Heart of the Rockies

Our premier mountain skills program

Grades 9-11 (ages 15-17) | July 9 – July 29 | 21 days | 20 Service Hours | $3850*

The Weminuche Wilderness is the largest in Colorado. There is no better way to tune into this vast land than to walk across it, live in it, go straight to its heart.

Seek out the elusive moose that wander deep in the Weminuche.

Bathe in a cold, clear lake nestled in a rocky amphitheater.

Conquer jagged peaks, one breath and one step at a time.

Learn skills that will prepare you for your own backcountry adventures.

Learn to capture these amazing landscapes with your digital camera

Backpacking and Mountaineering in the Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado

Only this program offers 18 consecutive days in the “heart of the Rockies”, maximizing the action and virtually eliminating van time. Begin your three weeks in the wilderness by backpacking through the aspen and spruce forests of the largest roadless area in Colorado. Tread lightly in this protected environment, read the mountain weather, protect your food from wild animals, create shelter almost anywhere. Use your map, compass, even the stars to find your way. Fields overflowing with wildflowers, comic marmots, deserted mining camps, the Circle of friendship at sundown – these memories are just as important as the photos you take or the backcountry skills you master.

Conservation Service with the U.S. Forest Service

You are happy to see your Deer Hill support team arrive on horseback with mail, fresh food and other treats, as well as your service tools. Rendezvous with our Forest Service partner at your conservation service site deep in the woods. Spend two full days learning the ecology of the area while working on erosion control, protecting stream banks and other watershed management tasks.

Alpine Climbing Camp

Close by is the location of our two-day climbing camp. At an imposing rock wall with dramatic cracks and fissures, learn to rappel, belay and climb gracefully to the top. Your leaders will select climbs with the right challenge level for you, so that your skills will progress, even if you are not experienced on rock.

High Altitude Backpacking and Peak Ascents

Leave camp and head back into the midst of glacial valleys and towering peaks for the final alpine tundra trek. Build ‘bomber’ campsites above timberline, attend ‘snow school’ on a permanent snowfield at 12,000 feet, wake at dawn to photograph the sunrise, hold a wilderness “Iron Chef” competition, and climb some of Colorado’s most impressive peaks. As the days pass, you become stronger, more confident in your skills, and a trust develops between the members of this expedition team. You are tuning in to the power of this wild place, and it feels like home. Finally, we make it to Highland Mary Lakes trailhead, where Deer Hill staff are waiting to take us out for ice-cream in historic Silverton, then back to Basecamp for an incredibly well-deserved shower and home-cooked feast.

Photography Training

On this program, amazing light, dramatic mountain scenery – and happy faces – all combine to create memorable images. You will have the opportunity to take part in a Photography Basics workshop early in the program. Your leaders will then help you improve your shots as the trip progresses. Our Fall Photo Competition gives one talented shutterbug the opportunity to have their best image printed in our catalog.