Walkabout provides trips each weekend and break for all Baylor students at all skill levels from a day hike on the Cumberland Trail, to trekking in the Himalayas. Walkabout does not assume that we know what experience each student "needs" to have on a Walkabout trip. We provide the opportunity for self-discovery and the chance for students to develop relationships with their classmates and teachers. Beyond that, trip content and direction develop according to the changing needs and ambitions of the students.
Freshman Trip
With the addition of boarding students and the transition into upper school, the freshman year is a transitional time in developing relationships with classmates, faculty, and older students. During the Freshman Trip to Camp Alpine in Mentone, Ala., 35 older students guide the freshman class through two days and nights of outdoor adventures, square dancing, and most importantly – the profound opportunity to relax together. Click here for Freshman Trip information and forms
Senior Trip
The Senior Trip to Camp Chattooga in Mountain Rest, S.C., has been the cornerstone of the Walkabout program since the early 1970s.. Seniors spend the last eight days of their Baylor careers on a wilderness adventure that includes a service component with the National Forest Service. Ironically, for many, one of their last experiences at Baylor is their first exposure to Walkabout and often one of their most coveted memories. Click here for Senior Trip information and forms.
The Jim Pearce Leadership Trip
The Jim Pearce Leadership Trip was initiated in 1992 for the purpose of honoring Baylor students of admirable character whose selfless efforts might otherwise go unrecognized by the school or by their peers. Each year a group of students is nominated by their peers and selected to travel (all expenses are paid) to the snowy peaks of Colorado for seven days of backpacking and easy mountaineering late July. Through this experience, students become aware of the power of their quiet leadership style.
Trekking and religious study in Ladakh, India
Baylor students who participate in the biannual trip to India have the rare opportunity to observe traditional Tibetan culture and religion while living and working in small Himalayan villages. For 35 days, students find themselves immersed in the culture – studying Tibetan religion, trekking in the Himalayan mountains, meeting with Tibetan refugees, and working with the dZi Foundation to construct environmentally friendly sanitary facilities. http://www.dzifoundation.org/
Kayaking, Costa Rica
Students have the opportunity to practice their Spanish and test their kayaking skills in the rain forests of Costa Rica. This trip is a reward for students' commitment to training on the rivers at home. Students spend ten days in late November kayaking a variety of rivers and becoming aware of conservation issues related to preserving these precious and threatened resources