Picture this: a premier wilderness trek, summertime dips in the lake, and sleeping under the stars—all in the company of fierce women who are up for a challenge! This is a 4-day Backpacking 101 through Oregon’s share of the Pacific Crest Trail, an iconic footpath along West Coast’s backbone. While the complete trail stretches from Mexico to Canada, we’ll be doing a 30-mile portion of it, and as much as this trip is welcoming to backpacking beginners, good fitness is still a must! After hiking through lush temperate rainforest with views of the Cascades and scents of wildflowers, we’ll set up our camp and take a relaxing swim in crystal clear waters. Once you’ve felt the thrill of being off-the-grid, you’ll be planning your next backpacking trip before you know it!
Your guides offer both beginner and intermediate routes—this one is beginner-friendly. Beginner-friendly routes require good physical fitness and the ability to hike 8-13 miles a day over easy to moderate terrain with a 40 lb backpack. No backpacking experience is necessary.
Backpacking is one of the best ways to unwind and get in sync with nature, but there’s a bit of a learning curve if you want to go out on your own. Join an expert guide and like-minded women on this 4-day tour of the Pacific Crest Trail—or rather, just one spectacular part of it—and learn all there is to know about backpacking. Find out about the preparation process, wilderness survival, Leave No Trace principles, camp setup, nutrition on the trail, and so much more.
Your guides offer both beginner and intermediate routes—this one is intermediate. Intermediate routes require good physical fitness with some backpacking experience. Participants must be able to hike up to 8-13 miles a day over challenging terrain and steep elevation gains while carrying a 40 lb pack. Dry camping will be involved, this requires you to carry up to 4-6L of water for stretches on the trip.
Backpacking is one of the best ways to unwind and get in sync with nature, but there’s a bit of a learning curve if you want to go out on your own. Join an expert guide and like-minded women on this 4-day tour of the Pacific Crest Trail—or rather, just one spectacular part of it—and learn all there is to know about backpacking. Find out about the preparation process, wilderness survival, Leave No Trace principles, camp setup, nutrition on the trail, and so much more.
Included:
Not included:
While no backpacking experience is necessary (your guides will teach you everything), good physical fitness is a must! Participants must be able to hike up to 10 miles a day up moderate inclines while carrying a 40lb (or heavier) pack.
The importance of proper physical training cannot be emphasized enough! By arriving with your heart, lungs, and legs in top condition, you maximize your potential for a backpacking trip and your ability to enjoy the wilderness. When training, consider a well-founded routine that includes strength training, yoga or pilates, calisthenics, cardio, swimming, HIIT, and hiking with your full pack weight on.
You’ll be carrying group gear to ensure a safe and successful adventure. Part of backpacking is learning what you do and don’t need, and your guides are here to help you finetune your pack load so it will be manageable for you to carry on your adventure. Group gear will be an additional 5-10 lb to your pack. Keep in mind that you’ll also be carrying your own tent, sleeping bag/pads, clothing, backpack, etc.
There are several routes your guides have in mind, some totally beginner-friendly, some a bit more intermediate. Daily elevation gain won’t exceed 2,000 ft (610 m), mileage is typically 8–13 miles (13–21 km) per day, and you won’t go above 7,000 ft (2,130 m)—so altitude sickness isn’t a concern. Choose the difficulty that suits you best!
Your guides aren’t able to tell you the exact section of the PCT you’ll hike in WA or OR due to several reasons:
What we can tell you: you’ll be on packed dirt, dirt with light ash, loose rock (pebbles to baseball-size), and duff. Daily elevation gain won’t exceed 2,000 ft (610 m), mileage is typically 8–13 miles (13–21 km) per day, and you won’t go above 7,000 ft (2,130 m)—so altitude sickness isn’t a concern.
There are 4 potential route options, and the final choice is made 30 days before your tour, based on the latest weather, trail conditions, and safety factors.
Backpacking gear
Clothing (all synthetic or wool; no cotton)
Hydration & cooking
Personal items
Optional
Leave at home
Of course! You’ll need to bring your own backpack, sleeping bag, and pad, and if you don’t have your own, there are plenty of rental companies in Portland—the starting point of your tour. You can rent from LowerGear Rentals, Mountain Shop, Portland Paddle, or any other rental company in Portland. Make sure you make arrangements in time. Contact us if you need any help!
All meals from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 4 are included, including snacks.
Your guides will provide a combination of meals cooked from scratch and pre-packaged trail meals and snacks. Upon booking, you will be provided with a waiver where you can notify them of your allergies and dietary restrictions. You are welcome to bring as much of your own food for the trip, as well as any other personal gear related to food preparation.
Service dogs are welcome on this trip, but just a heads up—weather and trail conditions could be challenging for canine companions.
Generally, non-service dogs are only allowed on private trips, and accommodation cannot be guaranteed for a non-service canine. We are happy to discuss this with you, but the final decision on non-service canines would be dependent on the safety and comfort of our guides and other trip participants.
Finally, your guides cannot take responsibility for the safety and comfort of dogs with respect to the outdoor elements.
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
Yes, single tents are available for all participants by advance request, just leave us a note at checkout!
To get to Portland, Oregon, most people fly into Portland International Airport (PDX). From there, you have a 15-minute drive to your guide’s office in Troutdale.
You’ll meet your guide and your fellow backpackers at 8 am on Day 1 a the guide’s office, 121 E Historic Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale, OR 97060. The entrance to their office is located at the back of the building (the side away from Historic Columbia River Hwy) in the lower level garage.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Deposits
Secure your spot with a 30% deposit upon booking! The remaining 70% of the trip price must be paid 90 days prior to departure at the latest. If booking within 90 days of departure, the full amount is required at the time of booking.
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable after a 48-hour grace period. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options—Basic, Flexible, or Super Flexible. Depending on which one you choose, a different cancellation policy will apply to your booking.
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
