Students are assigned to one of three hiking groups, and each student rotates through a core set of required hikes. These hikes are designed to expose them to the extraordinary beauty of the California wilderness, to introduce them to the basics of hiking skills in the outdoor, and to push students outside of their comfort zones far enough (yet safely enough) that their notion of what they thought possible for themselves is expanded. In particular on one of the hikes ("The Teacups"), which involves significant rock scrambling, it is only through the shared, cooperative involvement of the entire group that the hike is even possible. The core hikes are not physically strenuous and are meant to stimulate (or to reinforce) students' interest in the possibility of the outdoors as a source of genuine enjoyment. The final hike day is reserved for an optional challenging hike, which serves as an opportunity for the class as a whole to commit to a shared group challenge.