Physical Conditioning

You don't need to be in Olympic shape to participate in our trips, but being in reasonably good physical condition will increase your enjoyment. We will be hiking at elevations from 8,000 to 13,000 feet and will be carrying packs with us. Occasionally people get altitude sickness from this type of elevation. You can greatly decrease your chance of altitude sickness by being well rested, hydrated and in good hiking condition. While you can succeed on these trips 鈥渙ff the couch,鈥澛爂oing for regular hikes and/or聽walks prior to arrival can greatly improve your experience

First Aid

All trip leaders are trained in basic first aid and CPR. Both trips will have Wilderness First Responders present for the duration of the course who are capable of handling more complex medical scenarios and facilitating evacuations. All Outdoor Programming is inherently risky, however we have policies and procedures in place to reduce these risks.

If you require emergency聽medications (e.g albuterol, epinephrine, etc), please bring two of each medication.

Equipment Checklist

Please see the Equipment Checklist page for a detailed packing list. We can supply most of the required backpacking and camping equipment, however you are welcome to bring your own. For items that you bring from home, we would highly recommend testing and breaking in equipment prior to the trip to avoid unforeseen issues.

Required Footwear

The best scenario for shoes would be to bring 3 pairs of shoes:

  1. Hiking boots
  2. Tennis shoes
  3. Sport sandals (Teva-type) for the river

  • Hiking boots/shoes: You must have a pair of hiking boots. This trip is not the place to break in a new pair. If you are buying a pair, please give yourself enough time to break them in prior to your trip.
  • Tennis shoes: Bring a pair of lightweight athletic shoes to give your feet a break when we're not hiking.
  • On the river: Also bring a pair of shoes that you don't mind getting wet while we're on the river (sport/river sandals like Tevas are best; if not, wear聽old tennis shoes). Flip flop sandals are not appropriate.

Outdoor Pursuits Alcohol, Smoking聽and Drug Policy

  • Outdoor Pursuits trips and courses are official functions of the University of Colorado Boulder. Therefore, all University policies apply.
  • Illegal drugs, marijuana and alcohol are expressly prohibited.聽Any use or possession of illegal drugs, marijuana or alcohol can result in immediate dismissal from the course at your own expense and may result in a referral to appropriate Law Enforcement officials and/or Student Conduct & Conflict Resolution for disciplinary action.
  • Any use of drugs or alcohol can result in immediate dismissal from the course at your own expense and referral for disciplinary action.
  • The use of smoking products, including but not limited to all cigarette products (e.g. cigarettes, bidis, kreteks, e-cigarettes, etc.) of any sort shall be prohibited on all Outdoor Pursuits trips and courses in accordance with CU Boulder's聽smoking policy.

Refund Policy

If you cancel more than thirty days prior to the course start date you are entitled to an 80% refund of the trip fee. If you cancel less than thirty days prior to the course start date you will not receive a refund. This refund policy still applies for emergency situations and for illness. You may want to consider purchasing trip insurance from a travel agent to avoid loss of monies due to unforeseen circumstances. If you have any questions, please call the Outdoor Program at 303-492-6080.