GSLAC Back Country Leadership Skills Training for Philmont

April 4-6, 2025

S bar F Scout Ranch, Knob Lick, Mo

If you are headed to Philmont Scout Ranch next year and haven’t hiked there in several years, this course may be for you. If you are a first-time Philmont Crew Advisor, this training will jump-start your ability to prepare your crew for a peak Philmont trek. Through practical hand’s-on training, this course will give you the skills and confidence to properly prepare your crew for its Philmont adventure!

The training begins at 7pm Friday April 4 at Camp Gamble Northstar Pavilion. We’ll check gear, organize into a crew structure, and review our route. Saturday morning we will preapre and eat breakfast, refresh our navigation skills, load our packs and start our overnight backpacking hike on the Three-Notch Trail, camping at Camp Sakima. Sunday morning we’ll break camp and hike back to Camp Gamble, arriving no later than 12:00p. You will learn how to plan/train, manage risk, select and use equipment/gear, get physically fit for the trek, keep clean and healthy on the trail, plan food and nutrition for your crew shakedown/practice weekends, navigate using map and compass, set up a Philmont-style campsite, treat water for drinking, and build your crew into a performing team.

You must register for this course no later than March 28. Class size is limited to 24 adult Scouters and Scouts/Venturers age 14 and older. As the purpose of this training is to give you skills and knowledge that you will take back to your crew, we ask that you limit the number of participants per crew.

We need a minimum of four participants to conduct this class, because it is based on learning to apply high adventure leadership skills in a crew. Participants must bring a current Annual Health and Medical Record Parts A and B Form 680-001.

Bring equipment on the attached personal gear list. If you don’t have equipment listed, please contact us—we have some packs and tents available for this weekend. Your Council High Adventure Training Staff will provide all food (Friday night light cracker barrel, Saturday breakfast/lunch/supper, Sunday breakfast) and crew gear.

Location: S-F Scout Reservation/ Friday at Camp Gamble

Time: Friday 7:00 pm through Sunday 12:00 pm

Class size: 24 maximum / 4 minimum

Who: Adult Scouters and Scouts/Ventures age 14 and older.

Bring: Health form A and B. Gear List attached.

Contact: Jon Jonas, j.jonas@att.net 618-234-0311 or 618-806-7974