The Mentor Group Placement Survey
All Backpacking Building Blocks (B3) students are placed in a mentor group containing two mentors and about 8 students. Your group will discuss backpacking topics during the two lectures, do a gear demonstration day and a Practice Camp together, maybe a conditioning hike and some Zoom meetings to address your specific questions. Then you'll go on some early-season backpacks together.
This is your Trail Family...but if it becomes difficult to match your schedule to your mentor group's, you will be able to go on fun, supportive trips with other mentor groups and meet more B3 and Mountaineers backpackers! (Just be sure that you read the description and are ready for the fitness and skill requirements for any trips you register for!)
SO WHY THIS SURVEY? Mentor groups work best when the members have similar scurrent fitness level and trail experience.. We will use your answers to the questionnaire below to determine which of the 8 mentor groups will be most comfortable and supportive for you. Please think carefully about each answer and mark the boxes that best describe your style, readiness and current physical conditioning. If you aren't sure of how best to answer, feel free to contact our Chief Mentor Group Engineer Sarah at hess@whidbey.com.