This 7-day course is a backpacking expedition in the Rocky Mountains and includes rock climbing, solo and a peak attempt.  This course is ideal for a parent and child (or other familial two-some or three-some) who seek to renew and enhance their relationship in a physically dynamic and supportive environment. Here is an opportunity for you and a family member to retreat to the spectacular Colorado Rockies for a week of adventure, bonding and fun!

Family courses
Watch your child rise to the occasion and your parent face new challenges. Family OB courses breed inspiration, mutual respect and the joy of shared memories. Expect to share time with family members to mix with other families and to have the opportunity for a “duo” rather than a solo. These courses do not offer any family counseling services and are not intended to serve families in crisis.

Course Area
The Rocky Mountains, one of the most famous mountain ranges in the world, stretch 3,000 miles from Alaska to New Mexico. They have provided the inspiration for legends and have had a profound influence on the development of the continental United States. Native Americans were the first to live among these peaks, although no one is sure who first climbed them. Explore these majestic mountains; this area imbued with a long history of exploration, with Outward Bound.

Course Description
This course begins at our Leadville Mountain Center where you will begin your training in backcountry skills.  You will sleep in sleeping bags on the ground under the stars and cook your own meals as a group over backcountry stoves.  You will engage in teambuilding initiatives and a high ropes course. After a few days, you will head out into the true wilderness where you and your crew will travel from point to point over high mountain passes and through meadows and glades.  You will learn travel skills, basic first-aid, map and compass use, route finding, and rock climbing.  Snow travel is likely on June to mid-July courses and you will learn snow travel techniques and how to safely use an ice axe to assist your travel.  You will backpack up through the alpine environment and attempt to climb a 13- or 14,000-foot peak.   An emphasis is placed on appreciation for one’s self, one’s family member, and the transference of specific insights on how to improve the quality of your relationship.