Mountaineers Adventure Club

THE CLUB

MAC is a year-round program that is not only skills-intensive but also relies on the community formed among the members to be successful. To get the most out of this program, participants and parents should plan accordingly for MAC trips and meetings, which are listed in the MAC calendar months in advance. Staff, Volunteers, and trip leaders put significant effort into organizing fun and safe events. To ensure the greatest opportunity for success, participants must make a commitment to the program. If that commitment is not fulfilled, a participant's continued membership with MAC may be terminated or suspended for the remainder of the year. 

The youth members plan all of their outings, with guidance from adult advisers. From single-day outings to weeklong camping trips, activities have included rock climbing, hiking, car camping, snow-cave camping, cross-country and backcountry skiing and mountaineering. While attendance at all meetings is not required, the more meetings and outings you attend, the more you get out of the program! 

PARENT EXPECTATIONS 

We need chaperones. There is a lot of logistics, and we need people who can drive, support group flow, help fill up the propane for cooking and remember the sunscreen. 

What if I don’t climb? That is OK! These climbing areas are in beautiful parks - you can hike, hang out in a hammock and cheer people on, or try out climbing and see if you like it! Stay within your scope, e.g. don’t give climbing advice if you’re not a vetted climb leader. 

MAC is student led - step back and let the own it. Please defer to MAC leadership whenever possible. If you are chaperoning a MAC trip, you may be scheduled to be in a different activity pod from your child. Let your child work through how many jars of pasta sauce they’ll need to buy to feed 40 people at camp. Let your student take responsibility; we grow from failure.  

Parents interested in chaperoning trips must take our Qualified Youth Leader e-course to earn their QYL badge, which is a requirement for each adult involved in the program.  

REGISTRATION 

WHEN CAN I REGISTER FOR MAC? 

You can register now! For those who were a part of the youth clubs during the 2026 program year, please fill out the enrollment lottery. Anyone wishing to join MAC must have completed the enrollment lottery, regardless of participation in the clubs for 2025. On August 27th at 12pm, the lottery will close and placement in the club will be offered the following morning.  

 Here is a video that demonstrates the registration process for individual trips, which will be a helpful reference after accepting your offer to join the club per lottery results. 

PRICING 

MAC membership is $3,000 for families joining in October. Students joining in the winter will be prorated. The standard payment structure will be a single payment of the total amount upon registration. Upon request, members may opt-in to a 4-installment payment plan.  

To join, members must pay the entire course fee on this page when registering. If members wish to opt-in to the payment plan, they may make that request upon being offered a spot in the club after the lottery. In that case, registration will be handled manually by staff. Interested members will have the opportunity to join in on at least one trip or outing before paying and committing. 

We offer financial assistance! To apply for financial assistance click here. 

KICKOFF TRIP 

The kickoff trip is offered to returning students and new students who have been awarded a spot in the program through the enrollment lottery. New students will be given at least 2 weeks advanced notice that they have been awarded a spot in MAC and they are invited to join the Kick-off trip to try out the program before committing. To register for the MAC Kick-Off Trip, register on the activity page, which is listed as a stand-alone seminar in order to allow prospective members to register themselves.  

Register here for the Leavenworth Kick-Off Trip on September 12-14th. 

SIGNING UP FOR TRIPS 

To register (or cancel) for trips, make sure to always visit this page. Here is a video that demonstrates the registration process both for the club as a whole and for individual trips. 

1. Click on "Manage Registration" on the right side of this page 

1. Check the box(es) of the trip(s) you'd like to register for 

1. Scroll to the bottom and click "save" 

1. Double check what you are signed up for by viewing the "My Activities" section of your profile.  

Cancelling from a trip 

Please note that if you have the tendency to cancel last minute events/activities, we prefer that you do not seek enrollment in the MAC program. Chronic last-minute cancels are frowned upon and take experiences and opportunities away from someone who can commit to the program.  

Cancelling yourself or your child off a trip is quite simple; it's just the reverse of registering for trips.  

1. Click on "Manage Registration" on the right side of this page 

1. UNCHECK the box(es) of the trip(s) you'd like to cancel your registration 

1. Scroll to the bottom and click "save" 

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS 

If it's not letting you register your child: check to make sure your child's "Youth Information Form" and "Youth Programs Form" and "Youth in Adult Programs Form" are filled out on their profile.  

If it's not letting you register as a chaperone: check to make sure your Mountaineers waiver is filled out on your profile and that you still have your QYL badge. 

If it's still not letting you register as a chaperone: double check to make sure you are listed as a chaperone on the roster on this course page. Scroll down and click the blue "Roster" tab to check. 

RESOURCES 

Check out the blue "Program Materials" tab to find additional resources including the handbook, reimbursement form, general gear lists, trip leadership resources, and more! 

Required equipment:  

Each trip has its own gear requirements. See activity pages for gear lists. If you'd like to borrow gear, as a member of MAC you have access to use of our climbing gear while on club trips as well as the Gear Library.