RE: [Philmont]: Pre-Trek Training Agreements

I've followed the messages on pre-trek training with interest.

As an Explorer Scout in a Philmont Crew we had no pre-trek training. On the
other hand, our Explorer Post chose as its theme high adventure and
regularly would go on challenging backpacking expeditions, including a week
long winter backpacking trip through the Great Smokey Mountains National
Park. So in a real sense pre-trek training was already part of our program.

As an adult advisor I went with a crew that was formed at the Council.
There was no pre-trek training for that group either. The itinerary was
typical rather than strenuous, and there was
a good experience on the trail. I explained to the guys that I hoped they
would enjoy Philmont and that they would go out of their way to be helpful
to each other. I encouraged them to "ease into" the trek during the early
days to get used to the altitude and to work together to meet the challenges
on their itinerary. This they did. Great group of guys.

Whether pre-trek training is needed and what kind of pre-trek training is
chosen will depend largely on the experience of the Scouts and the goal they
select at Philmont. It is perfectly valid to have a crew select a super
strenuous itinerary and/or an itinerary which covers more ground than a
typical trek and require extensive pre-trek training.

A crew can also have a good Philmont experience, however, without going the
super strenuous route. Less pre-trek training and conditioning will be
needed in this case.

What is essential and must be required is that the goals and planning to
achieve those goals should be done by the young men themselves, with good
advising from experienced adults.

The purpose of Philmont isn't necessarily to set the all time record for
hiking (although it could be) but to set goals that will be a challenge, to
meet those goals, and to
experience the thrill of getting in the group picture under the "We All Made
It" sign.

Joe Jansen
JAJansenJr@gmail.com
Philmont 1965; 1978

>From: "Feurtado, Walter C." <wfeurtado@atsva.com>
>Reply-To: philmont@troop47.com
>To: Multiple recipients of list philmont <philmont@troop47.com>
>Subject: RE: [Philmont]: Pre-Trek Training Agreements
>Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 07:00:01 -0400
>
>It is interesting that Coop, Dr. Bob, and I have different implementations
>to this topic that are essentially the same!! Before anyone commits their
>money, they know what is required. The shakedown is the ONLY place where a
>determination as to whether each hiker is in compliance with the rules
>outlined before they signed up for the trek. It is my experience that
>hikers who find excuses not to participate are the ones who know that they
>are OUT OF SHAPE and they are postponing the inevitable. It is during the
>shakedowns that the following is also learned:
>
>1. Picky Eaters - (ultimately have no energy on the
>trail).
>
>2. Hikers who do not like treated water (dehydration
>candidates).
>
>3. Hikers who separate from the crew (hikers who like to
>hike fast and are not concerned about the rest of the crew which leads to
>crew separation from taking the wrong trails).
>
>4. Hikers who do not want to do any work in camp (crew
>meltdown on day 6).
>
>5. Hikers who do not keep themselves clean (hiker's rash
>and a very smelly situation)
>
>My rule has always been participation in 3 of 4 outings. The outings are:
>
>1. 10 mile hike (November)
>
>2. = day training session on camp setup and in camp
>chores (March)
>
>3. 3 day 2 night 15 mile shakedown (May)
>
>4. 3 day 2 night 15 mile shakedown (June)
>
>5. Optional 10 mile hike the weekend before the trip.
>
>On a side note, when Coop was finalizing the "Advisor's Guide", we learned
>that Dr. Bob was also working on one. So we asked him for a draft and the
>topics that he had covered that we had not, Coop asked for permission to
>include them in our Guide which is why Dr. Bob is mentioned often in the
>guide!! The concept of the Advisor's Guide emanated from reviewing the
>after action notes from 1987 LenHok'sin Trial, 1988 LenHok'sin Trail, and
>1989-1991 Philmont experiences where all five crews had the same problems.
>The realization was that we as advisors, we were not training the crews
>properly.
>
>
>
>Wally Feurtado
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _____
>
>From: owner-philmont@troop47.com [mailto:owner-philmont@troop47.com] On
>Behalf Of CoopWright@aol.com
>Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2005 11:02 PM
>To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
>Subject: Re: [Philmont]: Pre-Trek Training Agreements
>
>
>
>Right on with Dr. Bob's assessment. Those of us who have been fortunate to
>go to Philmont several times have our fair share of war stories about the
>adults and youth members who weaseled out of pre-trek training only to
>become a problem on the trail. You have to ask yourself, "Do I want to
>handle the problem of commitment up front or Day 3 on the trail". You
>choose. I choose up front.
>
>Cooper Wright
>Associate Advisor, Crew 1519
>Co-author of the Philmont Advisor's Guide
>

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Received on Fri Sep 9 13:05:48 2005