The Mountaineers
As we gear up for the summer season, many Mountaineers are pining for majestic peaks, pristine rivers, and the kind of solitude that makes you question how long it’s been since your last shower. But let’s be honest: spending time disconnected from the internet has some serious social consequences.
Wilderness WiFi Certification (WWFC) is an innovation for the new quarter-century. From the same community that brought you the Ten Essentials and Mountaineering: the Freedom of the Hills, comes the latest in outdoor skill mastery. We’re excited to announce The Mountaineers Wilderness WiFi Certification course… because no adventurer should have to suffer the crushing realization that they didn’t make an adequate connectivity plan for their excursion.
What you'll Learn
Identify high-altitude hotspots. In addition to researching handrails and water sources, pinpoint on your map your best options to plug back in and stay connected to the buzz of your busy life. (Of course windswept summits and ridges will be better at getting reception than the mossy ravine or dense old growth.)
Craft the best out of doors autoreply. WWFC will bring the best of your work/life blend to this next frontier. Learn how to optimize your out-of-office message to indicate that nothing will stop you from answering an email. Let your colleagues know preemptively that you’ll be joining Teams calls on mobile and sending Slack messages with your thumbs during your next outing into the backcountry.
"I used to tell my students that a paper map and compass were the only ‘essentials.’ But after getting my WWFC, I realized I was wrong. You also need at least one friend who will walk a quarter mile ahead to test the WiFi signal strength. How else will you commit to the perfect lunch spot?"
- Cal T., Wilderness Navigation Instructor
On your trip
Master low-impact, low-signal practices. When you find yourself pacing and muttering “come on, come on, just one bar…”, practice raising your arms as high as you can to triangulate the signal towards your device. Don’t forget to do so on durable surfaces like trails, rock, or snow and keep your volume at a respectful level.
DIY natural signal boosts. You can fashion a makeshift signal booster using only trekking poles, reflective emergency blankets, and the sheer force of your desperation to check messages. While it may be tempting to try to signal boost using elk antlers, or trick a grey jay into carrying your phone up the last 50 feet, these practices are discouraged in The Mountaineers community. Keep wildlife wild!
"There’s nothing more heartbreaking than reaching a stunning alpine lake and realizing I can’t immediately send a gloating photo of it to my family in the Midwest. Thanks to WWFC, I now use my Ten Essentials for a dual purpose - survival and backup signal boosts. Thinking about my backup plans ahead of time helps me feel much more capable of troubleshooting in the moment."
- Guy A., Mountaineers Trip Leader
In an emergency
Be prepared to create content offline. If inspiration hits and you’ve exhausted all other options, consider drafting your digital content in a notes app or in the comments on your photos. A birding, mushrooming, or rockhounding logbook will also work in a pinch.
Try signal-less messaging. Even without service, a text to the group chat will provide timestamped proof, at a later date, that you at least tried.
Register now for the WWFC course to upskill in backcountry bandwidth awareness and make sure you're never truly off the grid. When you go silent in the group chat, your friends will know it’s the breathtaking views – and not the vanished bars – that left you speechless.
April Fools!
While new technology is accelerating our options for emergency response and accessibility, and a future of constant connectivity may not be far off, cell service and internet-based tools should be considered secondary to other forms of preparation and risk mitigation. To learn about the real life options for integrating technology into your skillset, check out Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter, & GPS or peruse one of our navigation courses.
People have been capturing and sharing their experiences of the natural world through art for millennia, and online storytelling creates space for new social and cultural meaning and better representation in outdoor recreation. As with all aspects of outdoor recreation, we should consider the impact of our voice and platforms both on trail and off. We envision a world where everyone can enjoy the natural world and find belonging in our outdoor community, even from the end of a selfie stick.
