Journey Year

The Hero’s Journey® program gets its name from the experience a “hero” or “heroine” goes through as they embark on a new adventure. This process was philosophized and explained by Joseph Campbell in his work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, written in 1949. Campbell’s research revealed that myths and stories throughout all cultures and across time share one similar theme of a “Hero’s Journey.” These stories may have had different characters, settings and challenges, but the structure never changed (think Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz, The Hunger Games, Star Wars and more). Campbell theorized that these types of myths and stories are always surrounding us because they reflect our own lives: our lives are a compilation of the many hero’s journeys we have experienced.  

This concept is important because it provides the program’s structure and platform for how we plan the week, the language we use, the conversations we have, and the metaphors discussed when exploring the meaning behind all the ceremonies, initiatives, activities and programming. The week emphasizes and celebrates the fact that each of us are on our own personal hero’s journey. The program also provides an opportunity for participants to discover their true self and gain perspective on how they can continue their personal journey upon their return home. In addition to adventure and self-discovery, creating lasting connections and memories with peers is central to the Hero’s Journey program.  

Yes. No prior Hole in the Wall experience is needed or required. 

The program is free of charge…like all Camp programs!  

The Hero’s Journey® program is offered to participants aged 16 – 18 at the time of the participant’s session. Individuals who have attended Hole in the Wall’s traditional summer program until age 15 typically participate in the Hero’s Journey or Champion’s Journey programs the following summer. 

All sessions are “General Diagnosis,” meaning a participant must be aged 16 – 18 and have a qualifying medical diagnosis or be a sibling of a participant with a qualifying medical diagnosis to be accepted. For more information on who can attend, click here.

All Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) program sessions are general sessions, which means siblings, along with diagnosed participants, have the choice of any available session throughout the summer. 

A big part of the Hero’s Journey® program is experiencing the “unknown”. Participants will not know in advance exactly what they will be doing, nor what time it is. However, each day does follow a general structure that includes campfire building and cooking, introspective activities, mindfulness, team building initiatives, down time and fire council (group reflection). Each activity can look very different from day-to-day depending on whether we are at our remote primitive campsites or at our more established basecamp.  

While you do not need to have prior experience in camping or the wilderness, we recommend you have at a minimum a curiosity about the outdoors. Hero’s Journey® participants and staff sleep on a cot in yurts (a circular semi-established tent with a wooden platform and vinyl walls/roof) and tents on the ground (nylon tent with a sleeping pad and sleeping bag). Meals are either prepared over a campfire or are cold “trail meals” intended to be eaten on the go (e.g. sandwiches). 

Kurt Hahn was an educator who developed the philosophies that lead to the formation of Outward Bound: expeditionary learning programs that were initially designed to help young sailors develop the skills to be successful in harsh environments. Hahn’s philosophies inspired the wilderness first aid and search and rescue components of our Hero’s Journey® program. 

No. In the middle of the session, the group is split into two before journeying deeper into the “unknown” on the “trail of trails” (a phase in Campbell’s Hero’s Journey philosophy). This trip involves hiking, camping in tents, community building, and ceremonies to deepen and widen participants’ connections with one another. Everyone who comes to the Hero’s Journey® program is approved by our medical staff who understand the physical capabilities necessary for a participant to be successful in the program. The hikes and physical aspects of this program are designed with a wide range of capabilities in mind. 

Backpacks and everything needed for living in the woods will be provided. We do ask for the participant to bring wilderness-appropriate athletic clothing, footwear and basic toiletries. Camp can provide gear to participants upon request. A detailed packing list is included in the program acceptance email from Admissions. 

We always have a minimum of one nurse with the program. We also have a medical building at our basecamp location to administer, lock and refrigerate (if necessary) medication. 

The Hero’s Journey® program is based in the woods, so weather is always a factor for us. However, we continue to run the program rain or shine! We have the appropriate weather gear for participants, and we do not hesitate to evacuate our site if safety is ever in question. It is important for participants to pack a variety of clothing and layers to be prepared for the unpredictability of weather.

“Breaking bread” is an important aspect of the Hero’s Journey® program. Meals not only provide physical nourishment, but they are also an opportunity for participants to build skills and community. Each meal, the group is split into crews to accomplish meal-related tasks. 

Many of our meals are cooked over the campfire, though sometimes we may have a “cold” breakfast or lunch on the trail. Because the Hero’s Journey program is wilderness-based, meals are adapted to what can be safely prepared while on the trail or over a campfire. 

We work closely with our medical and program teams to ensure we can safely accommodate dietary needs and allergies. We are a nut-free environment and have vegetarian and gluten-free options. If you have specific questions or would like to discuss your participant’s dietary needs, please reach out so we can make a plan that accommodates your child’s needs. 

There is running water for specific functions, but no electricity. We supply headlamps to all participants. 

Even though we are in the woods, we have facilities. At basecamp, we have two port-a-potties and two dry-flush toilets we have deemed “space toilets,” named after the sound it makes once flushed. We also have port-a-potties at our remote camping locations. 

Participants are encouraged to maintain healthy hygiene with access to outdoor showers at basecamp.

Participants will be sleeping on a cot in an enclosed structure called a yurt. There are two yurts participants sleep in based on preference, and there will be a portion of the session where everyone will be sleeping in tents on the ground. 

We are in the woods, so there are critters. The ones we tend to see the most are bugs, but don’t worry, we provide bug spray. We practice tick safety by educating participants and teaching them to perform routine tick checks throughout the day. 

If you have been to Hole in the Wall before, you can use your application login to access the Journey Year application. Both Hero’s Journey® and Champion’s Journey programs use the same application, which is available online.

While Champion’s Journey and the traditional summer program share similar schedules, Champion’s Journey was created to meet the developmental needs of participants in late adolescence. Adolescent & Young Adult programming more heavily emphasizes processing and debriefing Camp activities to help participants integrate what they have learned into their daily lives. At the end of each activity, we make time and create space for participants to reflect on what occurred in the activity, why it matters, and how they can apply their experience to other situations. 

In addition to how the program is facilitated, Champion’s Journey participants experience activities that are not offered to Campers by developing more advanced skills in a program area or by trying something new. Past examples of Champion’s-specific activities include baking or cooking a meal/dessert from scratch, creating ceramics while using a pottery wheel and photography lessons with DSLR cameras. 

Champion’s Journey participants also get to practice role modeling as “Champions of Camp” through formal and informal leadership opportunities with younger Campers. Whether it is helping a young Camper learn a Camp dance, assisting with a game station at Carnivarty, or supporting a young cabin’s UNITy Night, Champion’s get a taste of the leadership opportunities that await them in our Junior Staff program. 

The program is free of charge…like all Camp programs!  

Yes! No prior Hole in the Wall experience is needed or required. 

Champion’s Journey is offered to participants aged 16 – 18 at the time of the participant’s session. Individuals who have attended Hole in the Wall’s traditional summer program until age 15 typically participate in the Hero’s Journey or Champion’s Journey program the following summer. 

All sessions are “General Diagnosis,” meaning a participant must be aged 16 – 18 and have a qualifying medical diagnosis or be a sibling of a participant with a qualifying medical diagnosis to be accepted. For more information on who can attend, click here. 

All Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) program sessions are general sessions, which means siblings, along with diagnosed participants, have the choice of any available session throughout the summer. 

Each day of Champion’s Journey follows roughly the same structure. After morning routines and breakfast, participants head to one of Camp’s many program areas (arts & crafts, cooking, woodshop, music, archery, sports & rec, theater, boating & fishing, adventure, pool). Participants enjoy lunch and rest hour before heading back to program areas. Afternoon programming is “mastery project” time, meaning participants will head to a single program area to work on their multi-day project to present on the final night of Camp. After mastery project time, participants eat dinner and head to the evening program. Sometimes, Champions join the traditional summer program in their own unique role, or they enjoy a special Champion’s Journey evening program. To wind down and process the day, participants engage in group reflection (“fire council”) before nighttime routines and lights out.

In the mornings, participants head to various program areas to engage in activities, explore and have fun. Morning program time is about being in the present moment and exploring all the fun, traditional activities Camp has to offer.  

In the afternoons, participants return to their assigned single program area to create and complete a “mastery project.” Based on availability, participants select a program area of their choice and come up with their own multi-day mastery project to showcase their deepened understanding of the program. Each day, participants spend the mastery project program time to design, plan and complete their project. On the final evening of Camp, participants present their mastery projects to the group and celebrate their accomplishments with an awards ceremony. 

Participants in both the Champion’s Journey and Junior Staff programs stay in the Young Adult Lodge bunkhouses. Built in 2022, the Young Adult Lodge bunkhouses contain rooms with 4 – 6 bunk beds with an adjoining bathroom including private shower and toilet stalls. 

If you have been to Hole in the Wall before, you can use your application login to access the Journey Year application. Both Hero’s Journey® and Champion’s Journey programs use the same application, which is available online.