Come visit us and hang out at the Hiking the Ozarks and Satori Expeditions booth.   This is a great event held at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds E-Plex.  We will be giving away Satori gear and have some great drawings for gear and prizes.

Also due to popular demand, we will make one more winter trip to the Richland Creek Wilderness, where we will explore some new areas.  Have no idea what we will see, but can tell you there will probably be no trails and it will probably be amazing, it always is when we go to the” Playground of the Ozarks”.

This is a fine little hike along the North side of the Buffalo River and after a short climb to the cliffs near Antenna Pine, who are greated by some great leaf off views of the Buffalo River Valley, Indian Creek, Kyles Landing area and the Boy Scout Area.  We will then explore down to the top of the Hemmed in Hollow waterfall, which is a very steep trip down and back up.  From here we will work our way down toward FishTrap Hollow to explore the overlooks and the waterfall.  This is also a very steep area, so be prepared.

The Advanced Survival Class is phase III of our survival training and includes a review of previous information and training, followed by an outdoor experience in a survival situation. This completely practical exercise class will consist of being put in a survival setting with limited supplies and gear and thus utilizing the training received to survive in the outdoors for a period of time (24 to 36 hours). Students are allowed to work in small groups of up to 4 people and are allowed one liter of water and one candy bar per student.  Each student is also allowed to being extra clothing, but no tents, shelters, sleeping bags, stoves or other items are allowed.  The students will be asked to survival with a small survival kit and will used their new skills to adapt to their environment.  An instructor(s) will monitor the class for safety and educational purposes.  For dates and locations near you, check the events page.

This class is for those that really want to refine and hone their survival skills and have completed our Survival Class Series. This class will be similar to the format of the Advanced Survival Class, in other words, each student will only be allowed 1 candybar, 1 liter of water and no camping or sleeping gear etc for the class.   The students are allowed a backpack, survival kit and their clothing and will be asked to navigate to find pre-determined locations via the use of a map and compass.  On average the mileage will be from 6 to 8 miles per day and at the end of each day, the student will have to use their survival skills to locate and obtain safe drinking water, food, shelter, fire etc.   This is the only class of it’s kind in the midwest and each student will be required to sign a liability waiver.

Along with Hurricane Creek, one of my favorite sections of the Ozark Highland Trail.  This two day 18 miles hike, consists of Pine Forests, bluffs, waterfalls, crystal clear creeks, vistas and tons of wildlife, saw a Black Bear last time we did this hike.  This hike is a fun one and only a moderate trip.

This class is designed for individuals who have already received Wilderness First-Aid training, or some other equivelant medical training.  This is an intense 2 day class, designed to allow the students to participate in as close to real life practical training as possible.  Each participant will be camping with other students and be exposed to a variety of real life first aid practicals. The students will work in small group and will be required to locate, diagnose, treat and remove any injured parties that may need to be removed in the scenarios.   This may include building a litter or other device to carry the injured person to safety.  Some of the scenarios will be the rescue and treatment of a person from a cold mountain river, a fall from a cliff, insect/animal bites, heat related illness, mechnical injuries and unknown injuries/medical issues.  Each student will need a first-aid kit and materials to treat patients, along with the ability to build a litter or other device to remove patients to safety.

This 19 mile section is one of the most popular sections of the Ozark Highlands Trail and is full of great views, rock formations, shelters and a great 1,000 foot climb up Whiting Mountain.

This is the first phase of certification under the Professional Hiking Guide Association. Upon completion of this training course, you will obtain a certification from the PHGA as a Hiking Guide.

Prerequisites: Wilderness First Aid Certification, CPR/AED Certification (Red Cross or AHA),
Course Length: 2 days/16 hours
Certificate Coverage: Day trips

Curriculum Outline:

1. Gear Overview: The 10 essentials, guides pack, clothing system and overview, first-aid supplies and kit assembly

2.Water and Food: Water and waste management, food and meal planning/nutrition, meal preparation

3. Leave No Trace (LNT):Pack in/pack out,waste disposal, cleaning up, do not disturb, 7 LNT principles

4. Wildlife: Game trail recognition, hiking in bear country, bear canisters and sprays, sharing the trail, wildlife recognition, non-aversive bear conditioning

5. Basic Wilderness Survival Overview: Food, shelter, fire, water

6. Wilderness Travel:Client introductions, safety protocols, navigation overview, off-route navigation, winter hiking

7.Physical Conditioning: Hiking specific training programs, stretching, cool downs

8. Group Management: Group participant selection and screening, trail management, sweepers, runners, pacing, search & rescue strategies, evacuation procedures, communication, special needs clients

9. Stewardship and Access Issues: Permits, commercial use authorization, respecting the terrain, recreational hikers, outdoor clubs vs. guiding outfits

10. The job of a hiking guide

This is a training class for the people that will be going to Peru this summer to climb Mt. Pisco and/or Mt. Chopicalqui, or another mountain in the future.  This class will cover roped travel, knots, rappeling, use of ascenders, self arrest, ice axe and crampon use.  This class will provide numerous time to practice these skills.  Students will need a harness, a locking caribeaner, a helmet and a figure 8 or ATC.

This is one of my favorite little hikes, as it is full of great views, rock formations and waterfalls, plus the creek itself makes for great viewing.  This hike can be done as a long dayhike, but a better choice is to make it a 2 day trip and cover the entire 14 miles from Allison to Gunner’s Pool and Barkshed.  Not a difficult hike, so a perfect hike for beginning backpackers.

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This is an optional hike for all those traveling to Iceland and Peru in July, but it is highly encouraged to test your fitness level. We will hike the Compton Trail down to Hemmed and Hollow Falls and back with a 40 pound backpack. For the trekkers, you will be asked to accomplish this 2 times, for the mountaineers, you will be asked to accomplish this 3 times. It is a great way to test your mental and physical fitness level, 4 weeks before the trips. Everyone else is also invited to attend, just to hike down to the falls one time, or more if you are looking for a great workout.

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No description has been entered for this event.

No description has been entered for this event.

The highlight of any Iceland trip is the backpacking trip along the”Laugavegurinn”, or “The Hot Spring Route”.  The trail “Laugavegurinn” is one of the most popular backpacking trails in the Icelandic wilderness and the world.  This trail is equally popular with domestic and foreign hikers and this popularity is not without a reason, as the trail offers a great variety of landscapes, ranging from mountains in almost every color of the rainbow, glaciers, roaring hot springs, waterfalls, big rivers, and even glacier lakes.  The “Langavegurinn” does not disappoint and continually lives up to all our expectations.  We have always been left speechless from the color, mystique, and rugged beauty of Iceland.

Mount Pisco at 5,752 meters, (18,897 feet), is probably one of the best preparation climbing expeditions before attempting to climb higher mountains in the Cordillera Blanca or Cordillera Huayhuash.  Mount Pisco, while beautiful, is a fairly straight forward climb, without exposing the climber to difficult and technical climbing, thus allowing novice climbers with the opportunity to be exposed to a great experience on a big beautiful mountain. With several other taller more technical peaks close by, Pisco is commonly used as a preparation and acclimation climb for larger nearby peaks.

Chopicalqui is the fourth tallest mountain in the Cordillera Blanca at 6,354 meters ( 20,846 feet).  Chopicalqui is located between the Huascaran Sur and Contrahierbas Mountains and is known for its beautiful and amazing show shelf, know as the “Mushroom”, not to mention the summit, which provides a spectacular 360 degree view.

Hiking the Ozarks is proud to be hosting and organizing the 3nd Annual Hiking the Ozarks Outdoor Rendezvous, October 12-14, 2012 at the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch located near the Buffalo National River, in Jasper, Arkansas. This event will bring together outdoor enthusiasts from all over the Midwest for networking, camping, education and enjoying the outdoors. We will be offering various educational classes, which will once again include Basic Rock Climbing,  and several other outdoor classes.  There will also be hikes on some of the area’s greatest trails and locations, in the area.  There will be great raffle prizes from some name brand outdoor companies and a chance to meet other outdoor enthusiasts from all over the United States.  Cost for the event is $30.00, which this year will include the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch “User Fees” all the outdoor classes, access to all the guided hikes, entry into the raffles and door prizes and much more.  Horseshoe Canyon Ranch offers camping for $5.00 per night and also has a limited number of cabins for rent. They also have a restaurant on the ranch, along with a gear shop that rents climbing gear.  Please contact Dan Nash for more information.

This is the first phase of certification under the Professional Hiking Guide Association. Upon completion of this training course, you will obtain a certification from the PHGA as a Hiking Guide.

Prerequisites: Wilderness First Aid Certification, CPR/AED Certification (Red Cross or AHA),
Course Length: 2 days/16 hours
Certificate Coverage: Day trips

Curriculum Outline:

1. Gear Overview: The 10 essentials, guides pack, clothing system and overview, first-aid supplies and kit assembly

2.Water and Food: Water and waste management, food and meal planning/nutrition, meal preparation

3. Leave No Trace (LNT):Pack in/pack out,waste disposal, cleaning up, do not disturb, 7 LNT principles

4. Wildlife: Game trail recognition, hiking in bear country, bear canisters and sprays, sharing the trail, wildlife recognition, non-aversive bear conditioning

5. Basic Wilderness Survival Overview: Food, shelter, fire, water

6. Wilderness Travel:Client introductions, safety protocols, navigation overview, off-route navigation, winter hiking

7.Physical Conditioning: Hiking specific training programs, stretching, cool downs

8. Group Management: Group participant selection and screening, trail management, sweepers, runners, pacing, search & rescue strategies, evacuation procedures, communication, special needs clients

9. Stewardship and Access Issues: Permits, commercial use authorization, respecting the terrain, recreational hikers, outdoor clubs vs. guiding outfits

10. The job of a hiking guide