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Local Wilderness Basics Course offered
 Learning how to get safely across a fast moving creek is practiced by WBC students. Photo by Cara Peden. By Anonymous — Tuesday, January 13th, 2015
The adventure and insights of the film and book by Cheryl Strayed -- “WILD: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” – are well known by participants of the Los Padres Sierra Club’s Wilderness Basics Course (WBC). That’s because WBC has been transforming and enhancing peoples’ lives for six years now, using the vast swath of wild land in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties that include woods, forests, chaparral, mountains, valleys, grasslands, semi-desert areas, rivers, creeks and nearly 500 fish and wildlife species … all chock full of adventure under a big sky. The Los Padres Chapter’s course runs Feb. 4 through March 25 and offers thorough training for adults and teens (13-17 with parent)of various levels of fitness, in the classroom and outdoors. Class is held every Wednesday at 7 p.m. and participants apply the knowledge during day hikes, car camp and overnight backpacks in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. “We offer this class so that people can enjoy the outdoors with more knowledge and take on a spirit of adventure. That’s our reward, along with meeting new friends and having a blast,” said WBC leader Teresa Norris. WBC’s dedicated staffis ready to share their skills and stories, demonstrating hiking techniques, equipment, navigation, first aid and safety, among many other skills including cooking delicious meals. Participants will meet like-minded people anxious to leave the urban scene behind for a while and, to quote the Sierra Club’s motto: “To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth.” “The WBCstrengthened my knowledge of the outdoors and reinforced my commitment to safety and preparation,” said Lars Yahr who became a staff member after he took the course. The goal is to increase enjoyment by being prepared and confident that a trip outdoors will be positive and rewarding, even if you lose your way, the weather turns bad or a medical problem crops up.Of course, avoiding those surprises is the highest priority and WBC prepares the students for such events. For more details, call 524-7170, email lospadresWBC@gmail.com, or go on the Facebook page or website: |
