Online Dates

Mar 06 - May 08, 2025
Thursdays at 6pm MST

Trip Dates

May 26 - Jun 14, 2025
Arrive: 8:00 am
Depart 8:00 pm
20 Days
Ages: 18+
Tuition: $4450

10% off – Ends January 1

Spots available: 9

Become a leader that can radically grow and disciple future generations.

If yes, this course is for you! As you backpack through stunning canyons and desert, you will come to gain the hard, soft and meta skills indicative of competent wilderness ministry leaders. You will learn how people grow and skills to help people move from their actual into their potential. Along the way you will also grow and experience for yourself how God uses the wilderness to bring people closer to His heart.So whether you are looking to instruct with SROM or are looking to use these skills for another space, come learn from a leader in the industry the skills you need to be a wilderness ministry professional. Are you ready to have the time of your life AND level up?
*This course consists of both online sessions and in person training.

Skills:

Backpacking, Leadership Intensive

Adventure Destinations:

Grand Staircase-Escalante or Grand Canyon

Arrive & Depart from:

617 Plaza Ct, Laramie, WY

Academic Credit

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Course Info

ESSENTIAL ELIGIBILITY
Prerequisites for this course are 6 weeks field experience and a desire to learn and grow.
Skill Level
Advanced
Physical Ability
  • Carry a backpack 40-60% of your body weight, hiking 4-8 miles a day on the backpacking section
  • Hike and camp at elevations of 8,000 ft. and up
  • Long days, often up at 6 am and in bed at 9 pm
We understand the physical requirements may be overwhelming, but we find most people can train and do great. We provide a training plan to help you be physically prepared for your trip so you can succeed and have the most fun.
Online Virtual Training

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Self-Awarnesss

Emotional intelligence and self-awareness have the power to change our relationships and our community in profound ways. Through applying interpersonal neurobiology and understanding the importance of our identity within our relationships, we will come to a richer connection with others, the world, and our self.

We will be doing this by diving into and beginning to intentionally explore the intricateness of how we have been created and how to apply this in the way we facilitate and grow healthy communities. This includes, but is not limited to, exploring the interconnectedness of attachment, attunement, boundaries, impact and repair, story, and power.

This online portion, if you allow it, will challenge you to explore relationships and yourself in ways that have the power to transform you. If you are ready for such a challenge, we invite you to join this course.

Taught by:

Andrew Arnold, Executive Director of Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries (SROM)
Chelsea Van EssenLCSWClinical Director of Logos Wilderness Therapy & SROM's Mental Health Advisor
Jessica Roberts, Director of Operations for Logos Wilderness Therapy

Arrival
You will meet your leaders and team at SROM headquarters in Laramie, WY. The day will start with a brief orientation as you get to know your leaders and team members. We will issue any gear you need and lead you in packing your pack before heading out.
On the Trip

From SROM HQ you will travel to the dessert. There you will see beautiful desert landscapes, wildflowers, and incredible starlit skies in some of the finest wilderness areas in North America. We will teach you the technical outdoor skills to thrive in the desert, learning things such as campsite selection, route finding, and navigation.

A Typical Backpacking Day:
(times are estimates and will vary)

  • Breakfast: cook breakfast with your cook group
  • 8:30 AM: Pack-up camp and head to your next campsite
  • Lunch: Enjoy lunch at a scenic spot on the trail
  • 3:00 PM: Get to your new campsite and setup camp
  • 4:00 PM: Time Alone with God (TAG), typically 1hr, and/or teaching.
  • Dinner: Make a tasty dinner with your cook group
  • 7:00 PM: Family Time – debrief day, worship, and devotional/teaching
  • 9:00 PM: Bedtime

Special Days:
  • Solo
Departure

Returning to the SROM base, you will de-issue group gear and rented gear before showering and debriefing with one of our staff members. Afterwards, teams often go out for a celebratory dinner* at a local restaurant. Officially closing the course, you will be awarded with a course completion certificate. There is also a celebratory welcome home cookout that friends and family are invited to attend on the final afternoon of this course. This is a time for sharing and celebrating the accomplishments of the team. The party and course officially conclude at 8 pm.

*This meal is not covered by SROM as it is outside of the official course. However, it is a good thing to plan for.

It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it!

SROM is guided by four core values: Glory of God, King & Kingdom, Father & Family, and The Nations. On every SROM course, students will experience: