Common Adventure Trip Planning Instructions

SAC funds members to undertake group trips to pursue objectives of trip members’ choice. Please see the sections below for what types of trips qualify for funding and how to submit forms for funding.

Trip funding structure

• SAC funds student trips at $40 per day per student.

• Travel-only days do not qualify as funded days. The student must participate in the alpinism-related activity on the day to receive funding for that day.

  • For example, a weekend trip to Yosemite where the student leaves Stanford at 5pm on Friday, climbs on Saturday and Sunday, and returns to Stanford on Sunday night would be eligible for two days worth of funding.

• The maximum funds granted per student per trip is $120.

Trip requirements

SAC-funded trips must adhere to the following guidelines:

• The trip must be related to climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, or another form of alpinism.

• The trip must follow the Common Adventure (CA) format. CA trips do not have formal leaders or guides, rather all trip participants will cooperatively plan trips and share in the work of making the trip fun, safe, and successful. Any SAC member can initiate a CA trip!

• Three or more registered student SAC members must go on your trip for you to receive reimbursements.

• Only student members are eligible for trip funding. 

• For the safety of all drivers/passengers, the time at the destination should be at least 3x the time driving to/from the destination.

What expenses can SAC fund?

If a trip meets the above criteria, SAC is able to reimburse trip expenses for the following items:

• Gas for traveling to/from destination

• Food for the duration of the trip

• Campground fees

• Permits

• Registration costs for externally-run courses/clinics

  • External courses/clinics must be accredited by AMGA/IFMGA or similar.  If you are unsure, please send the officers the clinic info in advance of submitting the trip form below, and we can help you look into the accreditation. 

What expenses is SAC unable to fund?

We are unable to fund expenses related to:

• AirBNB/hotel/hostels/etc. You can stay in one, but SAC can't cover the cost.

• Resort ski lessons or clinics (e.g. Palisades lessons.)

• Resort ski weekend funding (gas/food/tickets).  If you are interested in this, please consider joining the Stanford Ski & Snowboard club.

• Local indoor climbing (e.g. the lead climbing class at Movement, trips to the gym).

• Alcohol purchases that occur at restaraunts.

How do I secure funding from SAC?

Funding is distributed via reimbursement for qualified expenses. To secure this reimbursement, complete the following steps in accordance with the timing requirements listed below:

1. Ensure that all members of the trip are registered SAC members. To register, follow the instructions in the Get Involved tab.

2. Ensure that all members of trip who will be driving have completed the Driver Authorization Process.

   1. Students can check their driver authorization status on DSE by going to Home -> Alpine -> Registration -> Driver Info.

   2. If not approved, please follow the instructions on this page to become an approved driver.

3. Within the SAC Google Drive, make a copy of the Travel Document, rename it with LastName_MM-DD-YY as a prefix, and put it in the Completed Travel Documents folder. Fill out all fields of this document.

   1. If you are backcountry skiing, please specify this in the travel document and give a specific area and plan (listing only “Tahoe,” for example, will not be accepted).

4. Complete the SAC Travel Submission Form so that we are notified of your upcoming trip and can process the request.

5. Check the status of your trip approval (top line of the travel document) 24 hours prior to departure. If it is still not approved and you have not received a message about it, email Alyson Chun at Adventure Sports  (email: achun2@stanford.edu) to find out more information about the status.

6. Keep your receipts (in paper form)! We can only reimburse purchases that you have the receipt for. 

7. Within 30 days of the completion of your trip, fill out the Reimbursement Request Form and submit by email to Trent, the SAC Financial Officer (email: trobinet@stanford.edu). Attach images of all receipts to this email. Only one reimbursement request will be accepted per trip, so ensure that all reimbursements for all group members are compiled into one request.

   1. Note: for credit card purchases over $75, Stanford policy requires submission of a screenshot of the credit card statement showing this purchase. Include this screenshot in your email to Trent for any purchases over $75.

Timing requirements:

• If new driver authorization is needed, the travel document and driver authorization forms must be submitted by 12 pm five days prior to departure (i.e. Monday at noon for a Friday departure)

• If no new driver authorization is needed, the travel document must be submitted by 5 pm two days prior to departure (i.e. Wednesday at 5 pm for a Friday departure)

Yosemite Campsites

SAC members book campsites and offer them for shared use by club members. You can read more information (including instructions on how to sign-up) here.