pack prospect — it's an untrained llama, period.

This category includes pack llamas with extra or unusual training, pack llamas with extraordinary abilities, and pack llamas trained to be driven in harness.

Examples of "extra training" include the ability to work intelligently in a string (that is, responding to hand signals and/or verbal directions, not just "being strung"), or making water crossings on remote (verbal or hand signal) direction alone.

Examples of "extraordinary abilities" would be a llama capable of packing sunup to sundown day after day, or a llama trustworthy enough to carry a handicapped child rider.

Actual working pack llamas suitable for breeding pack llamas are also hard to come by. Claims of pack breeding stock for sale, on the other hand, are very easy to find.

True pack breeding stock will be proven on the trail (meaning they are fully mature, at least 4-5 years old), will have at least MPL certification (or can prove equivalency), and either have produced living offspring or carry a guarantee of reproductive soundness.

"Garbage in, garbage out" applies 100% (if not more!) to breeding pack llamas. A pretty good companion rule is ... you get what you pay for.

Classic refers to a very specific type of llama with a seasonally-shedding double coat.

Classic llamas have traditionally been bred as pack llamas, but even within the best breeding programs, individuals may or may not measure up — they may be packers but not Classic-coated ... or they may be Classic-coated, but washouts as packers. This is unavoidable — ALL breeders of working animals experience a certain failure rate.

Showring awards don't reflect packing ability (rather the opposite), and awards in the "classic" show divisions DO NOT mean that a llama is actually Classic.

"Ccara" refers to a llama screened by NACA. The owners have paid money to enter the llama into the NACA "registry". We do not condone or participate in NACA.

NACA criteria has much in common with the showring, evaluating llamas off the trail first. Adequate and even extraordinary pack llamas who fail the aesthetic criteria don't receive further consideration. See Gold'n Hawk for an exceptional pack llama whose photo NACA uses to exemplify "reject" (they never met, let alone packed with him).

If this approach appeals to you, please contact NACA directly.

The PLTA has four levels of certification — Basic, Advanced, Master, and Elite (formerly Extreme). Read the criteria carefully to understand what these llamas have (and have not) done! Also understand that politics CAN affect certification. Plan to verify handling skills in person if those are particularly important to you.

To earn certification, llamas must pass a trial at that level four times (including handling tests), or three times after passing the previous level. Although not all llamas of a specific level are equal, these certifications prove certain capabilities that cannot be faked. Consult the PLTA website to verify certification (it is updated sporadically).