Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Please see below for a list of Frequently Asked Questions. If you have a question that is not addressed below, please contact Customer Support at support@srom.org.
- Travel for Adult Students
- Travel for Teen Students
- Gear Selection
- Financial Questions
- Before Signing Up
- On-Course Questions
TRAVEL FOR ADULT STUDENTS
Travel and lodging before and after your course is your responsibility.
When and where does my course begin?
- SROM’s address is 617 Plaza Court, Laramie, Wyoming 82070.
- If you are driving, your course begins at the SROM facility at the time and date specified in your Course Information Packet (CIP) and the Travel Information Document.
- If you are flying (and therefore getting a shuttle and/or lodging in Laramie), SROM will pick you up at the Hilton Garden Inn on the date your course begins, 45 minutes before the time specified in your (CIP) and the Travel Information Document.
Which airport should I fly into?
- The Laramie Municipal Airport is approximately 5 miles west of Laramie, WY, and offers commuter shuttle flights (through United Airlines) to and from Denver International Airport.
- Denver International Airport (DIA) is approximately 152 miles south of Laramie, WY, and offers flights from most major airlines. Please factor in travel times to and from the airport if scheduling your flights in and out of Denver International Airport.
How do I get from the Airport to the SROM base in Laramie, Wyoming?
- SROM’s address is 617 Plaza Court, Laramie, Wyoming 82070.
- From the Laramie airport, you can catch a free shuttle to the Laramie Hilton Garden Inn (for Hilton guests) or take a taxi to the hotel of your choice.
- From the Denver International airport you can take the Green Ride Shuttle to the Laramie Hilton Garden Inn. You can reserve a spot on the Green Ride Shuttle here: (greenrideco.com); cost for the Green Ride is $75 each way, and the shuttle time generally takes 3 hours. When flying into DIA and taking the Green Ride, be sure to create the proper lead time to arrive on time for your course.
- SROM provides shuttle service from the Hilton Garden Inn 45 minutes before the start of your course. We do not provide shuttles to/from any other locations.
What are my options for driving to SROM?
- SROM’s address is 617 Plaza Court, Laramie, Wyoming 82070.
- If you drive yourself, you may park your car at the SROM facility in Laramie for the duration of your course.
- Please arrive at SROM at the time indicated in your CIP. Please do not arrive at SROM earlier than the date and time indicated in your CIP and Travel Information Document as our instructors will still be in course preparation before you arrive and our office staff will be busy with our high season. We will be unable to accommodate you pre-course.
- If you arrive in town earlier than your course start time, there are several coffee shops and parks in town that we recommend to rest and refuel before coming to SROM to start your course:
- Beans & Bytes – 1200 Skyline Road, Laramie WY 82070
- Coal Creek Coffee Company – 110 Grand Avenue, Laramie, WY 82072
- The Night Heron – 107 E Ivinson St, Laramie, WY 82070
- Grounds Coffee and Tea Shop – 171 N 3rd St, Laramie, WY, 82072
Can I stay at SROM while I am in Laramie before or after my course?
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Due to limited space and resources, SROM is unable to host students before or after their specified course times. However, there are several hotels/motels in Laramie to choose from. Please make sure you check on shuttle availability when making reservations.
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Additionally, SROM has a professional relationship with the following hotels in Laramie, and we have coordinated a discounted rate for SROM students and families. Please check your Course Information Packets (received after you register for a course) for details on how to receive our special discount when registering at the following hotels:
- AmericInn – 4712 East Grand Avenue, Laramie WY 82070; 307-745-0777
- Hilton Garden Inn – 2229 Grand Avenue, Laramie WY 82070; 307-745-5500
TRAVEL INFORMATION FOR TEEN STUDENTS
How will my teen get from the airport to SROM?
- For Teen Courses ONLY (20/20 Teen courses and 10/10 Teen courses) SROM will pick up all Teen course students at DIA before their course, and drop them off at the end of their course at DIA. A SROM Staff member will be waiting to pick up your teen at 1pm on the given start date of their Teen course.
- For their return flight, SROM will shuttle students to DIA in the early morning after their course ends. It takes around 3 hours to get to DIA from Laramie, so the SROM van will not arrive at DIA until 9am. Please do not schedule a return flight earlier than 12:30pm.
- Please note that these special travel accommodations are for TEEN COURSES ONLY.
GEAR SELECTION
How do I know if the gear I’m planning on bringing is sufficient?
- If you have questions about your gear before you arrive at SROM, please contact Customer Support at 307-755-0642 or via email at support@srom.org.
- The Course Information Packet contains extensive packing lists to help guide you as you purchase gear. There are several items that have additional descriptions to help answer questions that you may have when you’re looking to purchase your equipment.
- When you arrive for your course, your instructors will help look through each item and give recommendations.
How do I let SROM know what gear I want to rent?
- When you arrive for your course, your instructors and our support staff will handle group gear issuing as well as individual gear rental. Please see your Course Information Packet for specific information on what items are available to rent and the costs of the rental.
- Please note that you will be charged for the individual gear rental before you leave for course, and you are additionally financially responsible for any damage to the gear (both group and individual) while out on course.
- If you have questions about gear rental, please contact Customer Support at support@srom.org.
FINANCIAL QUESTIONS
How can I check on the balance of my course tuition?
- After you pay your $100 application fee, an invoice is created and emailed to you. You can access your most up-to-date balance by clicking on the link included in that email. The online invoice will automatically update as payments are recorded.
- If you are unable to access your online invoice, please contact Customer Support at support@srom.org or by calling 307-755-0642 and we will email you an updated invoice and link.
What options are available for financial aid?
- SROM creates an online donation portal for each enrolled student to streamline donations from friends and family for a student’s tuition. Students can also request additional fundraising resources from Customer Support at support@srom.org. If you have not received a link to your online donation portal, please contact our Customer Support department at support@srom.org or by calling 307-755-0642.
- Many of our students have successfully raised money and financial support to help cover their tuition costs. We encourage students to reach out to their community with fundraising letters to potential supporters (e.g., family, friends, coworkers, churches) requesting prayer and/or financial assistance for their courses, much like raising funds for a missions trip. SROM provides online invoicing and an online donation portal. Email or post the link to the online donation site and remember to include your invoice number! SROM is an amazing discipleship and leadership development experience, and we encourage students to share the vision and mission of their course with their support networks.
- SROM also has limited scholarships that are awarded based on financial need. Scholarships do not exceed 40% of course tuition, and in most cases will average 25%. Scholarships are only considered for applicants that complete both the entire course application and scholarship application processes. All scholarship applications are prayerfully considered by the SROM Scholarship Committee, and all applications are reviewed on a “first come, first serve” basis. There is a limited amount available in our Scholarship Fund, and filling out an application is not a guarantee of being awarded a scholarship.
What does the cost of a SROM course include?
- Food – SROM strives to provide optimal nutrition for students, both to maintain health and to support vigorous physical activity. SROM provides bulk foods, fruits and vegetables, an assortment of teas and hot drinks, a back country cookbook, and a well-stocked spice kit. At the beginning of each course, instructors coach students on using what SROM provides to make gourmet meals while in the backcountry. SROM maintains a backcountry food warehouse at our facility in Laramie, and uses a proprietary food spreadsheet program to calculate amounts of each food type (Protein, Carbs, and healthy Fats) to assemble into well-balanced meals for student food rations.
- Permits – Permits are required from federal government agencies in order to provide wilderness courses, backpacking, climbing, and mountaineering on public lands such as National Parks, National Forests, and designated Wilderness Areas. SROM holds Commercial Use Authorization Permits, Priority Use Permits as well as Temporary Use Permits in several different national parks, national forests and wilderness areas, and is permitted to operate in other lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management.
- Ground Transportation – SROM provides for all ground transportation, including gasoline and vehicle wear and tear, from our facility in Laramie, WY to our programming areas. SROM maintains a fleet of vans and trailers, and each is fully insured and carefully maintained. Please see the Travel Information Sheet for the additional transportation arrangements you may need to make in order to arrive at SROM for your course.
- Experienced Instructors – SROM Instructors are dedicated to the mission of SROM. Our instructors are much more than qualified outdoor guides; they are passionate disciples of Christ with a deep heart for mentoring and discipling others. SROM Instructors are also highly technically qualified for their positions, and receive extensive student and peer evaluations after each course they lead, in addition to a verbal debrief with their co-instructor and a SROM Director.
- Quality Equipment – SROM equips each course with group gear such as shelters, stoves, cooking equipment, and climbing ropes & select climbing gear. We use equipment from leading manufacturers, including Mountain Safety Research and Black Diamond, and we carefully maintain our gear to keep it in excellent condition.
BEFORE SIGNING UP
What are things I should consider before signing up for a course?
- Pack weight: Between the group gear, group food, and student’s personal items, packs are a minimum of 40% of the student’s body weight, and no more than 60% of the student’s body weight. For example, a 130 lb student can expect to be carrying a pack averaging around 50-70 lbs. This is not to say that a student will always be carrying a pack at the maximum weight! But at various points throughout the course (e.g., immediately after a re-ration of food), pack weight dramatically increases for a time. We strongly encourage students to train before coming to SROM so that they are able to comfortably and safely carry their packs while on course.
- Terrain: depending on the course itinerary, students may be traveling on muddy, rocky, or dusty terrain, and they may be crossing boulder fields, snow fields, or glaciers. Students should be mentally and physically prepared for crossing various types of terrain with their pack.
- Altitude: The SROM headquarters in Laramie, Wyoming sits at an altitude of 7,200′ and we frequently program in areas that range from 8,000′ to 12,000′ of elevation. Depending on the course itinerary, students may attempt a peak as high as 13,800′! We strongly encourage students to physically train for altitude by focusing on their cardio fitness as well as their strength training.
- Distance per day: Depending on the course itinerary, students will generally be travelling between 3-6 miles per day for shorter courses, and between 5-8 miles per day for longer courses. Again, training before the course is strongly recommended so that students are mentally and physically prepared for the mileage on the trail.
- Length of days: Days on the SROM course can be long! Generally students are up at 6:00 am, and are going strong until 10:00 pm.
- Remote environments: SROM programs in technical deep wilderness, often at least a day from a trailhead. Our instructors are highly trained for deep wilderness environments, but we also recognize that most of our students have never been in such isolated places. We have found that areas of deep wilderness offer ideal settings for transformation in student lives!
- Diverse communities: We have students from a variety of backgrounds on our courses, and we have found that the diversity in our courses can lend to a beautifully authentic community! Students coming from various faith backgrounds bring unique perspectives to their team on course, and it can be a very enriching experience.
DURING THE COURSE
How do I check-in with a student while they are out on a SROM course?
- Students are not permitted to bring cell phones into the field. A key part of the wilderness experience is to “unplug” from cell phones, texting, email, social media, etc. Students will not be able to contact or be contacted while out in the field.
- With all of our courses in the field, SROM operates with a “no news is good news” policy. Our instructors are equipped with a satellite phone and an emergency location beacon for use in absolutely necessary situations.
- Depending on the course, there are opportunities for friends and family to send in letters to students on the field. Longer courses (20/20 courses and 40/40 courses) necessitate a mid-course resupply, and SROM accommodates small items (letters, items that will fit in an 8.5″ x 11″ mailing envelope) to send in to students in the field. For deadline dates to send items in, please contact Course Management at courses@srom.org.
For what reasons might a student be evacuated from a SROM course?
- Behavioral Evacuations:
- SROM reserves the right to expel any student who demonstrates behavior that is unsafe, disruptive, and/or distracts from the mission of the course.
- SROM expects all students to align themselves with the Behavioral Agreement as outlined in the beginning of the Course Information Packet. Removing a student is determined at the discretion and decision of the instructor team in the field.
- SROM has a 3-strike policy: if there are more than 3 violations of any of the Behavioral Expectations, the student will be subject to expulsion.
- SROM will not tolerate harassment, use of drugs and/or alcohol, theft and/or misuse of property, low motivation, lack of co-operation, and/or disregard of instructors.
- If a student is evacuated for behavioral misconduct, there will be no refund of tuition and the student (and/or parent/legal guardian) will pay all expenses for evacuation, personal food, accommodations, and travel. Evacuation from a course back to SROM headquarters incurs a minimum $300 per day evacuation fee, which does not include any additional costs charged by the independent horse packer with whom SROM contracts.
- Medical Evacuations
If your question was not addressed in the Frequently Asked Questions list above, please contact Customer Support at support@srom.org.
Spiritual formation and community building in the Teton Wilderness
