Print and fill out the Wilderness Trekking School Application Form and return it to the CMC offices, or sign up online. If class capacity is exceeded, you will be placed on a wait list in order of application receipt.
Normal hiking equipment will be needed, with particular emphasis on the Ten Essential Systems. We strongly urge you to wait to purchase any new items until after the first lecture night. The first lecture and group meeting will include details of what is needed. Your instructor team will have a variety of suggestions for you.
Some important required items:
The Denver Council is responsible for determining the school tuition refund policy. Refunds of 100% (less a $10 charge) will only be made if a written request is made 30 days before the first class. Refunds of 50% will be made if a written request is made within 30 days before the first class. No refunds will be made after the first class. All requests for a refund must be made to the WTS Director. NO other requests will be honored.
To graduate from the Wilderness Trekking School, students must attend all lectures and participate in all required field trips.
If you miss one or two lectures, you may receive credit by checking out and reviewing a video of the lectures.
If you miss a field day, you may continue with your group for the other field days, and make up the missed field session. Make-up sessions for some of the field days may be held during the current session, but are not guaranteed. If necessary, one missed field day can always be taken during the next WTS session. If you miss more than one field day without making it up in the current session, you will need to retake the course at full tuition.
Please remember that each instructor is making a substantial volunteer commitment of time and effort to make this quality school available to CMC members. As a student, your commitment can be no less. You must be willing to adjust your schedule to fit the school
Admission to WTS is open to people who are at least eighteen years old and who meet the following requirements:
1. Current CMC membership.
2. Prepayment of the $90 tuition. ($100 for non-Denver Group members).
Potential WTS students do not need to possess any previous hiking experience. You will need to possess conditioning and stamina to complete A or B level hikes on field days. The field trips cover a variety of terrain and varying degrees of difficulty in all types of weather conditions. Be prepared to spend a full day in the field on every trip. Additionally - you will need to obtain equipment necessary to support the field trip exercises (The Ten Essentials).
There are some exercises during the field trips that may be frightening to some students the first few times they are practiced. This is to be expected. No student will be required to do anything against his or her will.
The tuition for WTS is $90.00 for Denver Group members and $100 for CMC members not in the Denver Group. In addition to the cost of the school, each student is expected to have or obtain the necessary gear to safely and effectively participate in the class (See “What gear/equipment will I need to have for the school?”).
Students are expected to reimburse drivers at the CMC mileage rate of $.10 per mile for travel from carpooling locations to the various field day destinations and share in park entrance or parking fees. Depending on the destinations, this could be a total $10 to $30. There may also be some cost for the map needed for your Graduation Hike
The instructors are all volunteers who wish to share their knowledge. Assistant instructors have successfully completed WTS. Senior instructors have assisted in previous WTS sessions and are CMC trip leaders.
For the sake of safety and integrity, WTS waivers are not granted lightly. You may download and print the WTS Waiver Application Form from the this site.
1) Successful completion of WTS or Backpacking School using the ice axe on the Snow Practice Day.
2) Recommendation from the WTS or BKPS senior instructor.
3) Possession of a Denver Group C hiking classification
Please visit the BMS website at http://previous.cmc.org/denver/bms/ for more information.
The primary difference is that WTS teaches you about day hiking, plus how to survive an unexpected night in the wilderness (without actually spending the night during the class), while Backpacking teaches you how to enjoy planned nights in the wilderness and spends several nights out during the class.