Outdoor Leadership and Training

If you’ve ever wished there were more trips of the type you want to lead, this is your chance. You don’t have to be strong or fast to lead with the New York-North Jersey Chapter of the AMC! You just have to know your limitations and be a responsible adult. We’ll teach you how to plan and run a safe trip and how to deal with the issues that may arise during the trip.

First check out the Path to Leadership for some initial information, then read on.

Our volunteers lead a wide variety of trips and activities: backpacking, paddling, hiking, biking, climbing, conservation, etc. See our Activities tab to explore the options.

How to become a trip leader

The New York-North Jersey Chapter’s Leadership Training will give you the basics for leading a trip for the AMC. It will provide the general skills (e.g. trip planning, participant screening, accident scene management, group dynamics, etc., not topics like what to take on a winter hike) required for leading trips for the New York-North Jersey chapter. Participation in the training is the first step towards leading trips.

You can get started with one of our free half-day online classes, which are offered every few months. We also have a weekend training at the Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center once a year, where you’ll get lots of hands-on training in the outdoors and practice leading other leader trainees.

When are outdoor leadership classes offered?

Keep an eye on AMC’s Activities Database to see when the next class is offered. These classes fill up quickly, so register or contact leadership@amc-ny.org for more info. Registration ends the week before the activity or sooner if the class fills up.

You can take either one (or both) to get started on your path to leadership. The next steps will depend on which activities you want to lead (Hike, Climb, etc.)

AMC activity committees qualify leaders based on apprenticeship with an experienced leader, training, and demonstrated skills. The requirements to become a leader vary between activities. Contact the Chair of the activity you’re interested in for more info. Or wait until the training, when that will be covered in more detail.