Wilderness Journey (WJ) for First Year Students: OE 181 is a summer course offered by the Outdoor Education Department of Montreat College. WJ is not exactly your average course. For one thing, class time averages about 24 hours a day for 13-days. You could say it’s a very time-consuming course. In fact, you won’t have time to study anything else! Once the course starts, you’ll find you’ve gained 8-10 classmates... and you’ll really get to know each other well. As the course progresses, you’ll be amazed at the resources available to you within the classroom - beautiful scenery, great companionship (and even conflict), exotic camp foods, a complete exercise program, travel guides (your map and compass), wild animals, weather of all varieties, and lots of adventure. Finally, WJ is “learning by experience.” Hopefully, through your experience, you will: grow in your relationship with Christ, gain a better understanding of yourself, grow closer to others in an atmosphere of community, challenge your present values and lifestyle, and gain a new appreciation for the environment. Wilderness Journey can be a lot of fun but it is a lot of work. It will require a strong commitment and a personal attitude of safety. There are real challenges and real risks in a wilderness environment, but most of our graduates have agreed that the experience was personally meaningful, if not transformational, in many ways.

 

 

Well, first of all, you go outside. That’s when the fun (and challenge) begins. A typical 13 -day course may include the following components:
 

-Backpacking (long and short hiking days over rough terrain, including possible night hikes)

-Daily orienteering (using a map and compass to get around)

-Camping

-Sound personal hygiene in a wilderness environment

-Cooking your own meals with your group members over an open-fire or stove

-Whitewater canoeing

-Rock climbing

-Rappelling

-A solo/fasting experience (1-3 days with just you and God and a sleeping bag!)

-all types of weather conditions (extreme cold and heat are possible and rain is probable)

-Daily Bible studies and group discussions

-Experiential learning (everything from outdoor skill development to personal discipleship)

-Student-directed wilderness travel with little, or no, instructor supervision

-a final physical challenge

-post course gatherings with other Wilderness Journey students throughout the fall semester

-and much more!

 

Good question! It is not a vacation. It is not a guided trip. It is not a weekend camping excursion with your pals. It is not a scouting trip. It is not a rehabilitation program. And it is not a course designed to primarily teach wilderness skills.

 

You don’t need any experience and everything (I mean everything) is experienced as a group... no competition in this classroom! It’s a group effort and everyone is learning together. 

 

 "What, I don't need any experience? What do I need?" 

Nope! You do not need wilderness-expedition experience. But there are a few requirements. You must have a sincere commitment to Christian discipleship in a remote wilderness environment for 2 weeks. You must be ready to embrace challenge, hardship, and personal reflection! You must also be committed to working with a small group of folks in an “up close and personal” environment. You must have been accepted to Montreat College, be an incoming Freshman or Transfer student, have all new student paperwork completed for the course,  and be in average physical condition with no prohibiting medical illnesses or injuries. Finally, you need to be comfortably free of ALL tobacco, drug, and alcohol consumption. These items are not allowed on a Wilderness Journey Course. Any student found in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs in the field will be removed from the course and receive a failing grade. We do not compromise on this strict policy because of the safety risks involved.

 

 

Wilderness Journey supplies a nutritious and varied diet for its course participants. The diet is designed to be versatile and offers numerous combinations that are limited only by individual creativity. Rice, pasta, beans, flour, cereal, nuts, cheese, and dried fruits and vegetables are among the basic ingredients. The quantity of food is adequate but not excessive and is prepared by you and your fellow group members. If you have special dietary needs, please contact us.