Virginia Hiking and Wilderness Survival 101

AT A GLANCE

Virginia

14 Explorer Chicks

Locally Unique

Hiking, US-Based, Weekend, Workshop

4 Days

3 - Active

Girls Gone Wild(erness)

While the rest of the world mows their stupid lawns, you’ll be SLAYING summits and learning survival skills in one wild weekend in Virginia on our Women’s Wilderness Survival Training & Hiking trip.

Between hikes, you’ll learn hands-on wilderness survival training skills like fire-building in the rain and emergency bug-hunting. (Crunchy yet satisfying!) We’ll recoup at a beautiful lodge hidden away in Catawba, Virginia. There ain’t another Teva-happy tourist in sight as we howl at the base of the mountains, surrounded by woods and hooty owls.

Enjoy the freedom to stretch your legs in the sun, share hot goss around the fire, or knock back a few beers. Your dinners and breakfasts will be home-cooked by someone other than you––and this time, bugs won’t be on the menu.

Come enjoy a feral weekend with a small group of women living their best lives hiking and surviving in Virginia!

Photos

A group of Explorer Chick women on a guided hiking and wilderness survival skills trip to Virginia

An Explorer Chick woman hikes in Virginia on guided women's hiking trip

A group of Explorer Chick women learning basic wilderness survival skills

A group of Explorer Chick women on a guided trip to Virginia

Itinerary

Expand All Days

Day 1 - Welcome to Virginia!

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO MEET YOU! You’ll arrive late Thursday afternoon at our lodge in the woods to drop your bags and gear up for our first hike together. It’s the shortest of our three hikes, but the most mind-blowing. After we’re done gawking at the amazing views, we’ll head back to our Lodge for a delicious home-cooked dinner.

Distance: 4.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,103’
Time: 3.5 hours

Accommodation: Mountain Lodge
Meals: D

Day 2 - The Thigh Burner Hike

Today, our hike will have the gnarliest elevation gain, including a stretch that will make your thighs sing. But it’s a stunner of a hike––leading you across a field that gives you a jaw-dropping view of our goal. Stare. Freak out a little. And then shake it off. We’ll reach the summit and enjoy some well-deserved sammies. (Extra cheese, obvi).

After everyone’s showered and braless back at the lodge, we’ll tuck into a yummy home-cooked meal and get weird around the campfire. First topic of conversation: Where to find leggings with actual pockets.

Distance: 7.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,945’
Time: 6.5 hours

Accommodation: Mountain Lodge
Meals: B-L-D

Day 3 - Survival 101 and Sunset Hike

It’s back to school, lady! We’ll take a short hike to our outdoor classroom to spend the day nerding out on wilderness survival skills. Grab a notebook and a pen to scratch down some notes and hey, maybe put your initials in a heart with ours. We’ll learn how to tie knots, build a wilderness shelter, start and feed a fire in the rain, and which bugs are the tastiest! ? Yes, it is completely hands-on. You’ll leave this sesh knowing how to save the world––or at least impress your partner with some kinky rope moves.

Saturday evening, we’ll hit a mall walker’s stride as we jump on the trail to catch one of the best sunsets. The hustle up the mountain is so worth the burning quads as you rest your hiker booty and kick your legs off the edge of the world.

Distance: 8.63 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,643’
Time: 4 hours

Accommodation: Mountain Lodge
Meals: B-L-D

Day 4 - Backcountry Self Defense Class

We’re not done turning you into a total badass. On your last day in wilderness paradise, you’ll learn hands-on Backcountry Personal Self Protection. PEACE OUT, TRAIL CREEPER. Our Explorer Chicks will be expertly trained to:

• Break free from a stranger’s hold – KA-POW!!!
• Recognize the signs of threatening behavior
• Learn to use day pack contents as weapons

Liam Neeson who? You’ll be able to practice in a supportive environment with a “Red-Man Suit” while learning a proper palm strike, finger fan, knee jab, knee strike, and blocking moves. Then we’ll de-escalate all the adrenaline with some delicious lunch and loving hugs so TSA doesn’t have to put you on a watch list. Plan to leave after 1pm, you lethal weapon.

Meals: B-L

Logistics

What to Pack

Check out our recommended hiking gear for all trips.
You’ll receive a complete packing list in your Travel Guide upon booking; note that trips may require additional specialized items.

Arrival

Airport City: Roanoke, VA (ROA). Approximately 40 minute drive
Meeting Location: Mountain Lodge in Catawba, VA
Meeting Time: Day 1 April-September 4pm. October-September 3pm.

Departure

Airport City: Roanoke, VA (ROA). Approximately 40 minute drive
Depart Location: Mountain Lodge in Catawba, VA
Return Time: Plan to depart by 1pm on Day 4.

You will receive a Travel Guide with all the rendezvous hotel, packing, and additional information you’ll need to prepare for your epic trip.

We require a minimum of 5 Explorer Chicks for this trip. Please confirm your trip is guaranteed before booking airfare.

Activity Level

Rated 3 – ACTIVE

This trip is rated Active because of the length and frequency of hiking for 3 days as detailed below. Each hike is unique. Our Day 1 hike may challenge those with a fear of heights as there is a small section with via ferrata-type ladders and some scrambling. Day 2 is your longest day with 2 sections that are an uphill slog.

Daily Hiking:

Day 1: 4.5 miles. 1,103′ gain. 4.5 hours.
Day 2: 7.7 miles. 1,945’ gain. 6.5 hours.
Day 3: 8.63 miles. 1,643′ gain. 4 hours.

Please consider your ability to meet the physical demands very seriously. It is for the safety of both you and our group. All Explorer Chicks will be required to sign an Acknowledgement of Physical Demands as part of their waiver upon booking.

What's Included

Lodging

3 nights in shared occupancy bunk room accommodations in a mountain lodge. Rooms contain 4 bunk beds, but shared 2-3 per room. Shared bathrooms. Very nice showers and toilets. Towels provided. Beautiful, sprawling property with fire pit, tire swing, pond and a dog or two.

Activities

All activities as outlined in the itinerary

Meals

All meals as indicated in itinerary: B-3, L-3, D-3
Gratuities for included meals

Practical

Professional leadership team with a Wilderness Survival Instructor and an Explorer Chick Guide
A detailed Travel Guide with everything you need to know for your trip
The freedom to enjoy your vacation and mindlessly wander!

Not Included

Airfare
Airport Transportation
Alcoholic beverages
Travel Insurance
Meals exclusive of itineraries
Costs for additional activities
Gratuity for your Explorer Chick Guide (read our tipping guidelines here)

Explorer Chick reserves the option to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, or other unforeseen incidents.

Let's Do This

Starting from

$1,399

Book Now

Save $200 with our Early Bird Discounts!

Just book at least 6 Months in Advance! Discount is automatically applied.

Non-Refundable Deposit: $200 due at booking to secure your spot

Questions About Virginia?

Book a call with our Destination + Guest Experience Manager, Amy, or fill out the form below.

In Her Words

Bev B.

I had an amazing time on the four day hiking adventure and survival skill class in the mountains of Virginia. Erin, our guide was amazing. The group of women I went with were so welcoming no one knew each other and we had the best time! Would highly recommend this group to anyone looking for fun and adventure!

Christine C.

My first trip with Explorer Chicks was the Virginia Wilderness Survival 101. I went solo and it was an amazing experience. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this and I'm so glad I did. Our guide, Kara, was absolutely wonderful. She was knowledgeable, well organized, and made the trip organization so easy. I loved spending time with other women who were out for an adventure. We shared stories and enjoyed being outdoors together. I can't recommend Explorer Chicks enough and can't wait for my next adventure (hopefully Yosemite Backpacking!).

Gail H.

I so loved my Virginia Wilderness Survival trip this past weekend! It was my first Explorer Chick trip and it did not disappoint. Our guide Lauren was fabulous! She was so knowledgeable, kind and funny. The lodging, food, hikes, wilderness training and self defense training were all top notch!

Jackie W.

I went on the Virginia Wilderness trip guided by Erin recently, and highly recommend it! Every woman on the trip booked it not knowing anyone, but we all became friends very quickly. We hiked, learned, and laughed so much in such a short amount of time. I feel much more confident being in the wilderness now and cannot wait to book my next trip with Explorer Chick!Shoutout to Erin for dealing with our shenanigans, getting everyone back safely, and for helping to make this trip as amazing as it was! She's the BEST.

Jen J.

Just finished the Virginia Hiking & Survival 101 trip with guide Erin. I could not have had a better experience. Trip was incredibly well-organized. Erin and the staff at the wilderness school were incredibly patient with our varying skill levels. There’s something to be said for taking a “weird” vacation with like-minded women who want to learn & grow through new experiences. I left feeling incredibly strong, empowered, & ready to tackle another adventure with the new adventure buddies that I met.

Kristin W.

I went on the Virginia survival trip in June 2017 and had the best time! I had not gone on a trip since having my son and being able to hang out with such a diverse group of women was a renewing experience. The trip was well organized, the hikes were beautiful and the partnership with the survival school was a one in a kind experience. Being able to bond with women from all over the country with different life experiences was more than I expected or hoped for in this trip...as well as eating some delicious bugs!