MONTANA BACKPACKING ADVENTURE
10 days backpacking through Montana’s remote wilderness.
Dates: Aug 11-20, 2024
Age: 14-16
Group size: max 10 students/2 instructors
Length: 10 Days
Tuition: $3,150 (75% of Montana students receive a partial to full scholarship)
Course Highlights
Backpacking in remote wilderness areas
Navigation, orienteering, and wilderness travel skills
Wilderness decision-making and communication skills
Experiencing abundant wildlife and ecosystems
Course Description
The Montana Backpacking Adventure is an introductory backpacking course designed for 14-16 year old students. This 10-day adventure focuses on teaching students to become competent in fundamental backpacking skills such as cooking, camping, and map and compass navigation while developing a variety of leadership skills as members of an expedition team. Students will be challenged physically—at appropriate introductory levels—and will hike with moderately heavy packs in a beautiful alpine environment with some stunning views of surrounding ranges.
The expedition team will engage in lessons about area ecology, backcountry cooking, navigation, and Leave No Trace® land stewardship principles. Instructors will engage the group in a leadership development progression, emphasizing how to communicate effectively and work together to accomplish common goals. Each student will have an opportunity to lead the group as the Expedition Leader of the Day to gain experience with newly acquired leadership skills.
For more information about MWS core curriculum and expedition progression check out Expedition Life. If you have additional questions please check out our FAQ page or reach out to contact us.
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
TEAMWORK AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Learn positive communication skills with diverse group members to create a healthy community, build trust, and make sound decisions in the backcountry together
Develop an expedition philosophy, apply it to the course, and understand how it can transfer back to the student’s home environment
SAFETY AND WILDERNESS BASED DECISION MAKING
Backcountry hazard evaluation and risk reduction guidelines and tools
First aid awareness for backcountry settings: identification and treatment of common backcountry illness and injuries
Learn to collaboratively make decisions in remote environments that prioritizes individual and group safety
CONSERVATION ETHIC
Use basic observational and interpretive skills to demonstrate an understanding and respect for the natural environment
Discuss the history, facts and potential solutions to pertinent environmental and social issues affecting the wilderness in the expedition area
Reflect upon and discuss the conveyance of wilderness conservation ethics into personal life and build a capacity for commitment and stewardship to wild places
Develop comprehensive understanding of Leave No Trace® ethics and apply them during the expedition
BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING AND NAVIGATION SKILLS
Use safe backcountry kitchen practices to cook nutritious meals on a camp stove or fire
Demonstrate an ability to select an appropriate campsite and set up a shelter while minimizing the impact on the ecosystem
Understand and demonstrate how to stay healthy, warm, and comfortable in the backcountry
Understand and demonstrate techniques for camping and traveling in bear habitat
Use various navigation and route-finding tools and methods for on and off trail travel
Travel efficiently in the alpine environment using map and compass skills
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Backpacking
Learn to properly pack and adjust a backpack
Become competent in backpacking in alpine environments
Travel off trail and discover unpopulated areas of the Montana wilderness