Colorado Rockies Alpine Backpacking & Rock Climbing
« Back to SearchBackpack and rock climb in the legendary Colorado Rockies—a world-renowned adventure destination.
The Colorado Rockies are home to some of the most beautiful backpacking and rock climbing routes in the nation. On this course, you’ll experience the best of both worlds. Hike through alpine meadows and camp below gorgeous cirques of peaks. Work together with your crewmates to attempt to summit a high mountain peak. Then get a change of perspective and pace as you learn to climb rock walls. Instructors will teach you the fundamentals of climbing technique and safety. Experience the incredible feeling of accomplishing a route and pausing at the top to enjoy the views from above the trees. Previous experience is not necessary, and you do not need to be an all-star athlete to thrive on this course. Enthusiasm for taking on physical and mental challenges the most important thing to bring to course. Every day on this expedition will be an opportunity to expand your comfort zone, bond with your crew, and connect with the natural world. At the end of it all, emerge a confident and resilient leader with the tools to be your best self on the trails and at home.
UPCOMING COURSES
Course # CCTE-2551
Age 16 - 18
Days 22
Cost $6,790
Dates 7/17/2025 - 8/7/2025
APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
Course # CCTE-2544
Age 16 - 18
Days 15
Cost $6,060 $5,560 exp.07/18
Dates 7/19/2025 - 8/2/2025
APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST
Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY
This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL
When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED
As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
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I don’t think I realized how much I needed an experience like this course until I got here. I showed up excited to meet some cool people, go on an adventure, and learn more about the outdoors. What I ended up getting was so much better.
Backpackers carry everything they need - food, shelter, clothing and gear – allowing them to go deep into nature where few people go. Students feel a sense of freedom from the stresses of modern life and technology. The simplicity of hiking gives students the opportunity to focus internally on their own thoughts. They also grow to be more present, connecting deeply with nature and their crewmates as they talk, sing and spend time together without distraction.
The course begins with lessons in basic packing and hiking techniques. Along the way, students learn Leave No Trace techniques, map and compass navigation, and outdoor cooking. As students explore remote regions of the Rocky Mountains, they get to sleep under the stars, feel the sunshine on their face, and watch the sun set over rugged mountain peaks. By the end of course, most crews will have the chance to attempt to summit a high mountain peak.
Rock climbing can be both mediative and thrilling, making it a highly rewarding sport mentally and physically. It’s a great opportunity to connect with others in the outdoors while also developing confidence in your body. Students will learn new body mechanics, balance, and climbing techniques. Instructors will help students set personal goals as they navigate the rock wall. They will get to experience the incredible feeling of accomplishing a route and pausing at the top to enjoy the views from above the trees. There are many ways to climb the same rock, allowing each climber to solve the puzzle in their own way. Students will learn how to tie knots, wear harnesses, use belay commands, set up top ropes and may have the opportunity to attempt multi-pitch climbs.
Colorado Rocky Mountains
The Colorado Rockies is one of the most famous and iconic sections of the Rocky Mountains. Colorado is home to the greatest concentration of high peaks in the lower 48 states, with hundreds of mountains standing over 13,000 and 14,000 feet tall. The region is characterized by dense pine forests and rocky alpine ecosystems. Students will enjoy clear blue glacial lakes, fields of wildflowers, waterfalls, and striking rock formations. Most courses will also get the opportunity to attempt to summit a mountain peak. If they are observant, students can spot wildlife like elk, mountain goats, moose, marmots, pikas and eagles. These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux), Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Pueblos nations.
Course Stories
I don’t think I realized how much I needed an experience like this course until I got here. I showed up excited to meet some cool people, go on an adventure, and learn more about the outdoors. What I ended up getting was so much better.
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Getting Started
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Customer Success Specialists (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.