A Wilderness Adventure & Rites of Passage Program for Teens
- W.I.L.D. takes teens 13-19 on seven and ten-day backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.
- These trips support participants to access their gratitude and joy, and to deepen their relationships with themselves, each other, and the natural world.
- Our thoughtful and passionate guide team is dedicated to uplifting young people to become genuine leaders in their own lives.
- In addition to having a good time, we teach awareness and mindfulness practices that sustain physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, not just while we’re in the mountains, but when we get home as well.
Is W.I.L.D. a good fit for a teen in my life?
We’re happy to answer questions about what to expect from the program and whether your teen would benefit from a summer adventure.
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A Day on Trail
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W.I.L.D. stands for Wilderness Immersion & Leadership Development. Sometimes we joke that the wilderness immersion part is obvious (“Look around, we’re in the mountains!”) and that everything else we do is leadership development. Taking care of our gear. Treating water for the group. Tending a fire. Learning the names of plants.. Paying attention to the weather. Being a good listener. Sharing words of gratitude. Supporting a friend through something challenging. These are all forms of leadership development that happen every day on W.I.L.D. trips.
We begin each day in the backcountry with a morning practice that includes a traditional thanksgiving address and a physical warm up based in yoga, qigong, and calisthenics. We eat breakfast and pack up camp. We spend our days hiking, stopping when we can to swim or take in an epic view. We make camp in the late afternoon, and spend the golden hours of the day relaxing, playing games, and learning skills. This is the time of day when we introduce new mindfulness practices, and teach skills like knot-tying and wilderness medicine. We eat dinner and then settle in around the fire for our evening council. Some mornings we might wake up before dawn to attempt a high mountain summit, or stay up all night tending a fire.
Ten day W.I.L.D. courses are built around a 24 to 36 hour solo ceremony that happens in the second half of the trip. We usually arrive at our base camp around the midpoint of the trip and begin preparations. The solo is never mandatory.
Ready to start your adventure? The first thing you’ll need to do is create a profile on the Back to Earth registration portal. It only takes a few minutes.
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Scholarship Opportunities
FAQs
WILD is for teens and young adults 13-19 who want to discover themselves and cultivate a personal relationship with the natural world. No prior backpacking experience is necessary. All identities, learning styles and voices are welcome.
Yes and no. Wilderness immersion is a powerful teacher of inner-peace and well being; it is inherently therapeutic. But we are not therapists and we are not trained or equipped to substitute for licensed medical care of any sort.
All 10-day trips include a 24-36 hour solo ceremony. Drawing inspiration from a diverse array of initiatory rites, these are powerful opportunities for young people to be alone, reflect on their lives, and set a course for their futures. The solo is never mandatory, but our extensive preparations in the week leading up to the solo, and the strong container we build with each other, means that most young people choose it for themselves.
A non-refundable 20 percent deposit is required at the time of registration. Families can choose to pay the full tuition at registration or select a payment plan option from the available choices at check out. The full tuition minus deposit is refundable up to one month before departure. Cancellations within one month of departure are non-refundable. This includes COVID-19 related cancellations.
Yes, by all means. Having a friend who can relate to the experience you’ve been through can be helpful with integration when you get back home.
We work throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains, all within Yosemite National Park, Tahoe National Forest and Sierra National Forest.
We recommend that participants engage in regular, moderate to strenuous physical activity on a regular basis for at least two months before their trip. Hiking, running, playing sports, climbing, weight lifting are all helpful in getting ready for the rigors of hiking with a full pack. We also recommend that participants explore their comfort carrying a heavy pack at least two months before the trip starts. If you have any questions about your physical ability or how to prepare for success we are happy to advise.
See our gear list for Boy's Trips and Girl's Trips. Please note that some things on the list can be borrowed.
Back to Earth provides all necessary group gear, including tents, food storage and kitchen setup. Participants are responsible for bringing or renting all personal gear.
Drop off takes place at Doyle Hollis Park in Emeryville, CA early in the morning on the first day of the trip. We provide transportation to and from the mountains. Pick up is at the same location in the late afternoon of the last day. Details will be in your enrollment confirmation email.
Your two pieces of footwear are really critical: Boots and camp shoes.
BOOTS
The most important piece of personal gear that Back to Earth doesn't rent is boots. They should be a mid-weight hiking boot with ankle support. You don't need heavy mountaineering boots, and you also can't hike in sneakers. Boots should be comfortable, not too big and not too small, with deep treads. We know that some people prefer low-tops as they are more comfortable. However, we require high-tops because of the evacuation risk of an ankle injury with a heavy pack on in the mountains.
CAMP SHOES
It's important to give your feet a break after a long day of hiking in your boots. Your camp shoes must be closed-toed to prevent toe injuries. No slides, No sandals, No flip-flops. They should be light-weight with good treads, preferably quick-drying in case of use to cross streams and creeks.
Pasta with red sauce, ground beef and parmesan. Beans and rice with chicken, cheese and tortillas. Etc. All meals are seasoned, with an accompanying sauce. Food is incredibly important for backpacking trips, and we know that teenagers need to be well-fed to be happy. We've done our best to optimize our menu for broad appeal and to maximize nutritional benefit for strenuous activity. And, we can only bring as much food as we can carry on our backs, so every ounce of food is intentionally calculated and packed. Teenage are always worried about the food. We promise it's good and plentiful. We can accommodate most dietary restrictions and sensitivities if given advance notice.
A Note on Gender
Eli and Jesse started W.I.L.D. as a program for teenage boys in 2014. In 2021 we offered our first W.I.L.D. trip for girls and young women, and we are excited to nurture that side of the program in the years to come. But the head start in the boys program accounts for how many fewer girls trips there are, as well as the disproportionate representation of boys trips in our photographs and videos.
We know that wilderness immersion and rites of passage are essential for adolescents of all genders, and we know that “boys” and “girls” trips are not categories that speak to everyone. While we have the utmost respect for every young person’s relationship to their body, expression and identity, we continue to consolidate our trips by gender-identification in part because that is how we received instructions from our elders for adolescent rites-of-passage. There is also a special kind of trust that can form in groups who share a resonant experience of gender in our culture.
That said, we invite folks of all gender expressions to identify the trip most suitable for them, and we are prepared to work with teens and families to ensure that W.I.L.D. remains a safe and welcoming space for all.
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