Orientation

Designed to get you moving, thinking and feeling with other new Naropa University students, these four-day pre-orientation retreats will actively engage your body, mind and spirit. These are opportunities for you to meet each other, get creative, explore the area and have fun before required orientation begins. These retreats are optional, yet highly recommended.

Set your intentions for the beginning of your Naropa journey and meet your new backyard: the Rocky Mountains. There will be two pre-orientation retreats. One will be held in a southern section of Rocky Mountain National Park, and the other will be held in Indian Peaks National Forest. These two retreats equally provide an inspiring experience of the Rocky Mountains. Both trips include four days and three nights in community: hiking, camping, developing new skills and having fun. Naropa staff and current students will guide and support you on this trip. The cost includes gear, food and transportation. (Some gear is provided. Please see the gear list below.) No experience is necessary.

Register

You can register by sending the registration form and a nonrefundable $50 deposit payable to "Naropa University." The price of each retreat has been established to minimally cover the costs, materials, fees and faculty. The deposit is applied to the total cost of the pre-orientation retreat you select. When we receive your deposit and if there is a spot available in the retreat of your choice, your space will be secured. If the activity is filled or is underenrolled, your money will be refunded or you may choose another adventure.

Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships are available to make the pre-orientation retreat affordable. To apply, send a letter (one to two pages) addressing the contributions you personally plan to make to benefit the Naropa community and a bit about your financial situation. Be sure you have filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with Naropa's Financial Aid Office.

We will spend four days and three nights exploring the majestic Rocky Mountains. Just a short one-hour drive from campus, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks National forest will provide the landscapes for our fun, learning, gathering and reflection. Two Naropa staff members and a current student will guide and support you on this trip. What better way to get grounded and ready for your college experience? Begin to sink your roots here in Colorado.

WHAT WILL WE BE DOING ON THIS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE?

Rocky Mountain National Park

On Monday, August 11, we will drive to Sandbeach Lake trailhead to begin our four-mile backpacking trip to Sandbeach Lake in the shadows of Mt. Meeker. This will be our home for the next three days.

Indian Peaks Wilderness

On Monday, August 11, this group will set out to the remote Caribou lake via a high-pass hike. They will base camp at Caribou lake from which they will go on hikes and enjoy the surrounding features of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Region.

Both retreats include:

Hiking/Backpacking: Students will backpack in a group of up to twelve. The first day will be a trail hike into Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks Wilderness, where we will set a base-camp. During our stay, there will be time to relax and to traverse alpine basins and high mountain ridges for a possible peak ascent, for those who are interested. During day four, we will backpack out, invigorated and ready to start the school year.
Skill Building: Students will learn camp craft, Leave No Trace camping and basic backcountry skills as well.
Community Building: Back at camp, we will have general hang out time, evening and morning council gatherings in a circle of supportive community.
Reflection: There will also be time for journaling, solos and personal reflection. Students will be introduced to basic contemplative practices in nature, as you connect with the natural wonders, big and small, of the Colorado wilderness.
Both groups will arrive back into Boulder on Thursday, August 14, giving plenty of time for students to settle into Boulder and prepare for orientation week.

What gear will I need to bring?

Naropa University provides:

Tents and cooking supplies
All meals
Transportation from Naropa and back
First Aid Kit
Backpacks and sleeping bags on a first-come, first-served basis

Participants provide:

general clothing
backpacks and sleeping bags (these can be supplied by Naropa, if needed)
rain gear
boots
warm non-cotton clothes

We will send a complete gear list when you register. If you do not own some of the supplies, we will assist you in purchasing or renting what you need. Rain gear, headlamps, backpacks, sleeping bags and sleeping pads can be provided by Naropa as well; please request them as soon as possible if you need them. Students will not be able to participate unless they have the proper gear.

Guides

Your guides for this trip will be two Naropa staff members and a current student who have extensive, professional, back-country guiding experience. Thus, you will also begin to know some of the "on-campus guides" that you will see through your college experience. Each trip will provide at least one guide who is Wilderness First Responder certified.

Registration:

This trip is open to a limited number of students and spots are given on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve your spot, complete and submit:

Registration Form
Nonrefundable deposit of $50 by June 27, 2008. (Full payment of $300 is due by July 11.)

Limited scholarships are available. For more information, contact Bob Cillo at bcillo@naropa.edu.

Refund Policy:

Cancellations before July 25, 2008, will receive a 50 percent refund. No refunds will be given after July 26.

site map contact staff faculty employment