Sample Itinerary

Immerse yourself in the natural splendors of the Rocky Mountains as you hike through Colorado's celebrated backcountry. Discover all the wonders that Colorado has to offer while developing your leadership skills and making great new friends.

After our arrival in Denver, we will spend two days on the High Mountain Institute's campus. We'll stay in rustic cabins, get to know each other, and participate in a two-day leadership workshop led by faculty members experienced in teaching leadership skills. We'll learn more about ourselves and start to explore what leadership means to us. In between these classes, we'll get ready for our upcoming trek through the Colorado backcountry.

We'll start our 11-day backpacking expedition through the heart of the Rockies by hiking along trails as we get used to the altitude and our packs. Each morning, the group will select two students to serve as the Leaders-of-the-Day. They'll get the opportunity to practice their leadership skills while guiding their hiking groups over rocky passes and under towering peaks. In the afternoons, after setting up camp in the shadow of Colorado's magnificent "Fourteeners," we'll meet as a group for a game, a class about leadership, or a discussion about the day before cooking a delicious pizza dinner on our backcountry stoves.

Along the way, we'll pause to rock climb for two days and attempt to summit one of Colorado's famous high peaks. Our views from the summit will extend from Pike's Peak to the rugged San Juan Mountains southwest of Aspen. Toward the end of the trip, our sights will turn to one of the many off-trail routes in the Rockies, and we will practice leading the group from different perspectives. Leaders will ask themselves: Does the group want me to take charge or give the group more ownership?

At the end of the journey, our minds will be full with memories of the beautiful views and two weeks of laughter. Our imaginations will have already begun to wander to the next sports season, school play, or student government meeting. Confident in our new leadership skills, we will be eager to help our school teams and groups soar to new heights.

"Backpacking trip was awesome, got to push myself physically and mentally, learned a lot about myself, great faculty." Leading Edge '08 alumna

Frequently Asked Question: How is the Leading Edge course that takes place in the canyons of Utah different than the ones that take place in the Rocky Mountains?