Adventure Education

Reflection by John Scott

While in the backcountry, we had the opportunity to observe two seasoned educators in their element.  Their poise in the wilderness and the rapport that they developed with the group showed the bench marks of quality and professionalism that we should all hope to one day obtain.  As I returned to the “real world” and tried to translate the experience to others in my life I was met with many comments. 

“Wow that sounds like a lot of fun.”

“This is going to be a really easy semester for you, huh?”

“So what are you studying again?”

“Is that what you want to do (after you graduate)?”

While these people had mostly positive responses to my stories and tidbits, there was an underlying tone of, ‘so you’re going to campout this semester and get credit for it’.  To this, I have to answer, yes but it’s so much more than that. 

Most people would agree outdoor experiences, in particular the experiences, which are augmented by adventure education, can change peoples’ lives for the better.  They are reluctant to justify time or money spent on such “trivial pursuits”.    The vacillation between two stand points; adventure education creates lasting benefits for all involved and adventure education is just fun and games, is one of the greatest threats to the field.  To dispel such confusion, we as young adventure educators need to show that while we are out camping for this semester we are also developing skills and strategies that will clearly define the difference between “just fun and games” and adventure education (even though it is a blast).

To truly own this attitude, we must ask, “What was so different about this four-day expedition when compared to the last long weekend trip with our friends?”  We came out alive.  We had a great time.  No one was injured or lost.  We conquered peaks.  We learned things about the land and ourselves.  While the same “outcome” was obtained (more or less), the manner in which we achieved it was quite different.

There are many differences between personal camping and professional expedition. The strongest of these differences is the clear definition of leader.  When most people go to enjoy the outdoors, there is a plan of activities and a general idea of how these events should occur.  Out of the group, the most experienced at the given outdoor activity is usually looked to for advice but rarely defined as the leader of the group.  As long as the trip goes well there is little need for a leader.  However, should something go wrong, a group of people who formally had similar goals could become a crowd of individuals with very different opinions on how things should go.  Having a clearly defined leadership team or an individual leader prevents this inefficient behavior from happening.  This kind of fore sight can only be described as professional.  Even if nothing goes wrong, having a leader gives the trip a grounding point.  The leader shouldn’t be pushy but his or her presence helps mediate small disagreements or brings order to a group decision making session.

Coupled with the definition of leader is the preparation for the trip.  As we prepare for our weekend excursion with our friends, we watch the weather channel on the way out the door and stop by the grocery store off the highway for food and water.  As we get to the trail, we realize that Bobby forgot his headlamp and the tent poles, Sarah’s hangover just got hungover, and the trail is now a stream from the last two nights of rain.

What a nightmare.  Even a little more planning could have prevented such things or at least contingencies could have been in place.  When we look at the level of planning that goes into a professional expedition it’s hard to imagine that there is so much behind a trip.  From budget to evacuation routes to reducing impact, the professional will plan backups for backups.

A third difference is the quality of the trip.  When out with our friends, the goals are often physical, summit that peak, campout for three nights, climb a 5.10.  While all trips have room for personal growth, it is rarely the focus.  It still can and does happen but without a catalyst, it can’t reach the level that it may have.  The professional has planned these moments or has anticipated the teachable moments.  The professional prepares lessons to enrich the experience, reflection time and discussion, and debrief to solidify the experience into lasting change.                  

As we transition from participant to leader, we must say with pride, “Yes, my field is fun. What could be better than enriching peoples lives while doing something that you love?”  While it may look like we are just camping out this semester, we are developing leadership skills that will positively affect both our lives and the lives of others for years to come, in the backcountry and in our own neighborhoods and homes.

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Reflection by David Cote

There is a lot to learn as a future adventure educator. The modern day adventure educator has so many skills and new technologies that they must be proficient in, in order to be a well rounded, experienced teacher in a backcountry setting. There are GPS skills, map and compass orienteering, stove cooking, travel techniques, reading the weather, bear attacks, water purification, campsite selection, Leave No Trace training, and so much more. Now it’s one thing to know all of these skills, but to teach them while out on an expedition can be difficult. Luckily, the wilderness has a way of presenting some great teachable moments and provides adventure educators with a very diversified classroom.

Being in the backcountry for the first time can be a very new and uncomfortable situation for most clients. It is the job of the adventure educator to put their client’s fears and doubts to rest by showing proficiency in their skills and confidence in their teaching. They must not show a false bravado because either the clients will see right through it, or it will fail them when the “defecation hits the oscillation!” A leader must have a reassuring and positive self-image of themselves as Adventure Educators. Knowing your core self and living that personality to the fullest really sets a leader up for success.

On our first Immersion Semester backcountry expedition the students were basically acting as clients while Christian and Jamie were our leaders. They took advantage of almost every teachable moment ranging from plant identification along the trail to pooping LNT style in the woods. During our first 72 hours in the field there was barely any let up on the instruction because there is so much to go over. One of my observations was of Jamie and Christian’s ability to work together as well as complement each other’s differing teaching styles. They would share and sometimes swap off different lessons depending on who had more experience or whoever was up next.

One particular lesson that Christian taught us while hiking was proper traveling technique, related to foot placement, rest-step, and not putting weight on your toes, but staying flatfooted. When this class occurred we had already climbed a decent amount of steep trail and Christian could tell we were struggling a bit. I like how he waited to see how we would handle this section of trail before he stopped us and gave us the “tricks of the trade” to help us complete our ascent. By the time he taught us the proper technique we were all ready to give it a try since we’d tired ourselves doing our old stepping techniques. That was a very memorable teaching moment for me that Christian properly assessed and then taught, right when his clients needed it!

The other great way of teaching is to show your true passion and excitement about the topic and get everyone interested because it means so much to the leader. I witnessed this teaching style a lot when I was with Jamie, especially the Poop Talk! Jamie was very animated and intense in his teaching style. Even after a full day of hiking, teaching, campsite setup and dinner, we all were fully enthralled at his lesson because of its energy and also silly topic! This was great placement for a lesson and it seemed to stick with everyone quite well.

One of the biggest parts of being an adventure educator is knowing when you can let your clients start operating on their own, or with very little guidance. The goal of an educational backcountry expedition is to teach your clients to be more comfortable in the wilderness and proficient in the necessary skills to stay out there. After the first couple days of instruction and hiking, by the last day Christian and Jamie started to let us be self- sufficient. We would set the pace, and do the orienteering with just a little bit of help when necessary. At this point in the expedition the leaders would fall back in the line and watch us lead as well as make mistakes. Most of the time they would let us make mistakes and learn the hard way from them. I know I have always learned the hardest lessons by making mistakes and working through them. It is extremely difficult for an educator to keep their mouth shut and not intervene while a wrong turn is being made, or the water is boiling too slowly. All it would take is a quick word or wisdom to right the mistake, but they want to see the clients figure it out for themselves and solidify their training.

After four days and three nights in the field filled with instructional material and life lessons, I know I’ve chosen the right profession. I love watching people learn and appreciate the outdoors and as an adventure educator I will have the best position to do that. The lessons that I’ve been taught and all the others still to come will serve me well when it’s my turn to carry the torch of adventure education. I can’t wait to exercise my new-found knowledge and skills in the backcountry.

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Reflection by Zach Straye

I have been on backcountry expeditions before, but never with a professional adventure educator guiding me.  The differences between personal expeditions and professionally guided expeditions are as clear as black and white.  On expeditions that haven’t been professionally led I have had fun, but I never learned or felt as safe as I did when we were experiencing our first trip of the immersion semester.  Throughout our last backpacking trip Jamie and Christian utilized all their leadership skills to do everything from motivating us to keeping us safe.  They did this in an organized, calm, and professional manor.  During our last expedition I realized that you must be a professional in all areas of your field, no matter what job you have.  For an outdoor leader that includes how to: feed, motivate, guide, encourage, protect, and sympathize with your participants. 

I learned that to be a professional adventure educator you must always be looking for a lesson to teach.  A planned lesson is a great way to plan for an expedition, but a day in the field rarely goes the way it was planned, so having the flexibility to adapt your lesson plan to your to is an essential part of being an adventure educator.  Adventure educators are always prepared for the worst, but have a mindset for the best.  This provides great group morale and allows for a better teaching environment.  At the same time if a bad situation were to arise a good leader would be able to quickly and confidently deal with it.  This confidence will assure the group that they are in good hands and hopefully the incident will not ruin the expedition.  Without the leader’s confidence, a group’s morale may plummet and a bad situation can get a lot worse.  An adventure educator’s technical skills must be at such a high level that they are comfortable teaching others.  Technical skills include: cooking, building shelters, natural history, safety, weather prediction, travel techniques, and many more skills.  If a trip leader is confident in his/her technical skills it shows in their organization and strength as a leader.

An Adventure educator can not only be trained in their technical skills, but also in their personal skills.  Many times expeditions can push a client or a group past their breaking point.  This calls for a leader to be sympathetic to a groups needs.  A good leader will be able to sense despair in the group and push them past it.  When we were getting frustrated because we couldn’t find the trail Christian told us a metaphor that motivated the group to go a little bit farther.  He showed great personal skills by creatively encouraging us with an inspiring story.  This may not be appropriate at all times but he demonstrated how well-timed positive words can be a strong tool in the field.  Professional adventure educators are flexible to the groups needs.  A good leader will not continue with unnecessary lessons after an exceptionally long hiking day, because they know the group is too tired to learn.

In my experience a good professional adventure educator combines technical skills and personal skills to successfully guide a group through the wilderness.  A professional adventure educator is well organized and prepared for anything.  They are confident in all their skills and abilities as a leader.  A professional has a passion for teaching and takes every appropriate opportunity to pass on their knowledge.  Adventure educators have the skills to be able to confidently teach a lesson to a client instead of just knowing it for themselves.  They are able to judge a group’s morale and act on that judgment.  Great adventure educators don’t lead their groups they inspire them.

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Reflection by Lisa Busch

John Graham defines leadership as “the capacity to move others towards goals shared with you, with a focus and competency they would not achieve on their own.”  There are so many qualities that a good and capable leader must have.  In fact, there are too many to name and the best way to find them all is to observe a quality leader at work.  Our class has just done that for the past week.  We witnessed smart choices, little sacrifices, and mini-outdoor lessons.  Most importantly, we found that a professional adventure educator can still have a good, safe, time.

What I found is that a leader doesn’t have to be obvious.  There were plenty of times during our recent wilderness excursion where it was us, the students, who were leading the pack, cooking the food, setting up the shelter, and hanging the bear bag.  But, our leaders were always there if we needed help, even if they were just in the background.  It is important to remember that while a leader needs to take control, they also need to take a step back and see the future leaders that they are creating. 

Graham talks about how many people who enjoy the outdoors focus on the technical skills, rather than the leadership skills.  I have observed that our leaders, Jamie and Christian, taught us how to hang a bear bag, how to light a stove, and even how to poop in the woods.  They took care of the technical stuff.  However, they also had us focus our attention on their internal thought process.  Christian and Jamie would think out loud when planning a route for the day or they would show us how to present options to the group.  During the last two days of the trip, they left some of the decision-making up to us.  As a strong adventure educator, it is important to instill soft skills in your clients such as confidence, courage, and control, so that you can encourage leadership skills within them.

People make sacrifices daily, large and small.  Professional wilderness leaders do as well when they are out in the field.  I witnessed a great example of this early on at the beginning of our trip.  Our leaders had planned on starting at one end of the loop we were going to be hiking that would put us on the ridge on Thursday.  After doing some weather planning before the trip, they found that Thursday was supposed to be rainy and stormy, very un-ideal conditions for ridge climbing.  So, they had the group start at the other end of the loop instead.  As an adventure educator, it is important to be flexible and have multiple plans besides plan A.  The chances that plan A is going to be the final plan executed anyway are very slim.  It is very rare that a wilderness adventure is going to go smoothly.  Our leaders encountered many problems, that even with all of their planning, they hadn’t expected.  The ridge climbing took longer than we thought, it rained for two nights, and a planned campsite didn’t turn out to so nice.  Christian and Jamie took all of these changes in stride and even while on the trail, they were able to come up with solutions that kept everyone in high spirits.

I have just spent about a page and a half reflecting on what I’ve observed about leadership while in the field.  But, what exactly makes me want to be a leader when I can simply go on a bunch of personal trips of my own with people that I know I will have a good time with?  Why have I chosen to become a professional adventure educator where I will get to take out multiple wilderness expeditions full of inexperienced strangers?  I’ve taken some personal trips, such as day hikes, camping trips, whitewater river trips, etc.  If you asked me what I gained from them, I would tell you that they were fun and I had a good time.  Now ask me about my nine-day wilderness expedition that I took with 12 strangers in the Catskill Mountains where although I was technically a “client,” I got to be leader, cook, clean-up crew, and motivator.  I gained multiple leadership skills and technical skills.  It was one of the best experiences of my life.

I decided on a whim to go camping with friends for a night last year so we drove down to the Kangamangus, found a campsite, got some food from the local grocery store (we ended up not getting enough), went bush-whacking to find some firewood (We didn’t have the proper equipment.  I was wearing Crocs.), and did some rock-hopping and river-crossing (probably not the safest of choices).  Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time.  But would I have done the same trip if I’d had ten clients with me?  I shouldn’t even have to answer that.

Our leaders had to start planning for our four-day excursion in August (permit applications).  They had to make sure that each cook group would have enough food.  Every member needed to have proper equipment and if they didn’t, they needed some time to acquire it.  Christian and Jamie had to be prepared for any possible situation that could have happened.  Mind you, we are not your typical clients but they still had to be prepared for the worst.  On our own, we tend to be a little more reckless, especially as budding adventure educators.  We think we have the skills to survive anything (we don’t) and when we go out with our friends into the wilderness, we want to show off, usually unsafely.  Jamie and Christian could have done that on this past trip, knowing that most of us have the skills to have a little bit of reckless fun in the woods.  However, the trip was as professional as they come and to top it off, I learned a whole lot more about my own leadership and technical skills.  Oh, and I almost forgot, I still had a great time.

It takes a lot of work to be a professional adventure educator.  I’ve learned and observed that on this past wilderness expedition.  But I’m willing to hone in on the leadership skills I already have and to work on the ones I don’t so that I can lead a trip as well and as safely as Jamie and Christian led us this past week.

Work Cited

Graham, J., Outdoor Leadership. Seattle, WA: The Mountaineers, 1997.

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Reflection by Sierra Prothers

After experiencing a professionally lead expedition, I now have a much better understanding of what goes into the planning and leading of an expedition. As a leader many elements must be considered to conduct a successful trip. A well planned and executed expedition should help clients work towards their goals. A professionally run trip should consider many things ranging from, safety, gear, food, route, pre-expedition, coast, transportation and much more.

Prior to, as well as during the expedition I learned more about the importance of the planning leading up to an expedition. Providing as much information to your clients as possible will help them to feel more comfortable or allow them to choose if it’s the right trip for them. It is also a time when leaders and clients can begin to build their relationship and trust with one another. It is important as a leader to know individual and group goals for the trip so that you can help facilitate a successful expedition.

During the expedition many of my observations focused on what a leader should be how they should act, communicate, and facilitate a group. A leader may play multiple roles, such as a friend, a teacher, a guide, and a motivator.  I feel as thought a leader must have a level of self-confidence that clients are able to trust. “The confidence you have in others has an effect on how well they perform” (Graham, 19). A leader should have the knowledge and experience to be able to anticipate challenges that may arise and be able to cope with them effectively. A good leader must be able to communicate well with co-leaders and clients. “…leadership is not just giving directions-it’s liberating people to do what’s needed in the best possible way. Good leaders don’t depend on their position to give them authority; they depend on earning trust” (Graham, 12). Being a leader is a challenge; it means not only caring and believing in yourself, but more importantly caring for all of your clients to the best of your ability. 

I also noticed the importance of leader and co-leader communication and responsibility. Constant communication is vital for planning, teaching and trip organization. Often times a designated leader and co-leader is what makes a professional led trip different from a personal expedition. In times of emergency, it’s important that there is a designated leader and co-leader, so that decisions can be made quickly and without confusion. The communication between leaders and clients is also very important. Surveying was one method introduced as a way to check in with group members without group pressure. I feel as though giving a group choices is a great way to encourage individual responsibility, it also allows people to chose their level of risk that’s right for them.

Another observation I made while on expedition was how the mood of our group changed when more responsibility or challenges were given.  I think giving the group more hands on experience really built up group and individual confidence and made what we were doing have more meaning and purpose. Although some challenges may have been frustrating, I felt as though it was good leadership practice to work through it. As a leader you should always exude confidence and assurance. Being in a difficult situation and working through it will ultimately make you a stronger leader in the end.

I found it helpful that the lessons taught were all presented with visual aids or hands on experience. All the tools that we learned could be used immediately which helps to enforce their importance. Out of context it would have been more difficult to learn and use later on. I found the lessons to be interesting and significant to our expedition. The lessons were fun and engaging and related to our goal of facilitating the next expedition.

This expedition really opened my eyes to how much planning, responsibility, and organization goes into leading a professional expedition. I have already begun to feel the pressure and importance of being a good leader. I look forward to strengthening my skills and confidence to plan and lead a successful expedition.

Work Cited

Graham, J., Outdoor Leadership. Seattle, WA: The Mountaineers, 1997.

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Reflection by Elisha Schofield

By observing Christian and Jamie, two very experienced adventure educators during the last expedition, I learned many valuable lessons about how to lead and instruct an educational backcountry expedition. Both instructors demonstrated the 12 elements of effective outdoor leadership described by Gass and Priest in their book Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming. These twelve elements consist of technical, safety, environmental, organizational, instructional, and facilitation skills, along with flexible leadership style, experienced-based judgment, effective communication, professional ethics and problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

Both leaders displayed their knowledge of technical skills with teaching their class how to properly set up camp, create an effective bear hang, how to properly light and tend a camp stove, reviewing the basics of map and compass and many other skills that their class needed to learn in order to create and carry out a successful expedition of their own.

No expedition can be carried out properly unless safety is addressed and understood by both the instructors and participants. Both leaders made sure that before the class had left; all participants had filled out the appropriate paperwork, including the Assumption of Risk form. Safety talks continued out into the field. For example, demonstrations were shown on how to properly manage interactions with bears and other wildlife that the group may encounter during their time in the woods.

Since the class was taken out into the White Mountains for their expedition, the instructors seemed aware of the surrounding environment. This was strongly defined when I hiked with Jamie. He recognized that I was interested in the surrounding plant life, and encouraged my interest by teaching me the names of many plants, and also showing me why the land looks the way it does now. It made me excited to learn something new and unfamiliar. As an educator, it’s important to go the extra mile, to spark such learning and fascination in a participant’s experience.

It was apparent how organized the instructors were even before they took the class out into the field. They made sure that every participant had the correct gear packed and that all the necessary paperwork was completed. Also classes were given in trip planning, menu planning, food packaging, pack packing, group gear inspection, map 101, women and men specific hygiene lesson and risk management-extended field trip information. They also informed us of the plan for the first 72 hours in the field.

The two leaders’ instructional skills were impeccable. I came not knowing many skills but after being taught the correct procedure and practicing, I felt confident in my ability to no longer need to ask questions and have the instructor present, where I needed them to coach me before. Also, the instructors took advantage of “teachable moments” throughout the trip. Things such as proper foot care, how to conserve energy while ascending a mountain, and the proper procedure for taking a poo in the woods. Taking time to address these matters as they arose offered the participants a hands on and real life experience. Participants were able to see how professional adventure educators handle these situations.

There were important times in which Christian and Jamie’s facilitation skills decided what was best for the group and one in particular stood out to me. On Wednesday night when we arrived at camp, we had a lot to accomplish in order to get camp up and running. By the time dinner was cooking, the moral of the participants was tired and hungry. The two instructors saw these traits present and decided to postpone the activity planned for that night. They decided to wait until the group could fully devote their attention to the activity and to get the most out of what was planned.

The two instructors’ flexible leadership style made it possible on Thursday to let the participants decided which route they wanted to take for the day. The group was given an opportunity to choose if they wanted to bush whack or continue on the trail. By presenting this choice, the participant could choose what they wished to do based on how they felt that day. They were not forced into going one way, but given a choice.

The experience-based judgment shown by Christian and Jamie was very apparent through out the entire trip. Things like knowing where to set up camp, scouting the trail before the morning hike, packing up their own bag and being ready to go before even waking the participants up. The trip went very smooth, and I think this can be attributed to both leaders extensive knowledge about leading expeditions and also their sound experience-based judgment.

When we arrived to camp late on Wednesday night, it was the instructors’ problem-solving skills that made setting up camp and making dinner such a success. Until that point, the leaders had us working as a team on constructing the shelters, preparing food, and getting ourselves changed and warm. However, since it was so late, and there was much to accomplish, the leaders divided the participants into three groups, to complete everything in a shorter amount of time. By being able to solve problems like this, makes for a more happier and productive group.

Decision-making played a huge part in this expedition’s success. Decisions such as teaching skills to participants and making sure that they understand and can perform that skill on their own. Then throughout the expedition, having the leader step back and observe, while letting that participant show what they have learned.

The two leaders showed both effective communication to each other and the group that they lead. I observed Christian and Jamie many times talking together about what to do and who was to do what throughout the trip. Having these talks with your co-leader can help the day go much smoother. They also made sure that after they taught a lesson, everyone understood it.

One professional ethic that I observed Christian and Jamie putting into effect was Leave No Trace. They explained how best to deposit water left over from cooking, how to properly respect the wildlife by constructing a proper bear hang, and also how to plan ahead and prepare for the expedition.

To be a truly effective outdoor leader, these twelve elements should be practiced and perfected. By integrating all the above elements, you should know how to handle any situation that comes your way. They will help you to become a stronger and more knowledgeable leader, in all aspects of your life, including your role as an outdoor leader.

Work Cited

Priest, Simon. Gass, Michael A. Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming, Second Edition. Champaign, IL: Sheridan Books, 2005.

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