Application dates and process
If your 2026 plans involve a guided trip with us, this page will help you to understand the application process and to set your expectations.
How to apply
- Pay your Application Fee, which will be credited to the cost of your trip; and,
- Complete the Application Form.
When to apply
We will accept applications for all 2026 trips starting on:
- Monday, December 8, 2025.
For the first two weeks, it’s an open application period. Applications received will be considered mostly equally, as described below under “Our Review Process.”
There is no advantage in registering on the first day that we accept applications. However, so that we can meet our deadlines I ask that you not wait until the last-minute.
The open application period will end at 11:59 PM MST (-7:00 UTC) on:
- Sunday, December 21, 2025.
Starting December 22, applications will be considered on a first-come first-served basis for remaining spots. If you missed the deadline and all the trips in which you are most interested are full, don’t despair — submit your application ASAP and then wait for a cancellation, which do happen. It helps to be flexible on trip dates or duration.
For what are you applying?
On the Application Form, you don’t sign up for a specific trip. Rather, you identify a Top Choice trip, which is the one that most interests you; and then you indicate your interest in each location, trip type, trip duration, and session dates as a “First Choice” or “Second Choice,” or by indicating that you are “Not interested.”
During the open application period, I encourage you to indicate interest in multiple sessions and even locations. By being more flexible, we can more easily find you a spot and more easily match you with like-abled applicants.
After the open application period, there are two scenarios:
- If you are are most interested in a trip on which there are currently spots, you can express interest in only that trip.
- If all the trips in which you are interested are full, try to be flexible — you’re waiting on a cancellation, and we never know on which trip(s) a cancellation will happen.
If this description isn’t clear, preview the Application Form in PDF format before you start it, available on the Application Form page.
Our review process
We start by grouping applicants who share the same Top Choice location and trip type.
Then, we read each application thoroughly, and rate each one in the following aspects:
- Qualifications
- Fitness Level
- Technical Difficulty
To view our required and preferred qualifications, refer to the Trip Types page.
To read about the Fitness Level and Technical Difficulty ratings, refer to that page.
We give “bonus points” to clients whose previous trip was cancelled, like because of wildfires; as well as previous applicants who were waitlisted.
Once all applications are reviewed and rated, we start forming groups and offering spots. The process goes something like this:
- Group applicants by Fitness Level and Technical Difficulty;
- Then sort those applicants by their Qualifications;
- Offer spots, starting with applicants who exceed the qualifications and then applicants who meet the qualifications;
- Balance groups by alumni status, age, gender, and other smaller details.
You’ve applied. Now what?
- December 8: We will start reviewing applications.
- By December 21: We will have reviewed most of the applications received during the open application period, except for those submitted at the very end (which in most years feels like a wave).
- December 22-28: Our offices will be closed for the holiday.
- December 29-January 2: We will finish reviewing all applications.
- January 5-8: We will create groups, double-check those groups, then triple-check those groups.
- Friday, January 9: We will offer all or most 2026 spots.
While processing applications, I will keep you regularly informed of our progress and your status. Please be patient — it takes a long time to thoroughly read and evaluate each application, and we put a lot of thought into the makeup of each group.