Western Maine Winter Backpacking & Ice 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:

'' Backpack and snowshoe over snow-capped peaks, stopping on wind-swept summits to gaze at silent valleys below. The Carter-Mahoosuc range is home to many 4000-foot summits that offer challenging ascents and stunning views. Use your map and compass to navigate your way through boreal forests shrouded in snow. Strap on crampons and pull out your ice axes to scale frozen waterfalls. You will travel every day, making a snug camp in the snowy woods each night and warming yourself in front of the fire with a steaming cup of cocoa.
Winter expeditions aren¡¯t about being cold ¨C they¡¯re about mastering the skills you need to travel, eat, and sleep comfortably in the wilds of a winter landscape Begins in Newry, ME.

Course Area

Your winter expedition takes place in western Maine or eastern New Hampshire. Depending on your expedition route, you will travel in one or more of the following areas: the Carter-Mahoosuc mountains, the White Mountain National Forest, the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness Area, or the Appalachian Trail. Winter in western Maine is mesmerizing, peaceful and exhilarating. It is a place of bracing cold air, snow-capped peaks, snowbound pines, and intense silence and solitude.

The Expedition

You don¡¯t need to have previous winter camping experience. We will teach you everything you need to know to travel comfortably ¡ª how to dress for warmth, how to sleep warmly, how to pack, and basic winter physiology. Your course will begin at our Mountain Center base camp, where you will get a basic introduction to winter travel, then you will quickly journey out into the backcountry, where the real winter magic takes place.

The backpacking route will take you on various trails in the western Maine or eastern New Hampshire mountains and you will sometimes venture off-trail, using your map and compass to navigate. Your internal frame pack will be stuffed with a sleeping bag, clothing, food, stoves, tarps, and all the other gear you will need to travel in the woods for six days. Winter camping requires a lot of gear and your pack will weigh at least 50 lbs., often more. The route will include at least one alpine peak ascent, where you will hike to a summit and gaze at the winter landscape in the valleys below you.

Backpacking is hard work. Backpacking takes you and your heavy back up and down steep trails. If snowfall is heavy, you must take turns ¡°breaking trail¡± ¡ª walking at the front of the line and forging a path through the snow for the rest of the group. Hard physical exercise is an integral part of winter travel, though, because exercise helps you stay warm.

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 winter 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. Neither guides nor counselors, the instructors are teachers and mentors whose goal it is to train you to travel independently in the backcountry.

Winter Living

With our training and equipment, you¡¯ll find you can live comfortably in cold temperatures. You will learn how to work with your own body heat to stay warm, how to eat foods that keep you warm, and how to regulate your body temperature using clothing layers and exercise. As you travel, you may find that your ideas about ¡°comfortable¡± temperatures may shift. Warm days often mean slushy snow and heavy walking ¡ª cold days may mean hard, crisp, fast snow.

Setting up a snug winter camp takes time, energy, and teamwork. In the late afternoon, you¡¯ll look for a sheltered spot with good firewood. As you set up camp, your group will divide duties¡ªsetting up tarp shelters, constructing a kitchen area, cooking, and locating, sawing and splitting wood for the evening fire. In the evenings, you will gather around the fire and the cook stoves to prepare the evening meal and plenty of hot drinks.

You will typically sleep under tarps that sleep 4-5 people. Frequently you will cut snow blocks to form walls that will block any wind or blowing spindrift. Depending upon snow and weather conditions, you may learn to build an igloo or other types of snow shelters, but these types of shelters are quite time-consuming and require particular snow conditions; usually we choose to spend our days traveling, rather than building.

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. 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

Winter travel is demanding. 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 in western Maine is never predictable and winter is no exception. Daytime temperatures can range from just below zero to above 30, while nighttime temperatures can fall to the -20s. Rain, wind, sleet, and snow are all common and you will learn to travel in just about any conditions; we rarely take ¡°layover¡± days due to bad weather. Winter travel revolves around staying warm and the weather simply provides another challenge on the expedition.

You will be traveling in a remote area. While each course carries a cell phone for emergency communication, coverage in the backcountry is limited and there is no guarantee that the phone will work from any given location. Medical evacuations may take up to a day.

A consistent theme in our instruction is identifying and managing the risks of travel in remote areas. The instructors are trained in first aid, search and rescue, and emergency management, but they cannot guarantee your absolute safety -¡ª you must take a certain amount of responsibility for your own well-being. You should come to your course prepared to work hard, take responsibility for yourself, and master the skills taught on the expedition.

Each course is as unique as the individuals who form the group. Your course itinerary may vary, depending on weather and snow conditions and the skill level of your group.

Ice Climbing

If the ice has formed properly, we¡¯ll include a day of ice climbing on this course. While you¡¯re ice climbing, you¡¯ll leave your packs at the bottom of an icy cliff and spend the day learning to use plastic mountaineering boots, crampons, and ice tools. You¡¯ll also learn to belay your fellow climbers, as they ascend the ice face.

Solo

Weather and time permitting, an overnight solo provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition. With sufficient food and equipment, you¡¯ll spend time alone at an assigned campsite to rest, reflect, and practice the campcraft skills you have been learning throughout the course. You will build a fire to keep warm, to cook food, and dry clothing. We choose your solo site to offer as much solitude as possible, within hearing distance of other group members.

Packs and Equipment

We supply internal frame packs, in which each group member will carry all personal gear. We supply any specialized gear, including a winter parka, army-issue ¡°mouse boots,¡± and sub-zero sleeping bags. You will need to bring everything on the packing list we will send you once you are enrolled in this course.

...''

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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