PEH 164: Hiking

Download as PDF
Class Program
Physical Education and Health
Credits 3 Lecture Hours 11 Lab Hours 44
Hiking will introduce students to the basics of wilderness foot-travel. Students will attend a one-hour classroom session (or online equivalent) each week which will introduce basic concepts such as navigation, route-planning, first-aid, packing, and emergency preparedness. Once per week student will attend a mandatory group hike to apply the classroom skills. Hikes will range in difficulty and be appropriate for beginner to intermediate hikers. No previous outdoor experience is needed. No specialty equipment will be needed; students should provide athletic shoes, a water bottle, and a small backpack (suitable for carrying personal items) for themselves.
Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge or skills:

  1. Create a Plan for and execute a day-hike on a trail, addressing:
    1. Route Choice
    2. Food and water needs
    3. Clothing needs
    4. An Itinerary and Emergency Plan
  2. Use a map and compass to navigate
  3. Calculate an appropriate pack weight and pack personal gear for a day-hike
  4. Assess and evaluate outdoor risks and create an emergency preparedness plan
  5. Explain leave no trace ethics
  6. Explain how to appropriately dispose of human waste and trash in the outdoors
  7. Explain layering concepts for clothing, and how to choose appropriate clothing and footwear
  8. Explain hydration and nutrition as it applies to hiking
  9. Demonstrate basic first-aid for common hiking injuries
  10. Explain what a personal first-aid kit should contain
Institutional Outcomes
IO3 Human Relations/Workplace Skills: Students will be able to demonstrate teamwork, ethics, appropriate safety awareness and/or workplace specific skills.
Course Content Outline
  1. Risk assessment and safety
  2. Dressing for the outdoors
  3. Choosing a route and navigating it
  4. Leave-no-trace ethics and practices
  5. Packing
  6. Planning a hiking itinerary
  7. Emergency preparedness
  8. Basic first aid
Department Guidelines

Hiking challenge must always be by student choice—students should never be graded on absolute performance, but instead their knowledge of best practices, participation in field activities, and consistency in applying course knowledge in the outdoors.

Students should receive a schedule of all hikes, including locations and approximate durations on the first day of the class.

Students should receive a risk waiver and it should be signed by the student or a legal guardian and returned before the student may participate in off-campus hiking activities.

To ensure access for all students, the instructor, with support from the college, should seek to arrange general transportation for students.

PO5 should be assessed: Students will be able to solve problems by gathering, interpreting, combining and/or applying information from multiple sources.