ALPINE BACKPACKING EXPEDITION
15-day adventure through remote areas of the Montana wilderness, developing skills in leadership, communication, navigation, wilderness medicine, camping, backcountry cooking, and teamwork.
Dates: August 7-21, 2025
Age: 16-18
Group size: max 10 students/2 instructors
Length: 15 Days
Tuition: $4,855 (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
A Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification course
Course Description
The Alpine Backpacking Expedition builds on basic backcountry skills and caters curriculum to high mountain travel. Open to students 16 to 18, this 15-day backpacking course teaches the navigation and risk management skills necessary for off-trail, alpine travel. The group will practice condition assessment, and attempt to summit a few stunning peaks* in a wild Northern Rockies mountain range. To boost student confidence in alpine terrain, there will be a particular emphasis on route finding with map and compass, as well as sound decision-making/risk management in the high mountains.
While on expedition, students will engage in lessons about Leave No Trace® land stewardship principles, backcountry cooking and campcraft, and navigation and triangulation. Additionally, participants will learn about alpine ecology, local public land history, and the high-level leadership and facilitation skills necessary to travel well and limit risk exposure in the mountains. Each student will have opportunities to lead the group as Expedition Leader of the Day to gain experience with these newly acquired leadership skills.
The expedition team will complete a 2-day, 16-hour Wilderness First Aid course taught by Aerie Wilderness Medicine that gives students detailed instruction and practice with the skills needed to effectively handle medical emergencies in the backcountry. Students will be eligible for WFA certification upon completion of the course.
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.
*Note: The Alpine Backpacking expedition does not involve roped travel or roped climbing, but it does include off-trail travel in loose terrain. Interested students should be prepared for a challenging backpacking trip with incredible views.
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 prioritize 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
“It was an incredible experience - I learned an incredible amount, met amazing people and saw amazing things.”
—2022 MWS Participant
