Sequoia Explorer Adventure

Our Sequoia Explorer destination gets you up close and personal with the largest trees in the world. Throughout this week of adventure, you will have a chance to visit high alpine lakes, rock climb up granite cliffs, explore deep caves, and pay homage to the mighty Sequoia trees. Our expert guides will take you from one adventure to the next and give you a real feeling of the wilderness playground so beloved by John Muir.

Day 1:
This is a travel day. Participants will arrive to a central meeting location in Los Angeles. LAX is the best airport for this adventure. Once our group is together, we'll travel to our camping site for the night in the mountains near Ojai.

Day 2:
After a delicious morning breakfast, we'll drive a short distance to our climbing area. After a general introduction to the sport, we'll spend a day on the rocks doing top-rope climbing. Our routes will range in difficulty, allowing more experienced climbers to be challenged as well. After tiring ourselves out, we'll head off to our camping area in the Foothills of Sequoia.

Day 3:
We'll head into the park first thing in the morning to start witnessing the beauty of the Sierra. The morning will be spent doing several local day hikes and seeing some of the famous sites including the General Sherman (the largest tree in the world). In the afternoon, we'll travel deep beneath the earth for a tour of Crystal Cave. This mammoth cave holds amazing formations and is well worth the visit. Our camp that night will be in the park.

Day 4:
It's time to see the backcountry! After a general introduction to gear and packing techniques, we'll gear up for an overnight backpack trip into the highlands. This trail climbs steeply out of the valley offering incredible views of the meadows and waterfalls below. We'll take our time enjoying the sites knowing our campground waits at the top. After passing several lakes, we'll find our destination surrounded by a ring of peaks, most of which will still have snow on them. An incredible place to rest for the night.

Day 5:
A relaxing morning of stretching and hanging out by the lake will leave time for those who choose to "grab" a local peak. Once everyone is ready, we'll head back down the trail from the day before, taking an alternate exit route. Being seasoned backpackers, it'll be a different story to enjoy the views from the day before. Back at the car before dark, we'll head back to our camping area from two nights before.

Day 6:
This day marks our last full day in the park. We'll travel to more of the incredible locations that we missed at the beginning of our trip. Memorable waterfalls, beautiful meadows, and more await us throughout the day of easy hiking.

Day 7:
This is a travel day. Back in Los Angeles first thing in the morning will allow people to catch early afternoon flights home. Although our journey is over, the memories will surely last a lifetime.

Note on Itinerary:
This course is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control, including weather and other conditions.

Important Information about Air Travel:
Contact ATS prior to purchasing your airline tickets to confirm the trip has the minimum number of participants required to operate.

Price Includes:
Professional instruction; all meals; camping gear upon request; technical climbing equipment, and a Leave No Trace ethics card.

Not Included:
Transportation from your hometown to the group meeting point; lodging before or after the trip, insurance of any kind; gratuities and items of a personal nature. To-bring list will be emailed upon registration. Note: alcoholic beverages are not allowed at this trip.

Transfers:
If you require a transfer from the closest airport, just let us know and we'll arrange transportation for a small surcharge (typically $50-$100 depending on airport location).

Qualifications:
Participants must be prepared to hike 5-6 miles over uneven terrain while wearing a backpack at elevation (6000-9000 ft above sea level).

Weather:
Temperatures can range from 50 - 80° F during the day to 30 - 60° F at night depending on course location and time of year. Upon registration, a seasonal and location specific gear recommendation list will be sent electronically. Participants should arrive prepared for all possibilities by following the gear recommendations. This is a base version of our to-bring list. Items may be added depending on the time of year.