Event Details

THE CLASS IS CURRENTLY FULL. We are working to have students move through the course. Spots in the course will open as students graduate. Those on the waitlist will be given priority. So please use the waitlist.

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VIRTUAL CLASSROOM TIME ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM -- This is a rolling-enrollment program combining online pre-recorded class time at your own pace, live online group time, and in-person field days scheduled as much as possible around student availability. 

• Designed for members whose life circumstance or work schedule does not allow for the traditional Wilderness Trekking School (WTS) in-class experience.
• Teaches the foundational skills and meets the WTS prerequisite requirement for many CMC advanced schools (e.g., mountaineering, backpacking, scrambling, rock, and others). 
• For ALL skill levels – for new hikers AND for experienced hikers who need to refresh their knowledge or fill holes in their skill set.
• Also available for WTS student make-up classroom sessions at a prorated, per-module. Contact Mike O'Connor to arrange.
• Also available for members seeking a waiver of the WTS requirement based on prior experience, when waiver is conditioned upon acquiring specific skills, at a prorated per-module price.  Contact Mike O'Connor to arrange.

To enroll at any time and start your Day Hiker training, contact School Director Mike O’Connor at mikeoc111@gmail.com or 303-933-3100.

WHO SHOULD ENROLL IN THIS SCHOOL:  All CMC members, 18 and over, who intend to hike in Colorado should take either this school or WTS. Those who can meet the WTS in-person schedule are encouraged to take WTS, offered in the spring and fall each year. https://www.cmc.org/Classes/CMCClassesandSchools/WildernessTrekkingSchool.aspx

REQUIREMENTS: In order to graduate, students must complete all five modules within two years from the end of the month they register. Each module consists of an online lecture, required reading material, a quiz, and a field day. Students must complete all the other items for a particular module prior to signing up for the field day portion of that module. 

TO GRADUATE and OBTAIN CREDIT FOR THIS SCHOOL:  A student must complete all online content and all field days (except, possibly, the snow field day) in order to participate in the required Graduation Hike.

NO REFUNDS:  Since members have two years to complete all school requirements, refunds are not available.

Day Hiker School Director

Mike O'Connor

mikeoc111@gmail.com

303-933-3100

The course consists of five modules:

• Dryland Travel – foundational hiking skills


• Map and Compass – Learning basic navigation skills


• Survival – What to do when things go wrong


• Snow – Self arrest and other basic skills for snow travel


• Graduation – Planning and preparing for a hike to a specific point

When you enroll, you will receive through email your personal Google Classrooms link to view the classroom modules at your own pace. Periodic live, online Q & A sessions will be announced.  WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT EVERY STUDENT START WITH ONLINE MODULE ONE, DRYLAND TRAVEL, AS THIS WILL PREPARE YOU FOR ALL THE REST OF THE SCHOOL MODULES, AND PARTICULARLY FOR FIELD DAYS.

See Note below for topics covered

Topics covered include:

• The 10 (or more) essentials – providing information to help with the decision of what to pack and best sources for this gear
• The overarching principles of backcountry safety and making decisions of risk vs. reward when day-hiking
• Techniques that can be used for both on and off-trail hiking
• Basic map & compass skills: orientation, navigation, and route-finding – these can be further developed in the various stand-alone navigation schools CMC offers
• Weather – what to pack for changing Colorado weather conditions
• Nutrition and hydration -  fun!
• Handling with confidence an unexpected night in the backcountry or other backcountry emergencies
• Snow travel and avalanche awareness – these can be further developed in the various stand-alone snow schools CMC offers
• Leave No Trace and other conservation practices
• Safety through Teamwork
• Wildlife Encounters
• Knots – this can be further developed in CMC's Mountaineering and Knot-tying Schools