Hike Leader Training and Certification! 

(A PATC Course)

Attention all Members Interested in Joining Our Leadership Team or Looking to Learn to How to Lead Outdoor Excursions!  

This is the first course and certification in becoming a fully credentialed member of our diverse and very qualified Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group leadership team. Hike Leader Training and Certification (this is of of the few courses that is only one day and not 2 or 3), in addition to an excellent Advanced Wilderness First Aid Certification (2 days), and Leave No Trace Certification (we are certified to teach this and offer it a few times per year), are required to organizer and/or lead activities for our exciting group. Those who lead in the backcountry or are ever more than 3 hours away from emergency assistance are also urged to take an additional course and become Certified Medical Wilderness First Responders (3 Days) (Qualifies you to take the additional training required for volunteer backcountry search and rescue missions).

Who Can Take This Course?

Anyone! This class is not limited to our hike leaders, and anyone can attend, as it is offered by PATC. The course is great for anyone interested in becoming a hiker leader, learning more about affectively leading hikes, or even becoming more confident and capable hiker. The only, but significant difference, is that you pay for it unless you are a leader for our group, and pre-approved by me since I can only afford to send a few leaders to each class at any given time.

How and When Do I Register and Pay? 

Training for our leadership team, including this particular certification course, which, upon successful completion, results in hike leader certification, is covered by money made from the dollar or two charged for our hikes. I no longer prepay for classes after some no shows in the past, so leaders are reimbursed the day they successfully complete the course earn their certification because it directly benefit our hikers. Secondly, there are usually members of the group who are not leaders but are interested in take this and other classes for their enrichment purposes and pay for it on their own. As a result of this being a class offered by the PATC and not our group, RSVP’ing here on our Meetup site will not register you for the class, nor do I (or will I) accept money for this class as it is not my class to accept money for. You absolutely MUST register through the PATC and all questions should be directed to them and not me. The PATC does not offer online payments or registration. If you plan on me to cover the cost for this course, please ask me in advance before registering and then "sending me a bill" as has happened a few times now. This is starting to happen more and more frequently and has put me in a very bad financial situation. Even though this class is about 30 dollars, there are also 30 of you so it all adds up quickly, and this is by far the least expensive certification. Reality is that I can only afford to send a certain amount of people to any class at a given time and all but this class are about 300.00 dollars so it has a significant impact on my families budget. Thank you for your consideration.

Note: There is a discount if you are a member of the PATC, so please indicate on your registration form if you are a member of their club or not.

How Much of This PATC Course Applies to Being a Leader for The Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group? 

In short, all but a small portion that covers some paper work that the PATC requires for their hike leaders and is specific to their group and does not apply to The Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group. Other than that, all remaining sections of the class, and scenarios acted out, are generic enough that it applies to anyone interested in leading hikes, or interested in leading hikes for our group. The map reading portion of this class and the “scenarios” are excellent. Even leaders with a lot of leadingexperience say they are happy they took the course and learned something new that they will put to use.

Why Use the PATC Course? When and Will We Offer One of Our Own?

absolutely, yes and we have been in the process of doing just that for about a year. Putting together a class that results in a certification takes a lot of time and effort than an enrichment course. 

Since the PATC course is offered to the public and non-members as it offers a non-member price, we use this class until ours is finalized and approved within the next couple of months. The PATD is very well known and respected and is the best there is to send our leaders to until we have our own class. I want it very clear that this is not a class offered by our group, but instead, through the PATCand they deserve ALL credit for this course, and everything associated with it, and then some. I am addressing this over and over here only because of the overwhelming amount of calls and e-mails saying I don't address enough in this posting. Many members were still unclear with who to pay and who was offeringthe course. If this exhaustive amount of additional information does not make it clear enough, then there is nothing else I can do because I have repeated this information in many places to be sure it is seen, in almost every section of this posting.

Click Here to Register for This Course Through PATC (Required)

Hike Leader Certification

The hike leader classes for hikers who are learning new skills as well as formal hike leaders of outing groups who are updating their group leadership skills. The course provides essential skills for leading safe, environmentally responsible, and enjoyable hikes. We cover how to handle backcountry medicalemergencies, leadership development, trip planning, standard procedures, emergency procedures, gear and clothing, map reading and navigation, and Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. The training includes lectures with hands-on applications and trail-based scenarios. The course is open to all levels, from novice to experienced hikers.

This will be a great "team building" exercise for our team and in addition to other training classes we take, I thought this one would help make sure we are all on the same page regarding expectations of hike leadership for leading hikers.

What to Bring
Pen or pencil for taking notes. Lunch if preferred (there are restaurants within walking distance).

Topics Covered
Wilderness Medical Emergencies
Participants receive an overview of many of the most common medical emergencies you are likely to encounter on a hike. While not a certificate course for wilderness first aid, the class provides both classroom instruction and hands on training in dealing with typical medical emergencies.

Leadership
The hike leader is ultimately responsible for leading a safe and enjoyable hike with minimal impact on the environment. The course addresses the leader's responsibilities in achieving those ends. It touches on the many roles a leader must assume and how he or she effectively executes those responsibilities.

Planning
The most important part of a hike is the preparation prior to the hike. Planning entails a range of activities that are covered in the class, from choosing a trail and researching the area of the hike to preparing for unforeseen emergencies.

Standard Procedures
Certain procedures remain the same for every hike. This section addresses such procedures, particularly for leading hikes, such as required documentation, screening participants; trail-head briefing; assigning a sweep; and post-hike activities.

Leave No Trace

An important aspect of a hike leader's responsibility is to design and conduct an enjoyable hike that minimizes impact to the environment.

Emergency Procedures

Dealing with emergencies starts with the planning phase. But even with the best-laid plans, emergencies can occur. The course describes how to be prepared for those emergencies and how to deal with them when they occur. We'll look at two of the most common emergencies encountered by hike leaders -- medical situations and lost hikers.

Maps and Navigation

The course provides a foundation for learning about maps and navigation. It covers the essential topics for leading safe hikes. How to read maps, including contour lines; common symbols; elevation gain; and estimating time. How to use a compass, including taking a bearing, following a bearing, and orienting a map.

Directions to The Class

Provided when you register for their class. Click Here to Register! 

Note: There is a discount if you are a member of the PATC so please indicate on your registration form if you are a member of their club or not.

This should be a fun and educational one day class for our hike leaders and members interested in the class!