Mountain Trek | Rising 9th - 12th

OVERVIEW

Fully immerse yourself in the mountain environment with this 5-day backpacking trek designed for students who are excited to stand on summits and spend more time in the mountains with friends. This trip is aimed at the beginner to intermediate hiker and will focus on fun, outdoor leadership, navigation, and trip planning.

Participants of the Mountain Trek program should expect to hike between 4-8 miles a day on varied terrain, carrying loads between 40LBS-60LBS. This program has a higher degree of rigor compared to other Rippleffect programs.

Previous Rippleffect mountain expedition experience or other qualified backpacking experience is strongly recommended.

2026 registratION dates

  • Tuesday 1/13/26 at 7AM - Registration will open for Summer Programs to 2025 Alumni families

  • Friday 1/16/26 at 7AM - Registration will open for 2025 Waitlisted Families (those who remained on a waitlist for the entire 2025 program season)

  • Wednesday 1/21/26 at 7AM - Registration will open for all other families (new families, those not enrolled in 2025 programs, or who declined a space off the waitlist in 2025)  

    If you have any questions about which day you are eligible to register, please email us at info@rippleffect.net.

Get Ready!

Rippleffect uses Amilia SmartRec for our registration. To prepare for smooth registration, you can review the important Registration Information. 

2026 dates:

Released by 12/1/25

Drop-Off and Pick-Up

  • Registration is on the Tuesday morning of the program at 7:00AM at the Rippleffect Office: 159 State Street, Portland, ME 04101, in the basement.

  • The pick-up time will be by 5:00PM on the following Saturday at the Rippleffect Office in Portland.

tuition

Released by 12/1/25

Resources

gear list
family resources

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Financial Assistance for our Youth Summer Programs is available!

Please check out the SCHOLARSHIPS page of our website to learn more. Rippleffect is committed to providing affordable, accessible programs for youth. We believe that the opportunity to participate in an adventure should not be deterred by financial limitations.

Rippleffect TreksInfo