Trips and Skill Classes
Call 406-243-5172, email or visit us in person for more information. The Outdoor Program is located on the northeast corner of the Fitness and Recreation Center.
Classes are open to the public, while trips are open to the UM community only. All pretrip meetings are held in the Outdoor Program.
Land
Intro to Mountaineering (Feb. 27)
Pre-trip meeting at 5 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the ODP
Register by: Feb. 24
Cost: $50, includes instruction, gear and transportation
An introduction to mountaineering. We will be teaching trip planning, self arrests, rope travel and how to build basic snow anchors.
Bike Maintenance Class (April 6, 8, 13 & 15)
6-8 p.m. at the ODP
Register by: April 6
Cost: $50
This is a hands-on introduction to bicycle maintenance and mechanics. Participants will be able to fine-tune their derailleurs, brakes and bearings and learn the art of wheel-truing. Also, each participant will obtain the knowledge needed to take their own bike apart in order to clean, lube and grease all the moving parts.
Rock
Rock Climbing: Leading and Beyond (March 12-13)
12-4 p.m. on March 12 and 13 at the rock climbing wall in the Fitness & Recreation Center
Register by: March 11
Cost: $40, includes instruction, gear and coaching
This class focuses on learning to lead. Skills covered include working on rope management, clipping, ratings and guide books, falling, cleaning a route and more! Instruction will take place at the rock climbing wall in the Fitness & Recreation Center.
Snow
Cross-Country Skiing Class (Mar. 6)
Pre-trip meeting at 5 p.m. on Mar. 3 at the ODP
Register by: Mar. 3
Cost: $40, includes instruction, gear and transportation
This trip is an easy way to get out, shape up and brighten up winter. The day begins with a review of basic cross-country ski techniques and some practice exercises that can improve your technique. We will then tour the cross-country ski trail and check out animal tracks and winter ecology along the way. This trip is designed for those with no experience or cross-country skiers who desire to improve their skills.
Cross-Country Skiing Class (Mar. 20)
Pre-trip meeting at 5 p.m. on Mar. 17 at the ODP
Register by: Mar. 17
Cost: $40, includes instruction, gear and transportation
This trip is an easy way to get out, shape up and brighten up winter. The day begins with a review of basic cross-country ski techniques and some practice exercises that can improve your technique. We will then tour the cross-country ski trail and check out animal tracks and winter ecology along the way. This trip is designed for those with no experience or cross-country skiers who desire to improve their skills.
Level 1 Avalanche Course - Lost Trail
Course Dates:
January 19, 21, 23 and 24 (19 & 21, WEBCAST 6-10pm; 23 & 24, Lost Trail 8am-4pm)
OR
February 16, 18, 20 and 21 (16 & 18, WEBCAST 6-10pm; 20 & 21, Lost Trail 8am-4pm)
Cost: $400.00
The level 1 course is designed for current and aspiring backcountry travelers. This course focuses on developing a solid foundation in avalanche knowledge and backcountry travel skills. Following the American Avalanche Association (A3) curriculum instructors cover systematic approaches for sorting and prioritizing information in the complex environment of decision-making in the backcountry. Forty percent of the course is classroom-based and the other sixty percent is field-based. Participants will travel in the backcountry, in and around avalanche terrain.
This course focuses on the following:
- Basic avalanche terminology
- Recognizing avalanche terrain
- Travel procedures in avalanche terrain
- Formation of the mountain snowpack
- How weather changes the snowpack
- Human factors and how they can influence decision-making
- Interpreting the avalanche forecast and advisory
- Tour planning
- Avalanche transceiver use and rescue skills
- Field observations of terrain, snowpack, and weather
- Use and interpretation of stability tests
- Prioritizing information, working as a team, and minimizing possible human factor traps
- Next steps
Courses Include:
- All Workbooks and Instruction
- Lift Tickets if Accessing the Backcountry from a Ski Area
- Participants must Provide:
- Their own Backcountry Skiing or Splitboarding Equipment
- Avalanche Beacon, Shovel, Probe
- Transportation to the course location
- Their own Food on Field Days
COVID 19 ADAPTATIONS
Classroom: All classroom session presentations will be provided over Zoom or Crowdcast. You will be provided login information after registering.
Field Days: To help facilitate smaller touring and field learning group sizes these classes will now be taught by 1 lead instructor and 2 additional instructors. Groups will split in half for each field day and one group will practice avalanche rescue, beacon skills, group dynamics, and snowpits, and the other group will focus on touring decisions, group dynamics, terrain selection, and snowpits and snow stability evaluation. This change will increase our cost to run these courses substantially, but we value your health, safety, and want your experience to lead to the best possible learning outcome.
CANCELATION POLICY:
Standard Policy: If notice of cancellation is received within 30 days of the course we will offer a full refund. If notice is received 14-30 days before the course we will offer a 50% refund of course costs. If notice of cancellation is received within 14 days of the course no refund can be given.
Covid 19 Adaptation: Course Participants will receive a $50 paypal tuition credit if they can document that they have purchased a Allianz Travel Insurance Policy. When we priced several of these policies that cover late stage cancellations, we found that trip insurance could be purchased for close to amount of money we will refund you from your tuition payment. Different participant ages, travel itineraries, & coverage choices will affect the policy cost. If you feel sick we want you stay home, but we understand that the tuition cost can complicate that decision. Please feel free to explore this option more here https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/compare-plans
Co-sponsored by MissoulaAvalanche.org
Level 1 Women's SAVY Avalanche Course
Course Dates:
February 2, 4, 6 and 7 (2 & 4, WEBCAST 6-10pm; 6 & 7, Rattlesnake/Snowbowl 8am-4pm)
Cost: $400.00
THIS SEASON’S FEMALES ONLY “SAVY” (She’s Avy Savy) LEVEL 1 COURSE IS DESIGNED FOR CURRENT AND ASPIRING FEMALE BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS. THIS COURSE FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING A SOLID FOUNDATION IN AVALANCHE KNOWLEDGE AND BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL SKILLS. THIS COURSE FOLLOWS THE AMERICAN AVALANCHE ASSOCIATION (A3) CURRICULUM. INSTRUCTORS COVER INFORMATION GATHERING AND DECISION-MAKING STRATEGIES FOR STAYING SAFE IN THE WINTER BACKCOUNTRY. FORTY PERCENT OF THE COURSE IS CLASSROOM-BASED AND THE OTHER SIXTY PERCENT IS FIELD-BASED. PARTICIPANTS WILL TRAVEL IN THE BACKCOUNTRY, IN AND AROUND AVALANCHE TERRAIN.
This course focuses on the following:
- Basic avalanche terminology
- Recognizing avalanche terrain
- Travel procedures in avalanche terrain
- Formation of the mountain snowpack
- How weather changes the snowpack
- Human factors and how they can influence decision-making
- Interpreting the avalanche forecast and advisory
- Tour planning
- Avalanche transceiver use and rescue skills
- Field observations of terrain, snowpack, and weather
- Use and interpretation of stability tests
- Prioritizing information, working as a team, and minimizing possible human factor traps
- Next steps
Courses Include:
- All Workbooks and Instruction
- Lift Tickets if Accessing the Backcountry from a Ski Area
- Participants must Provide:
- Their own Backcountry Skiing or Splitboarding Equipment
- Avalanche Beacon, Shovel, Probe
- Transportation to the course location
- Their own Food on Field Days
COVID 19 ADAPTATIONS
Classroom: All classroom session presentations will be provided over Zoom or Crowdcast. You will be provided login information after registering.
Field Days: To help facilitate smaller touring and field learning group sizes these classes will now be taught by 1 lead instructor and 2 additional instructors. Groups will split in half for each field day and one group will practice avalanche rescue, beacon skills, group dynamics, and snowpits, and the other group will focus on touring decisions, group dynamics, terrain selection, and snowpits and snow stability evaluation. This change will increase our cost to run these courses substantially, but we value your health, safety, and want your experience to lead to the best possible learning outcome.
CANCELATION POLICY:
Standard Policy: If notice of cancellation is received within 30 days of the course we will offer a full refund. If notice is received 14-30 days before the course we will offer a 50% refund of course costs. If notice of cancellation is received within 14 days of the course no refund can be given.
Covid 19 Adaptation: Course Participants will receive a $50 paypal tuition credit if they can document that they have purchased a Allianz Travel Insurance Policy. When we priced several of these policies that cover late stage cancellations, we found that trip insurance could be purchased for close to amount of money we will refund you from your tuition payment. Different participant ages, travel itineraries, & coverage choices will affect the policy cost. If you feel sick we want you stay home, but we understand that the tuition cost can complicate that decision. Please feel free to explore this option more here https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/compare-plans
Co-sponsored by MissoulaAvalanche.org
Water
Fundamentals of Whitewater Kayaking (April 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 17)
April 1, 6, 8: 8:30-10:30pm at the Grizzly Pool
April 13: Eddy day, 5-8pm
April 15: Town Run day, 5-8pm
April 17: All Day River Day, 9am - 4pm
*River Days are subject to change based on temperatures and river levels
Register by: April 1, 2021
Cost: $185, includes gear, instruction, pool use, and transportation to the river
This is a fundamentals of kayaking class that starts with the basics and progresses with each class. The first half of the class is in the Griz Pool and we then move to moving river water from there. You are welcome to bring your own boat or use one of ours.