Become a Trip Leader

To begin leading Major Excursions, the first step is to become approved as a Co-leader. Each trip is led by an approved Leader and one or two Co-leaders. The Major Excursions Committee, the governing body for the travel program, reviews all Co-leader and Leader applications.

Learn from Our Experience
As a Co-leader you will have the opportunity to work closely with someone who has led Major Excursions before – a required and invaluable experience before leading your own trips. The community of Leaders offers a wealth of travel experience. We have offered trips all around the world for 40+ years. A handful of our most active leaders have led more than 20 trips each.

You Create the Trip
Once you are approved as a Leader then you design your own trips. Always wanted to kayak the coast of Greenland? Stay in a Mongolian Ger camp? You can create a trip to do just that and bring a group of fellow AMC members with you. Leaders research & plan their own trips and submit a trip proposal to the Major Excursions Committee for review and approval.

Requirements for Becoming a Co-Leader

1. Be a Member of the Appalachian Mountain Club
2. Have taken an AMC sponsored leadership course such as the Club’s Mountain Leadership School, or the leadership training courses sponsored by Club Chapters, Camps, or committees.
3. Have successfully led at least 3 weekend AMC Chapter or Interchapter trips.
4. Be recommended in writing by the Chair or Leadership Coordinator of the Chapter or Committee responsible for oversight of your weekend trips.
5. Have successfully led or co-led an AMC Chapter or Interchapter trip of 3 or more days and have obtained positive participant feedback.
6. Have attended the weekend-long, intensive training course offered by the AMC Major Excursions Committee.
7. Have current Wilderness First Aid and CPR certifications (or Advanced WFA for technical trips).

How to Apply to be a Co-leader
Please note the above requirements list the minimum requirements needed to become a Major Excursions Co-leader.  Meeting the above requirements does not automatically qualify one for Major Excursion leadership status. All materials should be submitted to the Travel Program Coordinator.

To apply to become a Major Excursions Co-leader, the following must be completed one month prior to the deadline for submitting your first trip:

1. Submission of the Application to Become a Major Excursions Leader or Co-leader.
2. Letter of recommendation as stipulated above in the requirements.
3. Completion of as many chapter trip requirements as possible (these are listed on the Application to Become a Major Excursions Leader or Co-Leader.

Other requirements, such as the first aid certifications, can be done after a trip proposal is submitted but must be completed prior to departing on the trip. Once the above materials have been submitted, the Leader Subcommittee will review the Co-Leader application.

Requirements for Becoming a Leader
The leader of a Major Excursion is required to have successfully led other trips for the AMC.  Although leading trips for other organizations is valuable, AMC leadership experiences insure an understanding of AMC practices. In addition to the Co-leader requirements (above) a Leader must:

1. Option A: Have co-led a Major Excursion with an experienced leader and have (a) obtained that leader’s written recommendation and (b) received positive participant evaluations. Option B: Have successfully led an AMC Chapter or Interchapter trip of five or more days and have obtained positive participant feedback. An online evaluation will be created specifically for your trip participants. Contact Cindy Martell for assistance. 
2. Write an email to the Travel Program Coordinator and Major Excursions Chair requesting approval as a Leader.

It is recommended that a new Leader’s first trip is a less complicated trip (e.g., domestic, shorter in length, front-country, etc.) or a trip they have done previously before proposing complex international trips. This allows the MEC to evaluate leadership and trip planning skills on a trip involving less risk.