Western Maine Backpacking & Rock Climbing

Baltimore Cheasapeake Bay Outward Bound
Baltimore, MD, United States

Course Format: Classroom | E-learning | Virtual Class | Online | On-site | Blended | Self-paced

Course Description:

'' Trek through tree-shrouded valleys and over 4,000-foot summits. These big walls aren¡¯t easy to get to, but they¡¯re worth it. Learn vectors, knots, anchors and mantel moves, belaying, rappelling, jamming and other intense climbing techniques. Begins in Newry, ME.
Course Area

Your wilderness classroom will be the mountains of western Maine. During your 14 or 24-day expedition, you will backpack in one or more of the following areas: the White Mountain National Forest, the Appalachian Trail, the Carter-Mahoosuc Range, the Grafton Loop Trail, or in the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. These spruce-fir and hardwood forests are home to hundreds of species of birds as well as moose, deer, and black bear. Most of this hiking terrain is protected from development and offers both pristine and established camping, rushing waterfalls and twisting streams, and spectacular views from rocky summits. Rock climbing sessions take place at the many granite cliffs that can be found throughout the Carter-Mahoosucs and in the White Mountain National Forest near Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire.

The Expedition

You don¡¯t need to have previous backpacking or climbing experience. We will teach you everything you need to know to travel comfortably ¡ª- how to pack appropriately, set up tents, carry a backpack, rock climb, belay, and navigate using a map and compass. Your course will begin at Outward Bound¡¯s Mountain Center base camp, where you will get a basic introduction to backcountry travel, then you will quickly journey out into the wilderness, where the real magic takes place.

During your course you will be travelling expedition-style with a pack on your back. ¡°Expedition-style¡± means that you will leave base camp on the first or second day of your course and not return to it until the end of the course. This means no showers, no telephones, no television, or any other modern luxuries that you may be accustomed to. You will travel with all the food and equipment you need to conduct your expedition: stoves, tents, food, etc. Your group might occasionally sleep at the same campsite twice, such as before and after a climbing day, but generally you will be moving to a new campsite every night as you hike along your expedition route. You should come to your course emotionally prepared for, and excited about, devoting all of your time and energy to your expedition, your group, and your Outward Bound experience.

During your hiking expedition you will spend at least four (more on longer courses) days rock climbing on one of the granite cliffs that can be found throughout these forests, known locally as ¡°Little Bear,¡± ¡°Bald,¡± ¡°Table Rock,¡± and ¡°Square Ledges.¡± After a site introduction, you will learn how to use a climbing harness and helmet, how to tie knots, how to belay, how to climb, and how to rappel or lower off a climb. Students will belay each other, while instructors provide overall supervision of the site. Climbing gives you a chance to practice your balance, coordination, flexibility, and grace on the rock. Depending upon your expedition plan and student interest, you may learn to do a ¡°via ferrate¡± or a ¡°tyrolean traverse,¡± too, in addition to learning climbing techniques.

The instructors¡¯ goal is to teach you the skills you need to become self-sufficient in the backcountry. The instructors will spend the early days of the course helping you master backcountry expedition skills, coaching you as you learn. As you grow more competent and confident with your skills, the instructors will ask that you take more responsibility for the leadership of the expedition. The test of your skill mastery will come in the form of the Final Expedition: a multi-day backpacking expedition led by you and the other group members. Neither guides nor counselors, the instructors are teachers and mentors whose goal it is to train you to travel independently in the backcountry.

Expedition Life

You and the other members of your group will learn to cook tasty and nutritious meals over portable gas stoves. Our meals are mainly vegetarian (meat is heavy and spoils quickly) and consist of grains, pasta, beans, cereals, and other light, dehydrated foods. The food may seem unfamiliar at first ¡ª we don¡¯t pack many processed foods or ¡°junk food¡± -¡ª but you will find that it tastes good and gives you energy at the end of a long day. A typical breakfast might be granola or oatmeal; lunch would include crackers and cheese or peanut butter and jam on home-baked biscuits (you bake them!); dinner might be macaroni and cheese or beans and rice. We can accommodate some special food needs (such as lactose intolerance or vegan eaters), but only if we know well in advance. If you have a particularly unusual diet, we may ask you to bring some of your own specialty foods.

As this is not a guided trip, all group members will pitch in to do camp chores, including cooking, washing pots, setting up tents, and hanging food bags (to keep them safe from critters). You¡¯ll find that as the expedition progresses, your mastery of these campcraft skills will enable you to operate more efficiently and effectively around camp.

A typical day involves rising with the sun, making breakfast, packing up camp, and hitting the trail or the rocks. You will hike or climb all day¡ªtaking breaks for food or to enjoy a view, of course -¡ª but generally covering lots of territory. Once you reach camp, group members will divide and conquer to get food cooked and camp set up. After dinner, you may meet to address the next day¡¯s plans, or to discuss leadership and teamwork methods, before crawling into your sleeping bag for a well-deserved rest.

Student Independence

There will be times on this course when you will not be directly supervised by instructors. This will include time around camp cooking or setting up tarps, sleeping, and solo. Students will sleep in single-sex tent groups, but all other aspects of the course will be run in co-ed groups with varying degrees of instructor supervision, depending upon the activity. Outward Bound has found that a degree of independence is an effective educational tool and we expect that all students come to this course with a willingness to learn skills and practice them without instructor supervision, either alone or with other group members.

Weather, Remoteness, and Other Challenges

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.

Wilderness travel is demanding. Your backpack will weigh 40 to 60 pounds and you will be hiking up and down steep trails, or through trail-less woods. You might hike up to 15 miles ¡ª- or even more ¡ª- in one day. Climbing is not as physically rigorous as backpacking, but it requires stamina and mental determination, as well as flexibility and balance. Past students and instructors agree that arriving physically fit will enhance your experience and ability to do well on the course and ultimately allow you to take full advantage of the expedition.

Weather is quite varied in Maine; the old-timers say ¡°If you don¡¯t like the weather, wait five minutes.¡± Summer days can be mild and pleasant or wet and cold, with fog, wind, and even sleet thrown into the mix. In May, June, and September the average temperatures will range from 40 to 60 during the daytime to as low as 30 in the evening. In July and August the temperatures will be between 50 and 90 during the day and as low as 45 at night. The average temperature of the lakes and rivers will range from 40 to 50 in the spring to ...''

Phone:410-448-1721

School Address:

1900 Eagle Drive - Leakin Park
Baltimore, MD 21207
United States
410-448-1721
baltimore@hurricaneisland.org

Jobs & Resumes: Baltimore
Houses & Roommates: Baltimore

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