After a couple of near misses this past winter, and discussions with a few people here and there, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and become a trip leader for ADK.  I seriously thought about it last year when they announced they were transitioning to a program that required certain classes and certifications to run trips for ADK.  This apparently quite literally decimated the available trip leaders in some chapters, and left some really bad blood between some and ADK.  I'm not surprised, every organization that goes from a relative free for all, trust based on experience, type system to something that requires certifications and classes so that there is a consistency in message and quality while also helping protect the organization when something goes wrong.... well, they go through these growing pains.  

I saw this first hand in ADF with the clergy, and in some respects was one of the "newer" clergy that had to do all the classes that was baffled that the "original" clergy were not even asked to do a couple courses a year so that they have the same training as the new people.  If they truly knew it all, they could do it in no time.... alas, we couldn't ask them to do it, and hell, we had a fight to get those that came in through an exception to even do the work when they knew it was expected of them.... but I do digress.

The training is relevant to being trip leaders... but for any of us that have been around for a while, they're at best review, at worst, a waste of our time and money.  Level 1 requires a LNT awareness class, Sexual Harassment (an annual requirement), reading/agreeing to the basic rules, and co-leading one trip.  Not that bad, and I just completed that after waiting almost 2 weeks for the co-lead to be accepted.  Level 2 requires basic first aid, outdoor leadership, and map and compass along with 2 co-leads.  Finally Level 3 requires Wilderness First Aid, and an 8 hour LNT class that they supposedly just created in the past couple weeks.

Well, apart from having to get certified in first aid again (my EMT and W-EMT expired 20+ years ago)  I could quite easily teach 100% of the classes required (apart from WFA and sexual harassment).  It's quite redundant to me and it's really just jumping through their hoops. Its frustrating, but I also understand why they want this.  So, I'm jumping through the hoops.

What really is frustrating for me is that as I wait to jump through the hoops, there's really a very limited amount of hikes I could reasonably lead.  As level 1, I'm limited to C and C+ hikes.  That means no more than 1000 foot elevation gain or longer than 8 miles.  I am looking through things that I would consider very easy, and the 8 mile length is not an issue.  The 1000 foot though.... so few hikes I do are under 1000 feet of elevation gain (1500-2000 foot is quite common and still quite easy hikes).  It's so frustrating!  I may end up waiting until I do my WFA and get my level 2 in July (allowed up to 10 miles and 2000 feet of elevation) or level 3 when that gets approved hopefully shortly after level 2, before I start running trips.  Super frustrating!