Camp Champions

Strong candidates have significant hiking experience in the White Mountains (or other hikes of similar difficulty level).

Why is this important? Because the northern Presidentials, which we’ll traverse on Day 1, require hiking a steep incline on rocks for an extended period of time. It's important for the safety of the entire team that you are fully prepared, both physically and mentally, for this challenge.

A great example is Mount Monroe, so candidates who have completed this hike should be sure to note it in your application. If not, then you should have completed several other long and/or very steep (1000 feet/mile) hikes.

In the application, you’ll be able to tell us more about any experience you have. We’ll reach out if we have any questions!

Not sure this program is for you? Check out our Summit Seekers program for another way to hike for kids with cancer!

This program is designed for very strong hikers who are able to sustain a pace of ~1.6 mph or more on difficult hikes.

Not sure what your pace is? A good rule of thumb is to be able to hike 30 minutes per mile, adding an extra 30 minutes per 1000 feet of elevation.

This is a rough idea of the pace that our Camp Champions will maintain throughout the two-day hike excursion. Both hike days will require ~12 hours to complete even at this fast pace.

Hikers who move at a significantly slower pace will have a hard time keeping up. Further, conditions like unfavorable weather will make this hike harder to complete quickly, even for the fastest of hikers.

We’re looking for hikers who are at or near this pace, and are able to sustain this pace through two long hike days. If you are close to this pace, but not quite there, we will require you to provide a training plan in your application outlining how you plan to reach this pace by June 2026.

Not sure this program is for you? Check out our Summit Seekers program for another way to hike for kids with cancer!

This hike is very challenging and requires months of committed training, much like training for a marathon. How you need to train for this hike will depend on how frequently you are already hiking, running, climbing, etc. To start, a basic training plan looks something like this:

December - January

• Start hiking every 2-3 weeks, if you aren’t already

• Prioritize hikes on rocks, especially mountains we’ll be tackling on day 1 (Mt. Madison is a great place to start)

• Work up to 10+ mile hikes

February - March

• Begin doing medium-length hikes (~10-15 miles) weekly

April - June

• Hike weekly: alternating between medium-length hikes and big hikes

• Continue tapering hikes up throughout late April through May

• Rest last full weekend before our June 13-14 hike weekend

Our experienced team captains can provide specific guidance to help you prepare. All Champions should plan to commit a significant amount of time to training from December 2025 through June 2026.

Hike weekend entails two very challenging 12-hour long hike days, not to mention starting at 3 AM on Day 1. You should plan to arrive to the White Mountains by mid-day on Friday, June 12. Our hike will end around 5 PM on Sunday, June 14.

In addition to Hike Weekend itself, we expect our hikers to prepare appropriately through months of hiking. Some of those hikes should be longer and require 10-12 hours to help you get accustomed to being on your feet for an extended period of time, and understand the types of fuel your body needs to sustain itself.

When you’re unable to hike (weather, life circumstances, etc.), you should be training regularly through running and other cardio workouts designed to increase your VMax. Stair climbers are a great way to strengthen your legs for a steep climb.

Ultimately, you should be prepared to commit several hours a week to training for this hike from December 2025 through June 2026 to ensure your hike is successful.

• Sept. 8-Nov. 3: Applications open

• Nov. 10: All applicants will be notified of their status in our 2026 program

• December 2025: Camp Champions announced publicly and fundraising begins!

• January (date TBD): Virtual Team Meeting

• March (date TBD): Virtual Team Meeting

• March 26: Deadline to raise at least 50% of your fundraising commitment

• May (date TBD): Virtual Team Meeting

• June 12-14: Hike Weekend!

• June 26: Deadline to raise at least 100% of your fundraising commitment

The safety of our hikers throughout hike weekend is our #1 priority. We have a number of precautions & procedures in place to keep you safe leading up to, and throughout, the hike.

• Clearly Defined Path: We strictly adhere to a pre-determined hike path, which we encourage you to familiarize yourself with prior to the hike. Knowing the exact trails the team should be taking will help you reorient yourself in case you find yourself separated from the group.

• Regular Check-Ins: At each bolded waypoint or timepoint along the hike path, our hikers check in with our support crew via text. This allows the support crew to keep tabs on general progress and assist if needed.

• First Aid Certification: Our Team Captains are all certified in First Aid/CPR. These team members are prepared to assist in case of injury.

• Emergency Communication Devices: Multiple Garmin devices are provided to the group by Camp Casco to ensure your access to a hike map throughout the trek, and allow your Support Crew to see your location at any time. These devices can also be used to send text messages and check oncoming weather, even when out of cell service.

• Designate Escape Routes: Before embarking, we designate specific escape routes that will lead you off of the Presidential Traverse in case the hike needs to end early for any reason.

• Emergency Rescue Preparedness: In the worst-case scenario that an emergency rescue is necessary, we are well-equipped to work with local authorities to assist in this process. Additionally, voluntary Hike Safe cards are purchased by Camp Casco on behalf of each hiker to provide financial protection if a costly rescue is required.
  

While we have never needed an emergency rescue and hope to never need one, we are committed to being as prepared as possible to ensure the safety and well-being of our hike team, and respecting the limited resources of the White Mountains.

Bad weather is a natural risk of any hike program, especially when you’re exploring the Whites. In general, we will attempt to complete the hike if our Team Captains agree it can be done safely. This may mean hiking in rainy, icy, very cold, or hot conditions, and hikers should be prepared for any type of weather during this weekend.

Hikes will not take place if our Team Captains agree weather conditions are too unsafe to proceed. This may mean that we miss one or both days of the hike. Whenever possible, we will identify alternative nearby hikes that can be completed safely instead.

Yes! Please contact sponsorships@campcasco.org to learn more.