Do you look at the grade students are currently in, or the grade they’re going into?
Like most programs, we look at the grade students are in for the current school year—not the grade they’re entering after the summer. In other words, the grade students are in as of September 2024 through spring 2025. For example, if your child is in 7th grade for the 2024–2025 school year, take a look at our 7th grade programs.
Do you screen your students?
Adventure Treks’ admissions process is in place to ensure a mutually good fit and to maintain the integrity of our student communities. Our students come from all over the United States and world and have many different interests and hobbies. What’s most important is that our students are kind and excited to make new friends, try new things, pitch in and do their fair share, go outside their comfort zone, and, of course, have a ton of fun. We are not a wilderness therapy program where students feel forced to attend or for youth with behavioral challenges.
To ensure this mutually good fit, families fill out a student questionnaire, parent questionnaire, and health history; new students also provide at least one character reference from school. We may also ask to speak with your child if they have questions or are feeling a little extra nervous. Just as we encourage parents to do their due diligence when choosing a program, we also do our best to thoroughly screen our families to create the best possible peer groups and get to know our families before our students arrive for the summer.
Please read our terms and conditions for more information regarding our screening and application process.
How many students are in each group?
A typical summer trip has a maximum of 20–24 students and 5–6 instructors (though some groups may be smaller than that). Regardless of group size, we maintain an overall 4:1 or better ratio of students to instructors—the best in the industry.
Students will participate in both big- and small-group activities, cycling through different small groups throughout the program. Why do we do this? Much of the bonding and magic happens in small groups; students get to know each other (and their instructors) on a deeper level, so it’s easier to make friends, discover their best self, and become an important member of the group. (This also means that friends from home won’t spend every activity or day together, which allows them the opportunity to branch out and broaden their social circle. Read more in the next FAQ.) But fear not—friends or family who participate on an AT trip together will still get lots of quality bonding time together!
Our goal is for every student to get to be in a small group with every other student and instructor throughout their time together. This mix of small and large group experiences is a key and unique element of our program, and why our student return rate is so high every year.
Should my child bring a friend?
Fun and friendly communities are what we’re known for, and the majority of our new students come without a friend. In order to preserve the unique nature of our program and in the interest of inclusivity, we limit the number of new students who have a pre-existing relationship, whether from home, school, or otherwise, to no more than two to three on any one program (depending on the size of the group).
Students who arrive together as friends from home will not spend every day or activity together in order to allow them the opportunity to branch out, make new friends, and help avoid mutually exclusive relationships. We believe (and our students and parents will agree) that making new friends has powerful benefits!
What are your instructors’ qualifications?
Unlike other teen programs, we don’t hire college students simply looking for a fun summer job (we feel that age group is better suited to gain experience as traditional camp counselors). This is also why we don’t refer to our staff as “camp counselors”; we hire outdoor educators who have experience working outside and with teenagers, who truly care about and invest in our students’ personal growth and development, and who have the maturity to be great role models and make solid decisions in the outdoors.
Adventure Treks is very proud of its instructor teams! Before our trips start, our instructors go through an extensive two- to three-week orientation and training specific to Adventure Treks. We have a high staff return rate, so all of our trips will have both new and returning instructors, and all of our instructors are wilderness first responders at minimum. You can read about our hiring process and minimum qualifications here, and you can read our directors’ and instructors’ bios here!
What’s included in the price of my child’s trip?
Adventure Treks provides tents, sleeping bags and pads, backpacks, cookware and eating utensils, and all technical equipment at no extra cost. Students will bring hiking boots, clothing, and personal items like toiletries and some personal camping and outdoor gear. Travel to and from Adventure Treks and travel protection plans are not included in tuition.
What is the communication policy while my child is at Adventure Treks? Are you tech-free?
Our goal is for groups to fully immerse in their outdoor adventure, so we intentionally limit communication with parents to allow students to focus on the present experience and build independence and resilience. While students are welcome to bring phones for traveling to and from Adventure Treks, and for a few designated calls home (when they arrive on opening day, about midway through the trip, and on the last night), their phones will be turned off and stored for safekeeping otherwise. No phones or social media at Adventure Treks!
Our instructors will take photos and videos throughout the trip, which the office will provide to families. Because of the wilderness nature of our trips, there are limitations regarding the frequency of updates and the number and size of photos sent to the office. Written updates will be emailed to families, while photos and videos will be uploaded directly to an online album. Students are welcome to bring a camera to take their own photos!
Of course, if there is an emergency or you need to contact your child right away during the trip, you can call us, and we will get your child to a phone as quickly as possible. There is an administrator on-call 24/7, and we are in touch with each of our groups daily.
Will I be able to talk to my student’s instructors before the trip?
Your family will receive a phone call from one of your child’s instructors in the few days before the trip begins. At this time, they may follow up on any medical conditions, allergies, or food restrictions; answer last-minute questions; and take the opportunity to welcome your student to Adventure Treks.
Will we receive a trip roster?
We do not send out rosters before trips start. Because our philosophy is grounded in building a genuine and inclusive community of peers, we try to limit pre-trip contact between students so that the community can grow organically once everyone arrives. This also prevents students from looking each other up online and forming preconceived opinions of each other before they meet.
Can you accommodate food allergies?
We can accommodate vegetarians and many food allergies and dietary restrictions, including peanuts, tree nuts, soy, dairy, sesame, and gluten. Throughout the trip, our staff will work hard to prevent cross-contamination for those with food allergies (though in our basic outdoor kitchens, this can never be 100% guaranteed). It is also important that students take responsibility and an active role in managing their allergies and dietary restrictions along with our instructors, including reading ingredients labels, avoiding foods with a known allergen, and seeking help from an instructor if needed. Our instructors carry EpiPens and are trained to respond to allergic reactions.
While we ask that the students not bring food, candy, or gum to Adventure Treks, students with celiac disease or other highly restricted diets may bring packaged food or snacks from home. This is in case we can’t find a particular brand in the smaller, more remote grocery stores with limited selections.
Adventure Treks may choose to operate a trip free of a particular food (peanuts, tree nuts, etc.) due to student allergies.
Please call us at 828-698-0399 so we can discuss your child’s specific needs. Read more about the kinds of foods we eat here.
Does my child need outdoor experience?
Most of our first-time students don’t have experience in most of the outdoor activities that we do*. Our instructors will teach students the skills they’ll need. By the end of the trip, students will be pros at setting up camp, cooking in the backcountry, hiking through the woods, and much more! If students do have some experience, our instructors will be happy to help teach more advanced skills.
*All new students applying for the Alaska Expedition or Leadership Summit should have previous backcountry experience (e.g., multi-day backpacking trips) and will attend an interview with an Adventure Treks director to ensure a mutually good fit.
How should my child physically prepare for their trip?
Because we’ll be engaged in different outdoor activities throughout each trip, our students have the responsibility to be physically fit to attend Adventure Treks. We know physical fitness looks different for everyone, but it’s important to come prepared so that you and your fellow students can succeed. One student not coming prepared with physical fitness will negatively impact the entire group.
In the months leading up to your trip, we recommend participating in physical activity at least a few times a week (if you don’t already) to increase your stamina and endurance. This might be hiking, jogging or running, biking, playing soccer or basketball, or anything else that helps your cardiovascular fitness. It’s also a great idea to load your school backpack with textbooks, lace up your hiking boots, and hike around the neighborhood or on nearby trails a few times a week!
Where do students sleep?
We typically group three students to a four-person tent throughout the trip, though some students choose to sleep four to a tent when backpacking to save some weight in their packs. When conditions allow, we sleep under the stars.
When will students shower and do laundry?
Students will shower about once a week; however, they’ll have access to hand soap, water, and hand sanitizer every day, regardless of location, so they’ll always be able to wash their hands and face and brush their teeth. Additionally, we spend a lot of time around rivers and lakes, and many of our students bring travel wipes. We do laundry on all trips, and students will have enough clean clothes to last them through laundry day.
What happens if there‘s a wildfire, bad weather, or something else affects my child’s trip?
If unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances like weather, heat, wildfires and smoke, or anything else dictate an itinerary change or otherwise affect our trip, we will let parents know as soon as it happens. Our directors monitor wildfires and other weather conditions constantly; we also maintain close communication with our outfitters and forest and park rangers, who are extremely helpful in providing updates and resources regarding conditions on the ground. We strictly abide by each area’s regulations regarding campfires and any other fire restrictions, and our instructors are trained in how to identify signs of wildfire activity and what to do if they see those signs. We have the ability and flexibility to switch our itinerary around if needed.
Who will greet my child at the airport?
Our instructors will meet our students upon landing at the airport. The Adventure Treks team constantly checks for flight delays and other travel obstacles on every student’s flight. We strive to make traveling to and from each outdoor adventure as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Read more about traveling to and from Adventure Treks here.
What is your cancellation policy?
For all summer trips, all deposit payments are refundable through December 31, 2024. Between January 1 and February 28, 2025, deposits are nonrefundable. (If you’ve paid tuition in full and cancel by February 28, you forfeit the $1,000 deposit.) For cancellations that occur after March 1, 2025, deposits and tuition are nonrefundable (including if you withdraw an application during the admissions process). Adventure Treks must be notified of all cancellations in writing.
You can view our cancellation policy in full here.
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