Journey School 6th Grade 2007 Bishop Climbing and Backpacking Program

Frequently Asked Questions:

What will the weather be like?

Good question. There seems to be no such thing as typical in the Eastern Sierra. We have seen cold and windy weather this time of year and we have also wondered when it will ever cool down. Average highs in late September are in the 80's with the average low being in the low 40's at night. If you stick to the equipment list you will not be disapointed!

Do I really need everything on the equipment list?

You can probably guess the answer to this one. Please try to follow the equipment list as closely as you can. If you want to stray from our suggestions at least contact us or someone at the school who is involved with the trip to see what they think.

What if I need to contact my parents/child if there is an emergency?

Other than an emergency you should not plan on being able to make contact. But... It is fairly easy to make contact should the need arise. Parents may call Todd Vogel's cell phone at 760-920-0774 but please note that this will only work in the mornings and evenings when we are in camp. If you need to contact us at other times and if it is a true emergency you can call Todd's home phone and, using the itinerary, someone there will be able to find us and help us make contact with you. If your child needs to contact you then they will be able to use the cell phone in camp.

What are the emergency services in Bishop?

There is a regular hospital in town.

What are the instructor Qualifications?

Todd Vogel is the lead instructor for this program. He has worked with similar programs in outdoor education since the mid 1980's and has lead some 300 programs for schools and organizations around the world. He is a Nationally certified mountain guide and is a trainer and certifier for the American Mountain Guides Association (on the AMGA's Top rope site manager program). He is a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR) which is considered to be the standard emergency medical training for outdoor leaders. He is also the Wilderness Stewardship Coordinator for local public lands advocacy group Friends of the Inyo.

As of this writing we are still arranging the female co-staff people for the program. They will have extensive experience with similar groups in similar settings and will also be WFR certified.