Wilderness Camping Trip for Boys (ages 13-18)
August 7 - 10, 2008
Near Estes Park - Colorado


The Program
Adolescence - making the transition from childhood to adulthood - is confusing and difficult, and keeping the adult heart and soul alive and well is a life-long practice. Our ancestors recognized it as one of the most critical times in a person’s life and as a crucial step for the entire community, and they marked the coming of age time with rites of passage. These experiences always used wild nature as the crucible and essential support for the transitions of adolescence.

The purpose of this trip is to support young men in the journey of adolescence, and to help them prepare for their own passage into adulthood. This trip will help them develop some of the capacities needed for a rite of passage, become familiar with some of the central practices (such as ceremony, time alone in nature, and listening to each others’ stories), and awaken the innate framework - the archetypal imprint we each carry - for how to navigate life transitions.

The wilderness affords an ideal opportunity for adolescent boys to learn and grow. The lessons it teaches are natural and uncontrived - cold, sun, rain, stars, silence, elk, finch, challenge, comfort, and fascination. This trip will teach the boys some of the ways of the wild - both internal and external - giving their own wildness a chance to emerge in a healthy and spacious environment.

We offer a four-day, three-night wilderness camping trip for boys ages 13 – 18, in a format we have used successfully with youth for over a decade. We set up a camp together in the mountains outside Boulder, teach basic wilderness camping and safety skills, practice respect for each other and the land, and introduce important elements of rites of passage. The core of the experience is a full day (morning & afternoon) solo in nature, with the option of an overnight solo for those who are ready. They will also have fun, play games, learn tracking and other wilderness skills, eat well, and tell fantastic stories around the fire.

Location
We will drive and walk to a wilderness campsite on private land surrounded by national forest between Lyons and Estes Park, Colorado. It is beautiful and secluded land offering a profound sense of wildness and homecoming. Details on where to gather will be sent upon registration.

Staff
The program is led by Jeffrey Duvall, Gene Dilworth, MA and Ed "Eamon" Duffy with advisory support by John Davis PhD. You can view biographies of our staff here.

A boy sat alone next to a fire and carved a mask into a round of birch bark. He carved out the days of his boyhood, knowing he would leave it there and die to his boyhood in the dying light of a lonely fire.

"When I awoke" he said, "I was a man".


Dates and Times
Departing 9 AM Thursday, August 7, returning 3 PM Sunday, August 10. Parents and families of the boys are invited to gather to send the boys off on this trip on Thursday morning and to welcome them back on Sunday afternoon.

Cost
We offer a sliding scale registration ranging from $325-450. We ask that you pay what you can afford and help with scholarships. We know that this program is worth the $450, but we want to assure that everyone who wishes to attend is not held back due to financial consideration.

A minimum non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to hold your reservation and assure you of a spot in this gathering. Meals are included. Space is limited to 12 participants.

If you wish to set up a payment plan or inquire about a scholarship, please arrange with the MLA office prior to the event.

Deposit: (non-refundable)
$100 reserves your participation
Fee:
before July 10th $325-450
July 10th to July 24th $388-450
after July 24th $450
on-site Payment $495
Cancellation:
before July 10th full refund (minus deposit)
July 10th to July 24th 75% refund (minus deposit)
after July 24th no refund

Logistical details, equipment list and information to help the boys prepare for this trip will be sent upon registration. A pre-trip letter and phone conversation with the participants and one of the guides is part of the preparation, getting to know each other ahead of time so we all can be safe on the land and fully enjoy this experience.


Registration
Register on-line for this program using PayPal's secure website:

Wilderness Camping Trip
for Boys (ages 13-18)
August 7-10, 2008
Or you can print, fill-out, and mail your registration using the form below. Please include your deposit or registration fee by check made payable to "Men's Leadership Alliance".

  Printable MLA Registration Form

Further Information

Download the brochure for this program PDF

For more information please contact us
 

The Men's Leadership Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring authentic manhood.
We encourage and support soulful living in the service of a just, joyful, and sustainable world.
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