Olympia Wilderness Skills Committee
Our Wilderness Skills Course
Our Wilderness Skills Course prepares people to day hike and be safe on an unplanned overnight, along with the basics of backpacking. The 16-hour course on two consecutive Saturdays includes presentations, hands-on activities, and a short local hike with scenarios and navigation exercises.
Dress to spend some time outside regardless of the weather. You’ll need a compass with adjustable declination and preferably a mirror on both Saturdays (but we have loaners). The second Saturday you’ll also need to bring a day pack with gear (but let us know if this is a problem).
Everyone is welcome, and students are not required to have previous hiking or backpacking experience.
A special note: Students registered for the Basic Climb or Alpine Scrambling course will be added to the Wilderness Skills course and must complete it before their climbing or scrambling course begins.
Our wilderness skills course is offered annually in late January to early February.