Over 30 days, you’ll backpack 90-120 miles through some of Wyoming’s most remote mountain terrain—the Wind River Range. Think hundreds of alpine lakes, summer snowfields, and peaks over 13,000 feet.

You’ll begin with the fundamentals: cooking on a camp stove, map and compass navigation, Leave No Trace principles, and protocols for traveling through grizzly bear country. From there, you’ll tackle more advanced topics like wilderness first aid, risk management and decision-making. All the while you’ll be refining your leadership skills. Depending on conditions, you might also learn fly fishing, snow camping, peak scrambling, and plant identification.

Photo credit: Rachel Gold

Once you’ve built a solid foundation of skills, you’ll get the chance to lead—first for a day at a time, then potentially for a multi-day expedition where your group navigates without instructors. You’ll have emergency communication, but the decisions fall to you and your team.

Photo credit: PJ Duffy

This course teaches you how to thrive in the backcountry when conditions get hard.
With heavy packs and unforgiving terrain, you can expect this month in the wilderness to challenge you. What may surprise you is the depth of community that you’ll create and the lifelong memories you’ll take home with you.