Are you interested in outings in the Sierras? Do you believe that everyone should be able to access and safely enjoy the wilderness and create a lifelong passion for the environment? Do you want to be a part of a life-altering program for young people with great benefits to our community and to you as an adult in our world? 

…And do you want to spend a weekend with kindred spirits exploring and learning how to lead and support hiking, snowshoeing, and backpacking trips?

On the weekend of November 15-17, 2024, Reno Inspiring Connections Outdoors (Reno ICO) will hold our third Retreat and Outdoor Leadership Training. Reno ICO currently has seven certified trip leaders and over 20 volunteers. We need you to become part of the community!  No outdoor experience or leadership expertise is necessary to attend the retreat – just a commitment to engage as a volunteer to help us get kids outdoors.

The Retreat will be held at the Sierra Club Clair Tappaan Lodge at the crest of the Sierra, less than an hour from Reno… And the whole weekend, including food, lodging and the training is FREE, thanks to our donors and sponsors. Donations are certainly accepted! The most important part of your participation is commitment. Once you sign up and take one of our limited slots, we need you to follow through and be there in mind, body, and spirit!

Who is invited? Basically everyone who wants to promote the ICO Vision:

• Current ICO volunteers and trip leaders who want to reinvigorate and foster our movement. (Even those who have attended past retreats!)
• People with an interest in safe and powerful outdoor adventure.
• Those who have no outdoor experience and want to get started in a supportive and warm environment.
• Experienced backpackers, whitewater rafters, rock climbers, mountain bikers and others who have begun to value the outdoor lifestyle.

This is the same training needed for leading Sierra Club Outings all over the world. This weekend will be focused on creating fun, safe, and engaging outdoors trips for young people specific to the Reno ICO way – Deep connections with nature, others, and ourselves.  You will acquire skills, resources, activities and technical skills that will enable you to support Reno ICO trips, and eventually getting certified as an ICO trip leader.

Our focus for the weekend is on fun and engagement, including group meals, outdoor activities, short hikes and engaging outdoor leadership sessions which include inclusion, growing youth skills, building teamwork, planning food and gear, and facilitating a pre-trip meeting. The final activity is planning a trip in small groups, which volunteers have actually made happen. One highlight is the ICO Outdoor Film Festival which takes place on Saturday night.  Here is the tentative schedule.

What to do now:

• Put this on your calendar and look for the upcoming invitation to sign up.
• Volunteer to be our signup coordinator: After some short training, you will register people for the weekend and answer their questions. (Rob and Tracey will be on significant outdoor treks during the month of September and we need someone to be available to participants by phone and email. Is it you???  If you are willing to help out, please email Rob ASAP at robschamberg@gmail.com.
• This year, we hope to have 10 Reno youth attend the OLT, and we want to fast track their status to Assistant Trip Leader. If you are an ICO partner or a Trip Leader, now is the time to start talking this up among your group, and to encourage those with leadership potential to get this on their calendar.
• If you have attended previous Reno ICO retreats, and are willing to facilitate or help out on various parts of the Outdoor Leadership Training, please let Rob know. We would love for you to attend the whole weekend, but you can also just come up for either day.

The fun, joy, learning, and relationships are guaranteed.  Looking forward to seeing you there!