Colorado Rockies Alpine Backpacking

This two or three week backpacking course takes place in the Rocky Mountains and focuses on the art of traveling light, exploring the natural world and becoming a high functioning team. The bulk of the course takes place at 9000 feet or higher so students must be physically fit and ready to embrace challenge.

The Rocky Mountains, one of the most famous mountain ranges in the world, stretch 3,000 miles from Alaska to New Mexico. They have provided the inspiration for legend and have had a profound influence on the development of the continental United States. It is in and around these majestic mountains that your Outward Bound Wilderness course will take place.

The Outward Bound Difference
As the course progresses and your skills and experience increase, your instructors will turn more and more responsibility over to you and your patrol. You will eventually take over decision-making on navigation, route finding, distance to be covered, sharing of duties, campsite setup/cleanup and meal selection. This is your opportunity to make the course your own unique experience – determining each day’s challenges, setting a pace that is appropriate for your patrol, becoming each other’s friends and confidantes and having more fun. Successful completion of your course demands mastery of skills, trust, fitness, confidence, tenacity, leadership, initiative and compassion. The promotion of these qualities, and the discovery of what’s in you, is the purpose of Outward Bound.

This course may be the hardest thing you have ever done. Outward Bound philosophy maintains that by facing the challenges the course will offer you, you will emerge physically and mentally stronger, with an increased mastery of expedition skills as well as a better understanding of your own capabilities. We think that the payoff is well worth the work, but you should be aware of what you’re getting into and excited about tackling the challenges.

Course Description
After meeting your group, you will travel together to the one of the many amazing mountain ranges in the Rockies. The emphasis of this course is to teach smart and efficient lightweight backpacking and alpine travel techniques. During the course, you can expect to travel on and off trail, over wooded and alpine terrain which can be rough, steep and exposed to heights, but with lightweight gear designed for fast and light travel. You will learn Leave No Trace camping and travel skills, outdoor cooking techniques, basic first-aid, map and compass use, route finding, and how to use an ice axe if necessary on your route. You will backpack up through the alpine environment and attempt a peak ascent.

Mountaineering vs. Backpacking - In alpine environments like the Rockies, the Cascades or the Sierra Nevada, or any of our courses in the west, backpacking and mountaineering are very similar. On both course types the majority of travel takes place around 9000', both course require strict adherence to alpine oriented Leave-No-Trace principles and practices and both include peak ascent attempts. Mountaineering courses attempt peaks that are higher in altitude and that require ropes, anchors or rock climbing to reach the peak. Backpacking peak attempts generally can be reached on foot without ropes of other gear. Because mountaineering requires technical climbing gear, the pack weights are heavier and the course more challenging.

To enroll in this course click the enroll button next to the course dates that work for you. To shop comparatively on line visit our Advanced Course Finder or better yet call one of our expert Admission Advisers at 866-467-7651. Course tuitions listed below do not include our Application Fee or Transportation Fee.

Region: Colorado

Activities: Backpacking, base camp phase, peak attempt, rock climbing, ropes course, low-impact camping, solo, service

Additional Information:
Application Fee
Transportation Fee

scholarship program pick
Dates	Days	Age	Location	Tuition	Course	Enroll
06/16/08 to 06/22/08	7	30+	Colorado	$1295.00	CBT821
06/23/08 to 07/06/08	14	16-18	Colorado	$2595.00	CBN841
06/23/08 to 07/06/08	14	18-22	Colorado	$2595.00	CBO841
07/05/08 to 07/26/08	22	16-18	Colorado	$3395.00	KBN853
07/12/08 to 07/18/08	7	30+	Colorado	$1295.00	CBT822
07/14/08 to 07/27/08	14	18-22	Colorado	$2595.00	CBO843
07/14/08 to 07/27/08	14	16-18	Colorado	$2595.00	CBN843
08/01/08 to 08/22/08	22	16-18	Colorado Rocky Mountains	$3295.00	KBN854
08/02/08 to 08/08/08	7	30+	Colorado	$1295.00	CBT823
08/05/08 to 08/18/08	14	16-18	Colorado	$2595.00	CBN845
09/06/08 to 09/12/08	7	30+	Colorado	$1295.00	CBT824