Map and Compass Skills

June 12, 2010
$149
Find yourself off trail. Build a solid foundation of navigation skills during this cross-country day hike in the Foothills near Boulder. Learn the fundamentals of topography, orientation, declination, and triangulation, incorporating the techniques through practical route-finding exercises. Enjoy the company of other hikers and feel prepared to add off-trail terrain to your future hikes. For women with some prior hiking experience.

What Should I Expect on a Women’s Wilderness Course?You can expect to learn a lot, do a lot, laugh a lot, and be tired out by the end of the day! Our intention is to teach you the skills to go out and have your own adventures, and to have fun in the process. Women’s Wilderness Institute courses are real-life adventures, rather than guided expeditions, and you can expect to give a hand in all the aspects of the day, including carrying gear, preparing lunch, and packing up, and to always have a say in whatever you’re doing.

What Do I Need to Bring?Not much! After you have enrolled you will be sent a packet that includes a list of things to bring. Women’s Wilderness can supply all day hiking gear, including day packs, maps & compasses. In most cases we can loan you outdoor clothing if needed, including raingear and fleece clothes. We suggest that you bring well-water proofed, solid hiking boots. We do have a selection of leather boots to loan, if needed. If you need to borrow hiking boots, please let us know before your course so you can come in ahead of time to try them on.

Where Are We Going? The course will take place at the Betasso Preserve just west of Boulder.

What Will We Eat? We’ll pack a great lunch and plenty of snacks. Energy bars or gels are not generally provided, so if you have a favorite feel free to bring them along. We have vegetarian and meat options, and we can accommodate some common food allergies and dietary needs. If you have dietary restrictions, or you’d like to bring your own lunches, please let us know several days before your course.

How Will I Get to the Course Site?We will meet at The Women’s Wilderness office at 8:00am sharp to check clothing and gear, and will depart shortly thereafter. You’ll be responsible for getting yourself to and from the trailhead, which is about a 30-45 minute drive from Boulder. Most groups choose to carpool. If you need a ride, or if you are willing to take someone in your car, you can let us know so that we can help facilitate carpooling ahead of time. There is ample parking at the Boulder office if you choose to ride with someone else.

What About Fitness?This course is an introduction to backcountry hiking, but it is important that you be in good health and reasonably fit. Packs will weigh 10-20 lbs, and hiking will include some short uphill sections. Day hiking may involve travel off trails and over rough terrain. As a rough guideline, we suggest that you be able to hike uphill at a good pace for an hour at a time.

If you’re coming from a lower elevation, we strongly recommend you spend a day or two in Denver or Boulder prior to the course start. This course takes place at elevations of 10,000 feet, and gradual acclimatization is very important for your health and safety.

Payment Schedule & Cancellation PolicyA $60 application fee will hold your spot on the course for two weeks while you receive and return your completed enrollment packet. This fee is non-refundable, unless for some reason we cannot accept you on the course. Half of the remaining course fee is due with registration, and the rest of the fee is due two months before the course start. Payment plans may be able to be arranged – please contact us if this would help you pay for the course.

CANCELLATION POLICY – PLEASE READ!Our cancellation/refund policy is based on our investment in staff time, course planning, and food and equipment purchases before your course. Course tuition includes a $60 nonrefundable application fee.

Cancellation refunds will be given according to the following schedule:
Days prior to course start:

• More than 60 days: 100% of full tuition minus $60 application fee.
• 21-59 days: 50% minus $60 application fee.
• 8-20 days: No refunds, however 50% minus the $60 application fee may be transferred to another course in 2010.
• Less than 7 days: No refunds or transfers.

If we cancel a trip: TWWI reserves the right to cancel a trip if sign-up is inadequate to make the trip economically feasible for us to operate. If this happens, we will fully refund the stated cost including the application fee. However, TWWI is not responsible for additional expenses incurred by you in preparing for the trip, e.g. transportation costs, gear, etc.

Trip InsuranceSafeguard your adventure! Plans can change without warning, which is why we recommend securing your course by investing in trip insurance, for example with:
Travelguard.com 1.800.826.4919 Insuremytrip.com 1.800.487.4722