Wilderness Course to Take Hikers Off the Beaten Path

Registration is under way for the Sierra Club’s annual Wilderness Travel Course which begins in January. The course is designed for outdoor enthusiasts, whether beginning hikers or experienced backpackers, who seek the knowledge and skills for safe exploration off the beaten path.

The 10-week course offers instruction in navigation with map and compass, wilderness ethics, backpacking equipment, outdoor nutrition, mountaineering medicine, physical conditioning, winter camping, safety and rescue techniques. Classroom meetings will include training films, hands-on workshops and lectures illustrated with color slides.

Four trips are scheduled for small groups, providing an opportunity for enjoyment and for practical experience in subjects taught in the classroom.

The first trip will be a 12- to 15-mile, one-day conditioning hike up a peak in the local mountains. Two weeks later, students will spend a weekend in the desert at Joshua Tree National Monument for navigation practice and an introduction to basic rock climbing.

Snow travel will be taught in another one-day hike, usually in the local mountains. The final trip will be a weekend snow camp in the High Sierra, putting to use all the techniques taught during the course. Chartered bus transportation is provided for the two weekend trips.

John Horton, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident and Wilderness Training Committee chairman, said the course is for individuals who enjoy physical activity and want to learn more about the wilderness environment. It builds individual confidence to travel through remote areas previously thought inaccessible, whether in the desert or mountains.

It can help develop a lifetime interest in wilderness adventure by putting students in contact with others who enjoy the outdoors. The course also introduces students to many other outings, activities and instructional programs sponsored by the Sierra Club, said Horton, an aerospace engineer who has been involved in the course for 10 years.

Fees are $135 for Sierra Club members and $150 for non-members, plus $18 for a textbook. The minimum age limit is 14; there is no maximum age. Any minor enrolled must be accompanied by an enrolled parent or legal guardian.

Class meetings will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays starting Jan. 19 at Stanford Middle School, 5871 Los Arcos St., Long Beach. Other sections of the course will meet on Tuesdays starting Jan. 11 in Orange County and Jan. 25 in the San Gabriel Valley.

Applications are available at mountaineering stores, Sierra Club chapter headquarters and by mail from registrar Don Creighton, Post Office Box 1585, San Pedro 90733-1585. Applicants should send a business size self-addressed stamped envelope. For more information, call Creighton at (310) 519-0364.

The course is taught on a nonprofit basis by certified and experienced Sierra Club volunteers.