Wilderness Leadership Course
Who do you consider to be a successful leader? What are the qualities that you look for in a leader? As you progress in your climbing, you may be looking to organize and lead trips yourself. Perhaps you have taken a basic climbing course and are wondering about the next step?
More than technical skills and logistical planning, wilderness leadership requires an understanding of individual and group dynamics, team communication and group decision making, and the power of the team. While the skills taught in this course are specifically designed to address Wilderness Mountaineering Leadership, they also work to develop your skills as an active and invaluable climb team member and can inform your personal and professional life.
In this course, you will learn the fundamental concepts and skills needed to effectively plan, organize and lead an outing in the mountains. Beginning with a review of the literature on outdoor leadership, the course covers the basic concepts and styles of leadership, trip planning, wilderness navigation, team dynamics, decision making, communication, team building, risk assessment and crisis response. Students will develop travel agendas as well as spend time leading the class during the field sessions.
Course Requirements
Applicants must have completed the BWCC glacier climbing course or equivalent and be comfortable in the skills of snow travel, map and compass, ice axe belay and arrest, and snow camping. The field sessions are non-technical in nature but are very strenuous, involving off trail winter travel in the Cascade Mountains. Sign up preference will be given to graduates of the Bushwhackers Basic Glacier Climbing Course.
Course Schedule
The course will consist of six lectures and three field sessions. Classroom sessions are from 7:00 to 9:30pm, and will be held at a west side location to be announced. Note: Field session dates may change due to weather or avalanche conditions
| Lectures: | Tuesdays, March 3, 2009 to April 7, 2009 |
| Day Field Sessions (2) | Saturday March 7 and 21 |
| Overnight Trip | Saturday and Sunday March 28-29 |
Registration
This class is underway. The schedule above is from 2009 but we left it there to give you an idea of what to expect for the next time it is offered.
About the Instructor
Mario Moreno is a 1998 graduate of the Bellevue Community College Glacier Climbing Course and subsequently assisted with many of the Wilderness courses taught there at the time. He most enjoyed assisting with the wilderness leadership course. He has crawled all over the Cascades and has spent much time focusing on the Pickets Ranges, leading nine trips to the region in eight years. His diplomatic and friendly style, concern for his fellow climbers and for the success of the outings he has led, makes him a natural to teach this course.
