Summary

Join our Founder and Lead Guide for a seven-week virtual outdoor skills clinic. Learn the key skills you need to plan, prepare for, and confidently enjoy single-day and overnight outdoor adventures. This comprehensive course distills twenty-years of practical knowledge into seven weekly modules taught in an interactive Facebook online community.

Graduate with your roadmap to a lifetime of outdoor adventures.

Introduction

Join us to learn everything you need to know to plan and confidently enjoy single-day and overnight outdoor adventures. This seven-week virtual clinic covers every aspect of outdoor adventure skills from trip planning, gear, fitness, nutrition and meal planning, hygiene and self-care, and so much more. This is our most in-depth outdoor training program.

You’ll be welcomed into a private online community to learn everything you need to know about outdoor adventure planning. Each week will focus on a progressive area of outdoor skills culminating in the ability to confidently plan your own end-to-end multi-day backpacking adventures. Each session will include a live skills module followed by practical exercises to put your new skills to use.

We’re with you every step of the way with progressive weekly outdoor skills content, interactive real-world skills assignments, and community with other participants. Your trail is waiting. We’ll give you the skills you need to get there.

Looking to join us in-person instead? Join us for a two or three-day overnight backpacking skills weekend!

Itinerary

• Week One - Goal Setting & Trip Planning

  Every adventure begins with a goal. We’ll start our series by breaking down various outdoor adventure types, the key skills and prerequisites for each, and share our top tips for smart outdoor adventure planning. We’ll share our step-by-step approach to establishing adventure goals, trip plans, and identify the resources you need to create your own. Our first week will end with establishing your personal outdoor goals to guide the rest of your seven-week session.

  Resources: Online Trip Planning Tools, Trip Planning Template, and Step-by-Step Trip Planning Guide

• Week Two - Trail Fitness & Training Plan

We are thrilled to welcome resident Physical Therapist, experienced mountaineer, and all-around outdoor athlete Dr. Anna Friedman, DPT to our community! Anna is the Founder and Owner of Upward Physical Therapy in Seattle. Her primary focus is the training and support of outdoor and endurance athletes. This session will provide you with a solid planning approach, reliable methods to set goals and avoid injury, and sample fitness plans for both new and experienced outdoor adventures.

Dr. Anna is also offering one-on-one personalized coaching consults and individual or group training programs at a significantly discounted rate for series participants. We're excited to offer this exclusive offer for those who want to go further in their supported fitness and conditioning journey. You can learn more about these outdoor athletes focused training programs on her website.

Resources: Training Plan Template

• Week Three - Day Hiking Clothing & Gear

This week focuses on the essential clothing, gear items, and ten essentials of smart and prepared day hikers. We’ll start with a sample gear list, cover smart buying tips, and share the contents of our personal backpacks. We’ll work together to demystify what you need - and what you don’t! - for long days on the trail in all four seasons.

Resources: Day Hiking Gear Checklist

• Week Four - Overnight Backpacking Gear & Packing Strategies

  We’ll build on the day hiking gear list established in week three and expand it to include overnight gear. We’ll help you select the overnight gear for your needs whether you are planning a PCT through-hike or single-night glamping adventures. There is a LOT of backpacking gear on the market. We’ll help you buy it right, buy it once, and buy it to last.

  Resources: Overnight Gear Checklist - Ultralight, Standard, Budget, and Glamping Options

• Week Five - On-Trail Nutrition & Backpacking Meal Planning

  One of the most important parts of a successful multi-day trip is great food! This is a vital element to successful fueling, mental health, and avoiding the ‘bonk’ on the trail. I’ll break down my formula to DIY backcountry food options, wilderness food preparation strategies, and great ready-made products to reduce your preparation time. We’re honored to be an established authority for women in the outdoors for the one and only Andrew Skurka.

  Resources: Backcountry Meal Planning Planning Templates & Sample Recipes

• Week Six - Leave No Trace & On-Trail Safety

  This section focuses on ‘Leave No Trace’ - a set of seven key wilderness preservation ethics - and personal hiker safety. This section focuses on the skills you need to Plan Ahead and Prepare for yourself, the environment, and the plants and animals who call our Public Lands home. We’ll cover basic first aid preparation, wilderness navigation essentials, wildlife encounter avoidance and response, and how to minimize your impact outdoors.

• Week Seven - End-to-End Outdoor Adventure Planning

This is where we put it all together! We’ve spent the last six weeks covering basic trip planning skills, fitness training, outdoor gear, nutrition planning, on-trail safety, and Leave No Trace Principles. Our final week supports you in developing your own end-to-end outdoor adventure plan using the skill and resources from this clinic.

Resources: End-to-End Trip Planning Template

• Logistics - Facebook Based Online Community

  You’ll be invited to join a private Facebook community with your session cohort for the duration of this series. This invitation will be shared with you one before your session start date. (you’re welcome to join anytime to get settled in)

  The weekly 30 - 60 minute live session will be held on Monday and available for on-demand playback at any time during the series. There will also be an optional introduction session a week before the formal start date to handle logistics and review our itinerary. Your online community will remain available for an additional week after our final module for wrap-up and any remaining questions.

Why Join Us

This seven-week virtual clinic is designed for adventurous women ready to start living their outdoor adventure dreams. You’re dreaming of waking up to the perfect mountainside sunrise, long days on the trail with a soundtrack of birdsong, and nights under the stars at remote alpine lakes. The only thing standing between you and your dreams is the roadmap to get started. This is where we come in.

We understand that it can be overwhelming to get started. The gear list options may seem endless and expensive. The path to multi-day backpacking ready fitness may feel daunting. The thought of remote wilderness, the fear of getting lost, and critters that bump in the night may feel overwhelming. We understand, and, together, we assure you that you’ve got this.

The key skills you need for long days on the trail and multi-day overnight backpacking adventures are within your reach. Our seven-week virtual clinic program will bridge the gap between the person you are the incredible outdoor adventurer you will become. Our objectives include learning how to select single-day and overnight destinations, predicting and planning for current conditions, choosing gear for your needs and budget, establishing your backcountry campsites, self-care skills, Leave No Trace considerations, and everything else you need to know to hit the trail. You will receive progressive weekly skills training, key tools, and interactive assignments to build your outdoor skillset over the course of this session.

This event is held in a virtual online community setting with like-minded participants. You will have receive weekly training sessions, offline skill building exercises, and 24/7 access to your fellow participants and instructor. These progressive skills sessions will build on each the previous weeks, with end-of-week check-ins and support, culminating in the ability to plan, research, and execute your own independent backcountry adventures. Our success is in mentoring strong and confident outdoor adventurers capable of reaching their dreams. We believe in you.

The Cascade Mountain Adventures team has years of experience leading safe and successful backcountry overnight trips. This session distills over twenty-years of hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, and long distance trekking experience into one comprehensive skills series. We cannot wait to support you in hitting the trail this season.

Registration Fee

$199 /per Participant

Questions?

See our Frequently Asked Questions or Contact Us. Please also review our Cancellation Policy before registering for an event.

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