When your child begins ASCENT they stay in one of our two permanent base camps, joining an orientation group with other children who have recently arrived. Here they receive clinical and health assessments and adjust to the new structure and outdoor life-style.

 

 

Our base camp model allows your child time to build relationships with our staff and for us to create a place where they feel emotionally safe. It also enables us the time to evaluate your child's physical ability and to give him or her adequate training prior to the backpacking expedition and a place to return after the trip to debrief and plan their next steps.

 

 

 

• Participants live in large tipis erected on wooden platforms that are heated in winter
• Dining hall has a permanent roof and canvas walls and is warmed by a wood-stove
• Nutritious meals are planned by a registered dietician and are professionally prepared
• Heated shower facility for each gender
• A 50-foot Alpine Tower and climbing wall are located on-site
• A full-service hospital is only seven miles away

Read one student's personal account of a typical day at base camp

You can begin the process quickly and easily with our four-step pre-approval Easy Enroll Application