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Our students range in age from 10 to 17. Courses vary in length, location and type of activity. But whether you go backpacking in the Grand Canyon, sea kayaking in Alaska or rock climbing in Arizona, Utah, California or Wyoming, come eady for a challenging and exhilarating course into some of the West's most inspiring wilderness landscapes.
THE WILDERNESS . . . WHERE PEOPLE WHO USUALLY CAN'T BE FOUND,
EVENTUALLY FIND THEMSELVES.
our objective
YWCS helps youth use climbing and adventure based team building as a catalyst for personal change and growth. To meet this mission, we are committed to developing effective, meaningful and adventurous courses.
YWCS courses are a blend of theory and practice. We utilize a variety of time tested teaching principles from the Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS), the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Project Adventure (PA), and the Sierra Club. It is through this blend that adventure learning begins to take form and meaning - there is a reason for activity; there are connections between the adventure and our personal lives. Helping students make these connections is our greatest design challenge.
Each course offers students the opportunity to chance, to risk, to trust, to try and to learn. Our courses are designed to allow students to learn by doing. Students will be asked to be an active participant, to experience adventure based programming firsthand. And found in the midst of all this learning is excitement, self-discovery and fun! It is our belief that when work and learning are fun, creativity, productivity and achievement peak. When what we are doing challenges and engages us, then the learning is making an impact. You will find that our courses can leave a lasting impression on students.
We at ACAS have the privilege of witnessing how rock climbing impacts and improves people's lives. Just in the course of our one-day Beginner Rock Climbing session, we have seen timid, cautious and even phobic teenagers overcome their fear and reach for the top. There is nothing we know of that boosts self-confidence more than getting one hand-hold higher than you thought you could. It's direct. It's concrete. It's the epitome of achievement, and we see it again and again.
The majority of our staff are certified outdoor guides and have received extensive training from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Outward Bound Wilderness (OBW), American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI), Climb Smart! and Leave No Trace (LNT). Our guides are also members and partners of the American Alpine Club, American Safe Climbing Association, Access Fund and follow strict procedural guidelines and safety protocols set by these institutes and by the Arizona Climbing and Adventure School (ACAS).
Rock climbing is problem-solving in the vertical world. We see varying degrees of linear thinking skills, pre-planning skills, spatial orientation, impulsivity vs. thoughtfulness, decision-making skills, focus and concentration, frustration, tolerance, self-confidence vs. insecurity, perseverance, introversion vs. extraversion, emotional ability, risk-taking vs. caution, assertiveness, responsiveness to auditory vs. visual instruction, and the list goes on.
But climbers must also commit to their own safety and the safety of others. This interdependence between the climber and the belayer is just one of many metaphorical life-lessons found in climbing. While supporting one another on belay, you learn to support and trust one another in every endeavor. Rock climbing demands concentration and discipline, commitment, internal motivation, personal integrity and responsibility.
We also have REI Member discounts on most of our courses and encourage you to join. Each year, REI donates millions of dollars to support conservation efforts nationwide, and sends scores of volunteers to build trails, clean up beaches, and teach outdoor ethics to kids. Through responsible business practices, REI strives to reduce our environmental footprint.
The Southwest contains many hidden jewels awaiting your adventurous spirit. I hope you will take us up on our invitation to experience rock climbing. But be careful: You might just get addicted to life in the vertical world. Don't say we didn't warn you!
 Values:
LEADERSHIP - Whether scaling a mountain, climbing a vertical cliff or creating a human bridge across a river, individuals gain an awareness of and faith in their own ability to lead and follow. They have opportunities to test their ability in critical group decision-making and thereby become more confident individuals.
TEAMWORK - Success in each YWCS activities depends as much on teamwork as individual effort. Under the pressure of reaching a difficult goal, each individual undergoes rapid growth. This growth occurs in group efforts that become catalysts for new relationships between people. Participants become connected by shared experiences as they forge the foundations for new and effective teams.
CHANGE - In wilderness settings, participants are taken out of their "comfort zone" and immersed in a changing environment. By handling new circumstances, teams learn to turn problems into opportunities for success. Each challenge mastered is a satisfying achievement that prepares them for even more opportunities.
group initiatives and trust course (No. GTC-0010)
Two concentrated days of activities.
 All of our courses incorporate some trust games and group initiatives. These exercises act as both an "ice" breaker and as a group foundation. Initiative exercises offer a series of clearly and often fanciful defined problems. Each task is designed so that the group must employ cooperation and some physical effort to gain a solution. Some problems are more cerebral than physical and vice-versa. This problem-oriented approach to learning can also be useful in developing each individual's awareness of decision-making, leadership, and the obligations and strengths of each member within a group.
Participants engage the problems in groups to take advantage of the combined physical and mental strengths of a team. These initiative problems also can be employed to promote an individual's sense of his or her own competence, and they also serve to help break down some of the stereotypes which exist so comfortably in our social network. This course involves an overnight campout.
.......Ages: 12 to 17 years old
.......Prerequisites: Willing to explore the unknown!
.......Group size: 6 to 12 participants
.......Primary Activities: Trust and team building skills, wilderness and minimum impact camping skills
.......Cost: $275* (per student - includes all camping equipment and food)
.......Dates: Call for dates.
.......Course Status: Open
summer beginner I, II & III climbing and rappelling course
with campout (No. CB-0011)
Rock climbing, the heart and soul of team building.
 This course instills group bonding, cohesion, leadership skills, self-confidence and trust to its highest level. Spend two days with YWCS's experienced staff learning a new skill, having fun, and building confidence to climb!! You will learn, bouldering, use of technical climbing equipment, belaying, knot tying, rope handling and rappelling. You will also learn specific climbing techniques, along with the jargon related in the sport. This course also places a major emphasis on safety. Includes an overnight campout.This summer course is held in the cool alpine areas of Prescott near Watson Lake.
.......Ages: 13 to 17 years old
.......Prerequisites: Wanting to climb!
.......Group size: 6 to 12 participants
.......Primary Activities: Climbing, rappelling, safety, using good judgment in stressful situations, rope systems, site selection, camping skills
.......Cost: $415* (per student - includes all camping/climbing equipment, transportation (from meeting point and food)
.......Dates: Call for dates.
.......Course Status: Open June, July, August
arizona to california climbing and camping adventure course (No. CWCA-45)
This is truly a "hands-on" course that takes place at the top climbing rocks in Arizona and California, not an indoor climbing gym.
 You learn to climb starting with the fundamental safety systems and basic movement on rock progressing to "state-of-the-art" techniques used by world class climbers. Practicing on a variety of rock surfaces-boulders, slabs, cracks, faces and chimneys, you become thoroughly versed in protection placement, belaying, anchor systems, multi-pitch climbing, rappelling and rescue techniques. Qualified students may choose to lead a climb for the first time. These courses are 6-days and 5-nights.
.......Ages: 12 to 17 years old
.......Prerequisites: Wanting to climb!
.......Group size: 6 to 8 participants
.......Primary Activities: Climbing, rappelling, safety, good judgment, rope systems, site selection, camping
.......Cost: $1275* (per student - includes all camping/climbing equipment and food)
.......Dates: Call for dates.
.......Course Status: Open
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 Arizona Climbing and Adventure School is a unique opportunity for individuals to experience the spirit, courage and exploration of the West. It is an initiation into the unexpected, a chance to accomplish something very exciting and to discover strengths you never knew you had. Additionally, the Arizona Climbing and Adventure School provides education in wilderness skills and working effectively with others.
It is a well known fact that a wilderness experience can effect one person so deeply that it profoundly alters his or her view of self and reality to the positive, changing a person's life for months and sometimes years after the experience
The skills you must learn in order to safely and ecologically negotiate the terrain, climate and altitude in which our courses are offered include:
• safety skills for travel through rigorous terrain.
• how to pack a backpack.
• physical fitness
• competence with map and compass, gps, route selection, navigation.
• rope use and knot tying, bowline, water knot, square knot, clove hitch, half hitch, figure eight
• basic first aid so that every student can handle reasonable emergencies and recognizes and aid in treating illness related to altitude, hypothermia, fatigue.
• rescue preparedness
• rock climbing, backpacking, hiking, rappelling
• campcraft including minimum impact camping, ecological considerations, wilderness cooking, food selection and nutrition.
• water purification, hygiene and sanitation.
care of equipment, ropes, clothing, packs, climbing shoes.
• environmental stewardship and Leave No Trace techniques.
• safety from storms and lightning.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream."
-Samuel Langhorne Clemens
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Welcome to the ACAS Summer Conservation Corps
Summer Youth Program
"ACAS allowed me to build stronger character and become more out going. I hope to continue growing in many aspects to build that stronger personality and great work habit. I will always carry what I learned at ACAS with me."
- Erin Randall, 2005 and 2006 corpsmember
About Us
 The ACAS Conservation Corps is an organization involved in high priority conservation and public service projects that incorporate service-learning and youth development. The Summer Youth Program’s philosophy is to develop youth through natural resource work and educational and recreational activities. The summer program provides summer jobs for male and female teenagers, ages 15-18. It is unique in that it involves both hearing and non-hearing youth . The program is an 8 week residential camp where corpsmembers will work on various outdoor, conservation projects. These projects are often physically demanding, where youth learn basic work skills and help maintain Arizona's habitats. Corpsmembers also participate in educational and environmental learning each week. This isn't the typical classroom setting; it’s hands-on learning that is exciting and rewarding!
The Challenge
At the residential site, corpsmembers live with other youth from across Arizona and neighboring states, whose backgrounds, interests, and abilities may be different than their own. ACAS can be challenging in that corpsmembers work, live, and spend time with each other for the whole summer. The challenge comes from stepping outside the comfort zone, meeting new people, learning to live and work with different people, which results in having the experience of a lifetime.
The Work Component
Corpsmembers work hard, rain or shine, on a variety of outdoor natural resource and service projects. Projects in the past have included trail maintenance and construction, foot bridge construction, invasive/exotic species removal, building retention walls for erosion control, and wildlife projects. ACAS provides a service to other resource agencies and the community by completing high priority conservation projects. We expect our corpsmembers (staff and youth) to work hard and uphold the mission of ACAS. Much of the work is exhausting but the rewards are great. Whatever the job, ACAS staff and youth will learn new job skills and learn to work as a team.
Youth will be traveling to various site locations (called “spike” trips) accomplishing these projects. Most of the summer will be spent in State Parks working and camping for one to two weeks at a time. Crews will be working outdoors, camping in tents, cooking over stoves, and exploring Arizona.
Educational and Recreational Activities
Corpsmembers have many opportunities to increase their awareness and understanding of the environment, develop a commitment to the stewardship of the natural world, learn about conservation careers, and develop leadership, teamwork and positive decision making skills. Corpsmembers participate in educational activities each day and recreational activities each weekend. ACAS promotes learning and personal development through active participation in outdoor, hands-on learning experiences. On the weekends corpsmembers can try their hand at a variety of recreational activities, such as canoeing, hiking, fishing, visiting interpretive centers and museums, and learning about local history and native cultures.
Residential Living
At the residential conservation site, you'll sleep in rustic cabins and have family-style meals with other corpsmembers and crew leaders. ACAS provides free room and board for all corpsmembers. As a ACAS summer corpsmember, you'll spend several weeks on "spike." Spike trips are work projects that are completed outside the daily travel distance of the residential site, and can last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks long. You will work in crews usually made up of six corpsmembers and two crew leaders. Crews will work at state parks or wilderness areas, sleep in tents, and cook meals over an open fire, all under the guidance of an experienced crew leader.
Summer Program Rules
Corpsmember will have to live by some basic ground rules. These rules are put in place for the safety of each corpsmember and the growth of healthy young adults. Breaking these basic camp rules are grounds for being sent home. Here are the Summer Youth Programs dos and don’ts:
DO
• Be on time for work and activities
• Work hard and follow the directions of your crew leader.
• Be a helpful and contributing member of your crew and the camp community
• Push yourself to develop new skills, try new challenges, and meet new friends
• Respect yourself, others, ACAS equipment, and the environment
DON'T
• Abuse drugs
• Drink alcohol
• Smoke cigarettes
• Fight
• Gamble
• Vandalize or steal property
• Harass anyone
.......Ages: 12 to 17 years old
.......Prerequisites: Wanting to work outdoors!
.......Group size: 19 to 28 participants
.......Cost: Call* (per student - includes all camping gear and food)
.......Dates: Call for dates
.......Course Status: Open
Also coming this Spring and Summer of 2009 - Call us for more info.
.........• Grand Canyon South Rim Backpack
.........• Mt.Humphrey Camp and Climb
.........• Green River Utah Kayak Expedition
.........• Baja Sea Kayaking Expedition
.........• Glacier Bay Sea Kayaking Expedition
 To sign up for a course call or email us to check availability. If a course is open click on the On-line Application Form or go to our application and map (meeting point) site, print out both the Application (PDF), Map and Waiver. Fill out the application and fax or mail it to us (don't fax the waiver, just bring it the day of your course).
 Note: *Summer courses start at 6:00 a.m. - October thru April Beginner courses start at 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 depending upon weather at the designated pick-up point. Call us the day before your course starts to verify start time. Bring your own snacks, lunch, water, sunblock and wear appropriate clothing. Camera (disposable), writing pad and pen are recommended.
*Summer courses - May 1 thru September 30.
Please call us if the dates below do not work with your schedule
Summer courses are held near Flagstaff - we provide transportation from Scottsdale.
Note: Discounts only apply to scheduled dates below
may
2009 |
..beginner I – 2, 9, 23
..beginner II – 3, 10, 24
..group initiatives/trust – 30 & 31
..beginner III – 24
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january
2010
|
..beginner I – 2, 9, 16, 23
..beginner II – 3, 10, 17, 24
..group initiatives/trust – 9 & 10
..beginner III – 30
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june
2009 |
..beginner I – 13, 27
..beginner II – 14, 28
..group initiatives/trust – 6 & 7
..beginner III – 6
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february
2010
|
..beginner I – 6, 13, 20
..beginner II – 7, 14, 21
..group initiatives/trust – 27 & 28
..beginner III – 27
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july
2009 |
..beginner I – 11, 25
..beginner II – 12, 26
..group initiatives/trust – 18 & 19
..beginner III – 27
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march
2010
|
..beginner I – 6, 13, 20
..beginner II – 7, 14, 21
..group initiatives/trust – 27 & 28
..beginner III – 13, 27
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august
2009 |
..beginner I – 1, 15
..beginner II – 2, 16
..group initiatives/trust – 8 & 9
..beginner III – 29
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april
2010
|
..beginner I – 3, 10, 17, 24
..beginner II – 4, 11, 18, 25
..indoor to real rock – 17 & 18
..beginner III – 10, 24
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september
2009 |
..beginner I – 5, 19
..beginner II – 6, 20
..group initiatives/trust – 26 & 27
..beginner III – 12
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may
2010
|
..beginner I – 5, 12, 19
..beginner II – 6, 13, 20
..group initiatives/trust – 5 & 6
..beginner III – 12
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october
2009
|
..beginner I – 3, 17
..beginner II – 4, 18
..group initiatives/trust – 24 & 25
..beginner III – 31
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june
2010
|
..beginner I – 5, 19
..beginner II – 6, 20
..group initiatives/trust – 12 & 13
..beginner III – 26
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november
2009
|
..beginner I – 7, 14, 21
..beginner II – 8, 15, 22
..group initiatives/trust – 28 & 29
..beginner III – 28
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july
2010
|
..beginner I – 3, 17, 24
..beginner II – 4, 18, 25
..group initiatives/trust – 3 & 4
..beginner III – 31
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december
2009
|
..beginner I – 5, 12, 19, 26
..beginner II – 6, 13, 20, 27
..group initiatives/trust – 5 & 6
..beginner III – 19
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august
2010
|
..beginner I – 7, 21
..beginner II – 8, 22
..group initiatives/trust – 14 & 15
..beginner III – 14
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course cancellations
While it is unlikely, if the Arizona Climbing and Adventure School cancels a course due to insufficient reservations or conditions beyond our control (weather, etc.); alternate dates or refunds will be given as preferred. If you cancel within 14 days prior to your session, rescheduling your course can be expected. There are no refunds on gift certificates. If you fail to show at the designated meeting place at the appointed time you will be charged for the course - there are no exceptions. If you would like to reschedule within 48-hours of the course's starting date, you may do so. To receive a full monetary refund (minus a 20% handling fee), 14 days notice is required (expect a refund within 2 billing cycles or 60-days of your course date). You may also want to purchase travel insurance due to cancellations – click here for more information.
liability
Although we spare no effort to assure a safe program, we can assume no responsibility for your safety or loss of personal equipment. In a sport of this nature an element of risk is inherent and beyond human control. A signed release (waiver) will be required of all participants. A parent or guardian release is required for students under the age of 18. These can be obtained in advance by contacting our office or downloading from our website.
health benefits of climbing:
For a rock climber, reaching the top is not the point.
Like rearing children, rock climbing is the journey that matters most if you are climbing for fitness.
 Whether their journey lasts two hours or two days, rock climbers can benefit from a mental workout as well as a physical one, according to competitive climber Michelle Hurni, president of the Colorado-based American Sport Climbers Federation (ASCF). Physically, rock climbing burns fat while strengthening muscles if pursued at a vigorous pace. Mentally, rock climbers exercise their ability to focus fully on a single task, an increasingly rare occurrence in this age of multitasking.
Climbers also get practice confronting their fears- the fear of heights, the fear of falling, the fear of equipment failure. Ultimately, the sport can improve your self-confidence - if you learn how to climb safely, that is.
how many calories will rock climbing burn?
Ascending a natural rock wall burns up to 700 calories an hour if you weigh 140 pounds or up to 974 calories an hour if you weigh 190 pounds. Rock-climbing sessions tend to last at least six or seven hours.
further advantages:
In addition to offering an anaerobic and aerobic workout, rock climbing exercises almost every muscle group, according to Hurni of the ASCF. Rock climbing two or more times a week improves your strength, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and mental toughness. click here for more info
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