Backpacking Light Wilderness Trekking I

Catalog No.

Enrollment Caps

To preserve the intimacy of our course environment and maximize your experience, all of our courses are capped at eight to twelve students.

If a course sells out, we will consider adding another for the same dates and locations, with more instructors (to keep the instructor:student ratio high). If you select a course in the drop down menu and there is an "OUT OF STOCK" notification, be sure to sign up for a STOCK ALERT, and we'll keep you informed about more enrollment slots if they do open up.

2008 Course Calendar

We will offer three Wilderness Trekking I courses in 2008. The three locales offer a diversity of location, terrain and scenery. All offer the opportunity to put your new skills into practice into a beautiful wilderness environment.

Wilderness Trekking I - Rocky Mountains

• Dates: August 22-26, 2008
• Instructors: Ryan Jordan, Mike Clelland, Bill Stadwiser and Ryan Connelly
• Destination City: Bozeman, MT
• Trekking Area: Absaroka/Beartooth or Gallatin Ranges

Wilderness Trekking I - Pacific Northwest

• Dates: September 2-6, 2008
• Instructors: Darin Banner, Andrew Skurka
• Destination City: Portland, OR
• Trekking Area: Cascade Range, Northern Oregon

Wilderness Trekking I - Desert Southwest

• Dates: October 13-17, 2008
• Instructors: Don Wilson, Andrew Skurka
• Destination City: Escalante, UT
• Trekking Area: Escalante River Canyons

See below for more detailed course descriptions and photos of course locales.

Course Overview

Welcome to Backpacking Light's Wilderness Trekking I, a comprehensive foundation to lightweight backpacking that will introduce you to the most advanced gear and techniques. Our expert instructors will help you get out into the big wilderness carrying everything you need - and nothing that you don't.

Wilderness Trekking I will cover the latest gear and techniques in packing systems, sleep systems, cooking systems, clothing systems and shelter systems. We'll cover the fundamentals of living and traveling in the backcountry with lightweight gear. And we'll learn about and enjoy the unique environment explored by each course.

Wilderness Trekking Video Slideshow

The Wilderness Trekking I video slideshow provides a summary of the course and a look at the course locations. This will require a medium to high bandwidth connection.

Immersion Education

All of Backpacking Light's Wilderness Trekking courses are immersion experiences. You will live, eat, sleep, share, and learn with your course mates. Your knowledge and passion for lightweight backpacking will increase dramatically as a result of intense classroom education and the opportunity for course participants to cross-pollinate each other with their own knowledge and experiences.

Prior to the actual course, you will participate in a closed online forum with your instructors and course mates. Here you will get to know each other, and begin your preparation for the course. The online forum is a chance to ask all your questions and share experiences - and to come to the course fully prepared for an enlightening seminar.

Course Format

Wilderness Trekking I is comprised of a 24-hour classroom immersion experience followed by an optional community trek that will allow you use these new skills in a real wilderness environment.

Course Schedule

• Day 1 – Check-in, instruction, dinner, instruction
• Day 2 – Breakfast, instruction, lunch, packing, transportation to trailhead
• Day 3 & 4 - Trekking in the backcountry
• Day 5 - Trekking, return to destination city, debrief

Tuition

$799.99 (Non-Members) or $699.99 (Premium Members).

Your course fee includes all expenses for the classroom portion of your course. This includes:

• Catered meals
• Overnight accommodations
• Instruction and course materials
• Group gear rentals
• A few pieces of complimentary gear
• Discount coupons for BackpackingLight.com
• Free one-year subscriptions to Backpacking Light Magazine and BackpackingLight.com (or an extension of your existing subscriptions),
• Participation in a closed, pre-trip online planning forum with other course participants and your instructors for the 60 days prior to the start of your course.

Your course fee does not include:

• Transportation to and from the destination city where the classroom portion of the course will be held
• Expenses associated with the optional community trek following the course. If you wish to participate in the community trek, each participant should contribute a nominal amount to cover the costs of meals, group gear, and transportation to and from the trailhead. This amount does not typically exceed $75.

PAYMENT INFORMATION, REFUNDS, AND CANCELLATION POLICY: ADVANCE PAYMENT FOR FULL AMOUNT OF TUITION IS REQUIRED TO RESERVE YOUR SLOT. IF CANCELLATION OCCURS MORE THAN 90 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR COURSE, 90% OF YOUR TUITION IS REFUNDABLE. IF CANCELLATION OCCURS LESS THAN 90 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR COURSE, 50% OF YOUR TUITION IS REFUNDABLE.

Waiting List. If you see an "OUT OF STOCK" message, then the course you have selected is full. Please sign up for a STOCK ALERT to automatically be placed on the waiting list. We will contact you in the order in which stock alerts are received if there is a cancellation.

Requirements/Prerequisites

This is an introductory course with no specific prerequisite. If you wish to participate in the optional community trek, you must be capable of hiking seven to ten miles per day carrying a thirty pound pack. You will be required to sign a medical release and liability waiver.

Other Information

• Welcome Packet / Gear List: Will be provided by June 1.
• Waiting list available. See note above.
• Maximum Enrollment: Ten participants per course
• Banned Items in the backcountry: No illegal substances, firearms, alcohol, tobacco, GPS units, electronic compasses, altimeters, pedometers, watches, radios, satellite or cellular phones, electronic music players, electronic gaming devices, or any other electronic device other than a flashlight.

Wilderness Trekking I Staff

• School Director: Ryan Jordan
• Lead Instructors: Ryan Jordan, Ryan Connelly, Mike Clelland, Darin Banner, Don Wilson
• Curriculum Manager: Bill Stadwiser

Wilderness Trekking Classroom Seminar

The classroom portion of the course is all about maximum learning. The day long session will take place in a relaxed and comfortable environment - but will be filled with discussion and ideas about the latest in lightweight backpacking. Prior to the optional community trek, you'll review your gear and get ready for three days of ultralight travel in the wilderness.

The classroom seminar is relaxed, fun and filled with opportunities to learn.

Wilderness Trekking I - Rocky Mountains

Welcome to Backpacking Light's Wilderness Trekking I – Rocky Mountains. Get ready for a wilderness experience that will test your physical abilities and challenge your conceptions about what it means to take a walk in the wild. Here amidst the picturesque Absaroka, Beartooth and Gallatin Mountain Ranges you will be presented with stunning views and some of Montana's most amazing trekking.

While you immerse yourself in the laid-back Montanan style of living, you will receive hands-on guidance from industry-leading instructors Ryan Jordan, Mike Clelland (also a NOLS instructor), Ryan Connelly, and Bill Stadwiser regarding the absolute latest in ultralight backpacking tools, techniques and practices. After a day of classroom instruction, you will be invited to take what you have learned and put it to the test in one of nature's most beautiful outdoor learning facilities – the Rocky Mountains - home of the grizzly bear. We encourage you to join us for this exciting introductory course and the new found freedom in knowing what it takes to go ultralight!

The wilderness of Montana's mountains in summer - ideal for lightweight hiking in a raw wilderness filled with majestic scenery.

Wilderness Trekking I - Pacific Northwest

Welcome to Backpacking Light's Wilderness Trekking I – Pacific Northwest. Get ready for a wilderness experience that will test your physical abilities and open your eyes to the new possibilities that ultralight backpacking has to offer. Held at the McMenanins' historic Edgefield resort near Portland at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, this course begins in style, as you check into spacious European-style rooms with double queen beds and turn-of-the-century decor. Yet don't let this early taste of luxury fool you – this course is about learning what it takes to live and walk in the wilderness in ultralight style!

On day one, classroom instruction will begin at 1:00 pm sharp, as world-class instructors Darin Banner and Andrew Skurka begin teaching you the finer points of ultralight tools, techniques and practice. Day two will begin with more instruction and then you'll be invited to take what you have learned and put it to the test in an absolutely stunning three day hike up Eagle Creek canyon. This hike is nothing short of spectacular, offering walks along ridge-top meadows with abundant views of cascading waterfalls and towering peaks. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from the pros while you surround yourself with some of the most beautiful scenery the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

The Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest is a land of lush forests and striking volcanic peaks.

Wilderness Trekking I - Desert Southwest

Perhaps no other place on earth is more suited to take advantage of the ultralight style of backpacking than the American southwest. With its dry climate, stunning views and breathtaking simplicity, you can afford to leave much of the bulk behind and just go. Welcome to Backpacking Light's Wilderness Trekking I – Desert Southwest, a course that is designed to entice the senses and excite the spirit in one of the more remote locations in the lower forty-eight – the canyon country of southern Utah.

Hands-on course instruction will begin on Oct. 13th at the Escalante Visitor Center Auditorium, where industry-leading instructors Don Wilson and Andrew Skurka will present the absolute latest in ultralight backpacking tools, techniques and practices. On day two, after a hearty breakfast and more instruction, you'll be invited to participate in a three day, three night exploration of the captivating red sandstone canyons along the Escalante River. October generally offers perfect hiking weather in the Utah desert. During the hike you will put you new learning into practice while exploring beautiful sandstone arches and ancient native American petroglyphs. If mother nature cooperates, you may even get a wet crossing in a mild river! Be prepared to learn about, enjoy, and experience what it is like to walk through a magical part of the southwest, all while carrying only what you really need.

The remote canyons of the Escalante River are a lightweight hiker's paradise of crimson rock, precious water and verdant river bottoms.