Explorers and Junior MAC Ages 10-13
YOUTH-DRIVEN, ADULT-GUIDED
Explorers is a year-round outdoor adventure program for youth aged 10–13 looking to learn new outdoor skills and make lasting friendships with fellow adventurers. While there is a focus on developing climbing skills for those who are interested, the program and activities rotate with the seasons and include outings for all interests. Activities include hiking, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snow caving, camping, and exploring in just about any capacity! This is a great opportunity for you to get outside with your child!
In Seattle, Explorers is divided into two cohorts: Explorers for ages 10–11 and Junior MAC for those who are 12–13. This allows us to give more families more opportunities to get outside. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to Member Services!
Trips, Meetings, and skills
Trips
Trips are planned and led by Mountaineers staff, volunteers, and parents. Explorer and Jr. MAC youth are given the opportunity to go on one or more trips per month. These trips range from single-day hikes, paddles, and climbs, to multi-day hiking, climbing, or camping trips. Some trips have a maximum capacity, while others are open to as many youth and adults as want to attend. Parents are welcomed on trips, but not always required (adult:youth ratio is a minimum of 1:4).
Meetings
Students meet monthly at the Seattle Mountaineers to learn about various outdoor topics ranging from Leave No Trace to navigation to conservation and more. These meetings are also used for trip planning and Q&A.
Skills
Students are offered the opportunity to participate in skills workshops each month, teaching them climbing skills ranging from belaying to lead climbing to anchor building and more. Skills workshops take place at the Seattle Program Center.
Gear
Outdoor equipment can almost always be borrowed from The Mountaineers when given enough notice (usually 1–2 weeks prior to trip). Gear lists are noted on the activity page for each trip as well as the check out and return time for gear.
membership fee
Explorers and Jr. MAC membership is $1,100 in total for the year. By default, members will pay the entire annual course fee all at once upon registering for the club. Upon request, families may elect to agree to an installment plan in order to make 4 payments on the annual course fee over the course of the year.
The membership fee covers: staff time, transportation costs, gear, camping fees and permits, and food for group meals on overnight trips. In return, members gain a community of outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy spending time learning skills and getting outside together. As families grow through our programs, lifelong friendships are built. When graduates of our teen program come home from college, they meet up with other Mountaineers friends to go hiking, backpacking, and climbing. This program is just the beginning.
We offer scholarships! To apply for assistance from our scholarship funds, click here.
Become involved
Sign up for a family membership
To get involved, you'll need to sign up for a Family Membership with us. Once you have created your new account, add your kids to your account by clicking on the "Membership" tab and adding a family member. Here is an FAQ on that process.
ENTER THE Explorer or jr. mac ENROLLMENT LOTTERY
To ease the stress of enrollment for Explorers and Jr. MAC and make the process as equitable as possible, we will be using a lottery to manage registration. The lottery application period will begin on June 18th and last until September 15th at 11:59pm and during that time, interested families both new and returning will have the chance to apply for a spot in Explorers or Jr. MAC. Preference will be given to returning Explorer and Jr. MAC families in this lottery process.
On September 16th, the lottery will be conducted and families receiving a spot will be notified of the opportunity to join Explorers or Jr. MAC. Enrollments will be confirmed and families will be invited to register and pay for Explorers or Jr. MAC beginning on October 1st. Any spots not confirmed by invited families will be awarded to the runners-up in the lottery per the results throughout October or as soon as possible.
Attend our September Info Session
Our program year begins in September. We will be hosting our info session on September 14th from 6:00-8:00pm so you can learn in more depth what Explorers and JrMAC are and what we offer, as well as ask all of your questions.
enroll in explorers or jr. MAC
The Explorers and Junior MAC course pages for 2022-2023 is now available and is where registration will take place. Registration will not be freely available, and offers to enroll will be extended directly to families as per lottery results beginning on October 1st.
Questions?
Contact the youth clubs program manager or member services team with questions or for more information.