Hi there. My name is Max Huber and I am on the Steering Committee of the Harvard First-year Outdoor Program (FOP). We send out six day backpacking trips throughout the back country of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in the fall of each year for the purpose of orienting first-years. Right now I'm doing some research towards refining our program's policy on conducting solo hikes on our fall trips and it would be very helpful to hear about similar programs' approaches. Do other college orientation programs have a specific policy or guideline dictating the use of solo-hiking on trips? We would love to hear about it!
Thank you,
- Max Huber
Solos Protocols
The idea behind a solo experience is to give the individual time to be on their own in a wilderness environment for personal reflection and exploration. Exploration must be kept in context since you should not allow inexperienced people to just wander around in the outdoors. Any plans for solo time must be carefully evaluated in terms of the following:
§ Location
§ Terrain
§ Weather
§ Experience of the group
§ Age and maturity of the group
§ Any medical or physical problems
§ Willingness of group members
Under appropriate trail and weather conditions and if participants have the necessary experience, leaders may choose to let the group spread out along the trail to do a hiking solo. Separate people by 5-10 minutes and keeping a uniform pace, each person can spend some time alone. The following protocols should always be implemented.
§ Any solos should be implemented towards the end of the trip after participants have been properly trained in basic backcountry skills.
§ Do not do a hiking solo if anyone in your group who is having any type of medical problem and/or is allergic to beestings.
§ Do not do a hiking solo if there is anyone in the group who is overly tired, depressed, having difficulty hiking, etc.
§ One leader should be at the head of the group with map and compass, and another leader should at the end of the group with the larger first aid kit. This way, participants are sandwiched in between leaders and can only become lost if they go off the trail.
§ Each person should know who is immediately ahead of them and who is immediately behind them.
§ Only do walking solos on trails that are well-marked and relatively easy hiking with no detours along the way or other places where someone could take a wrong turn. At any trail junction, you must use the stop and wait for the next person to catch up. Then you can go on and that person waits until the next person comes to the trail junction to make sure that everyone goes the right way.
§ Solo hiking should only be done for a specified amount of time, say 15-20 minutes, so that the person in front knows when to stop to regroup. You can also solo hike for a specified distance, stopping at a certain landmark.
Under appropriate campsite and weather conditions and if participants have the necessary experience, leaders may choose to let the members of the group walk a short distance from camp to spend some time alone.
§ Do not do solo time in camp if anyone in your group who is having any type of medical problem and/or is allergic to beestings.
§ Do not do solo time in camp if there is anyone in the group who is overly tired, depressed, having difficulty hiking, etc.
§ The campsite must be suitable for solo time. If there is dense brush where it is easy to get disoriented, steep drop-offs, or other conditions that could create hazards, do not do solo time in camp.
§ Each person must specify the direction they are going in and should not walk out of earshot from camp. Leaders can blow a whistle as people walk away from camp. They should stop while still clearly able to hear the whistle.
§ Leaders should set a time for return so that all participants are back well before dusk (not even dark). As a reminder, blow the whistle to call everyone in.
§ All leaders must do their solo in camp while others are out in case of an emergency.
--------------- Rick Curtis CEO OutdoorEd.com Director, Princeton University Outdoor Action Program
Hi Max,
Rick posted a lot of helpful information above. In addition, I would examine the "why" - that is, what is the mission of your program and does the activity support or fit within the context of your mission.
good luck,
Kurt
Tom Breznau here, director of Kalamazoo College's LandSea Program (18 day wilderness 1st year orientation program) and owner of TCB Enterprises (www.tcb-enterprises.com). We do a"solo" on our prgram that consists of placing each person in a patrol around a lake within a small define separate area where, ideally they cannot see others. They have lot's of water, pens and journals and hopefully no books, knives, food, etc. They usually stay put for two nights and almost 2 days. Leaders check on them twice a day and all have storm whistles for emergency use. It feels scary to many but over the years has produced some great individual insights and growth. Comes near the end of our program.
We also have leaders "leave" patrols during the program sometimes for part of a day...the patrols hike together then, not solo. We do encourage "solo" journaling time in camp, but not solo hiking.
Good luck, part of directing these types of programs these days seems to be for all of us to continue to struggle and share regarding so many important issues and program policies.
Regards.
Tom