SAC X Lake Tahoe Community College

Lake Tahoe Community College offers one of the most comprehensive Wilderness Education and Outdoor Leadership programs in California, with courses spanning nearly every alpine discipline. The Stanford Alpine Club is incredibly excited to launch a new partnership with LTCC to provide a curated series of courses exclusively for SAC members. Through this collaboration, our community will have access to high-quality outdoor education, professional instruction, and industry-recognized certifications at an affordable rate!

Course Schedule

*See below for descriptions of each course. This schedule will be updated as new courses are added! 

Course Descriptions

Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding: Beginning (WLD 125A): This course is designed for the skier or snowboarder/splitboarder interested in learning how to safely navigate simple backcountry terrain. Topics include: decision-making and risk management, avalanche awareness and companion rescue, route selection, proper equipment selection and use, prevention of cold weather injuries and emergencies, emergency shelters, and winter Leave No Trace (LNT) principles. Requisites: Students must be able to consistently link controlled turns on a variety of backcountry snow conditions.

Wilderness First Aid (WLD 107A): This course is designed for back country skiers, guides, forest service personnel, climbers, ski patrollers, and outdoor enthusiasts. Emphasis will be placed on learning procedures involving preventative medicine, evacuation, environmental resources, altitude-related problems, and emergency first aid in the wilderness. Upon successful completion of the course requirements, the student will be eligible for a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certificate from LTCC and a CPR/AHD certificate from the American Heart Association (AHA).

Beginning Mountaineering (WLD 117A): This field-based course is designed to provide students with the necessary beginning skills to travel safely and efficiently in an alpine environment. Students will learn basic mountaineering skills including decision-making and risk management, off-trail travel, and route finding. The course will cover basic mountaineering techniques and technical systems for steep snow, moderate alpine ice and 3rd, 4th, and easy 5th class rock. Requisites: This is a physically demanding field course, students should be prepared to hike between 2-5 miles a day, over varying alpine terrain, and climb easy 5th class terrain with a 20-pound pack. Students may use their personal equipment if it meets industry standard and in good working condition otherwise program equipment will be provided.

Intermediate Mountaineering (WLD 117B): This course is designed to provide students with necessary intermediate skills to lead groups and travel safely and efficiently in an alpine environment. Students will enhance the skills learned in the Beginning Mountaineering class and be introduced to intermediate alpine mountaineering skills. Topics include decision-making and risk management, intermediate snow, rock and ice climbing techniques, glacier travel and glissading techniques, crevasse rescue, mechanical advantage raising systems, and expedition planning.

Backpacking: Beginning (WLD 114A): This course offers an introduction to the fundamentals of backpacking, catering to individuals with little to no experience in the wilderness. Students will learn essential skills such as trip planning, gear selection, navigation, and basic survival techniques. Through hands-on experience and classroom instruction, participants will gain confidence in setting up camp, cooking in the outdoors, and understanding the principles of Leave-No-Trace ethics. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to embark on their own backpacking adventures safely and responsibly.

Wilderness Navigation (WLD 105C): This is a comprehensive course on wilderness navigation techniques to include the use of maps, compass, altimeters, Global Positioning System (GPS) systems, smartphone GPS applications, and computer-aided tools used for planning trips outdoor adventure trips. This course has both classroom and field components; field sessions will be held during the day and night. Successful students will finish the course with command of the most common and reliable tools plan for and navigate in a wilderness environment.

Whitewater Rafting: Beginning (WLD 140A): This course is designed for students interested in learning an in-depth introduction to whitewater rafting. Students will spend the majority of the class on an overnight rafting trip on the East Fork of the Carson River. Topics include: safe river travel, river equipment, hydrology, geomorphology, reading water, paddle skills, guide skills, and river stewardship.

Rescue: Swiftwater (WLD 141A): This course is an intensive field training to prepare students to be proficient in swiftwater rescue. Students will explore the rescue hierarchy of reach, throw, row, go. Course topics include hydrology, scene assessment, entrapments, anchors, throw bags, and mechanical advantage. Requisites: Students must be able to consistently link controlled turns on a variety of backcountry snow conditions.

FAQ

Can I take LTCC courses other than those offered through SAC?

Yes! We highly encourage exploring LTCC's open enrollment courses. They offer an even broader selection than the SAC-only schedule (including AIARE I & II !), all at the same tuition rate as those offered through SAC. Check out the winter/spring course catalog and the detailed descriptions of courses. 

How do I register for LTCC so I can take these courses?

The two steps to becoming an LTCC student are creating a California Community Colleges account, and applying to LTCC. Follow the detailed instructions on the LTCC website.

Who are considered 'California Residents' according to LTCC?

Please see the LTCC website for details on the California residency requirement.

I don't currently meet the requirements for California Residency. Can I still take these courses?

Yes, but you will need to pay the out-of-state tuition, which is 10x the in-state tuition rate. For a typical class, the in-state tuition rate is about $50, and the out-of-state tuition will be about $500, though this varies slightly per course. Note that this out-of-state tuition rate is comparable to the typical market rates for courses of these kinds. If you just moved to California, you must wait until 365 days after you move to California to declare California residency for tuition purposes.

Are international students able to register for LTCC and take these courses?

Yes. However, international students are generally ineligible for the in-state tuition rate. We also checked with Bechtel International Center regarding visa concerns—they confirmed:

“It’s not usually a problem for an international student to be enrolled in only one other school (so Stanford and one other school) as long as they maintain full-time enrollment and follow the other regulations of the F-1 status.”

How do I signup for these courses?

About 2-3 months before each course runs, we will send an email to the SAC mailing list with the full course details and a binding sign-up form. You’ll generally have 1–2 weeks to submit the form. After the deadline, we’ll notify everyone whether they received a spot. These sign-up forms are not first-come-first-served; please take the time to make sure you will be able to attend the course before signing up!

How will SAC choose who gets a spot in these courses?

If interest exceeds capacity (which we anticipate), spots will be assigned via lottery. Only current SAC members will be included (you can register for membership here). We will strongly prioritize students who have already completed the LTCC registration steps. Additional preference will go to members who have been engaged members of SAC, especially those who have contributed to the club in some meaningful way. Members who have previously backed out of SAC trips or courses without a valid reason will receive lowest priority.

Will SAC reimburse tuition or other expenses for these courses?

Due to the large number of courses we are offering, we won't be able to reimburse course fees or related expenses. 

If you have a question that wasn't answered here, please reach out to Karna Morey (kmorey@stanford.edu)