605 SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE, SUITE 101, FORT COLLINS, CO 80524

Frequently
Asked Questions

To be eligible to apply for a Warriors program, you must be a Veteran with a VA disability rating. You must be able to provide valid proof of military service, and your VA disability rating letter.

No Barriers serves veterans with disabilities of all genders, from all eras and branches of service, combat wounded and training injured, with visible or invisible injuries.

In addition, due to the physically demanding nature of our programs, Veterans must be able to meet our Essential Eligibility Criteria.

 

For assistance filling out an application, or to request a paper copy, please contact the Warriors Program Manager via phone at 970-484-3633 Ext – 305, or email warriors@nobarriersusa.org.

 

Warriors programs are designed to help Veterans who are facing adversity in their lives. When reviewing applications, we are searching for those who show a need and desire for change. We are also looking for good team players, who will support their teammates and approach challenges head on. We want applicants who understand that this is a much deeper experience than just a fun trip in the woods.

 

When a Veteran submits an application, they will receive an immediate email confirmation letting them know that their application has been received, and is now in our applicant pool. Beginning February 1st, our team will begin to review applications, and select Veterans to be interviewed. If you are selected for an interview, a staff member will reach out to you. Applications will remain open throughout the season. On August 2nd, we will send an email to all applicants who were not selected for an interview, and ask them to reapply next year. You can get an update on the status of your application at any time by contacting the Warriors staff at 970-484-3633 ext — 305, or email warriors@nobarriersusa.org.

 

If you are offered a spot on a team, your first step will be filling out our registration form, which gathers important medical information, proof of service and disability, and other logistical details. Our doctor will review your medical information, and may request to speak with you. Once you are medically cleared, the Warriors staff will work with you to take care of travel arrangements, and get you all the information you need to feel confident arriving to your experience. Once you are cleared medically to participate, you will be enrolled in our online course.

 

Yes! Please select any experience that interests you. Please pay attention to the difficulty of the experience and make sure you are willing to take the time to prepare physically if you are selected.

 

Our alumni are important to us; they are the foundation of our No Barriers Warriors community. Each experience season, our priority is to serve new applicants so that we can grow our alumni community. While being an alumni does not disqualify you from attending additional programs, we will give priority to new applicants.

 

Nope! No prior experience is required for our programs. We ask that you come with an open mind, a ready-to-learn attitude, and a willingness to take direction from our experienced Experience Leaders and be open to new experiences with fellow Veterans. We encourage each of our applicants to read through our Essential Eligibility Criteria and make sure they are up to the physical demands of the experience.

 

The Program is focused on improving the lives of Veterans with disabilities by integrating interactive online courses (Phases I and III) with transformative, curriculum-based, outdoor experiential activities in nature’s more incredible wilderness settings (Phase II). No Barriers Warriors experiences are designed to challenge Veterans with varying ability levels to build their sense of belonging (Community), develop a clear vision of who they are (Identity) and foster a desire to create positive impact (Purpose). No Barriers encourages veterans to reflect on their past, recognize where they are in the present and then look with positivity to the future and truly believe that What’s Within You Is Stronger Than What’s In Your Way. Remember, this is more than just another camping trip!

 

Phase I (before) introduces participants to the No Barriers Life, connects them to their team, sets expectations for the experience, gets them thinking about Rope Team (Community), Vision (Identity), and Elevate (Purpose) and ensures they are administratively and logistically enrolled in the program. We do this through a series of interactions with the participants in immersive virtual activities on our online innovative curriculum platform, via phone, e-mail, and facilitator led Google meetings. At the end of Phase I, each participant should have a clear, realistic understanding of the experience (itinerary, logistics, leaders, etc.), have been introduced to their teammates, and be familiar with the No Barriers Life and the Life Elements.

 

This is the “in-person, transformative experience” where the participants have the opportunity to experience the No Barriers Life in challenging but controlled environments and transform the way they perceive themselves, their barriers, and their futures, all the while building bonds with their experience team. Through group interaction and self discovery, we encourage them to reflect on their past, recognize their present situation, and explore future possibilities with the goal of strengthening their community, identity, and purpose. This part of the experience is either a basecamp or backcountry trip.

 

 The designation of Basecamp and Backcountry is meant to separate experiences by difficulty level. In general, backcountry experiences are more physically demanding than basecamp experiences.

Basecamp experiences are multi-sport experiences that incorporate our challenge course, white water rafting, rock climbing, and hiking, based out of the No Barriers Mountain Campus in the Red Feather Lakes area of the Northern Rockies. The accommodations are a bit more comfortable, and the activities are more adaptable. This is a fully functioning camp with kitchen, bathrooms, showers, and bunks in canvas hunting tents.

Backcountry expeditions are more physically challenging and require participants to carry everything they will need with them on their backs for multiple days over challenging terrain. On these expeditions, teams are often covering 5-10 miles per day of hiking over rugged terrain, while carrying a backpack that can weigh up to 60lbs. They take place all over the country, typically at elevations from 3,000 to 12,000ft, and are demanding experiences.

Please read through the Essential Eligibility Criteria specific to each experience to gain a better understanding of each experience.

 

Oh, hell no! Once you return home, Phase III, our immersive, remote segment of the program continues as participants work to accomplish the pledge they set on their experience. While connected as a team, they refine their pledge and support each other through the endeavor. Teams meet three times over a period of six weeks on Google meet to talk through the process while receiving additional support from their alumni coach. At the conclusion of Phase III, participants are welcomed into the Warrior Alumni Community.

 

During the in-person portion of the experience, we ask participants to pledge to try to elevate themselves and/or their communities when they return home. Elevation can take many different forms including building their at home community, forging a new identity, or finding purpose through service. Practical examples include joining a local interest group or volunteering for a local non-profit.

 

FREE. That’s right, free. We will provide you with a flight, and all meals, lodging, and necessary equipment from the time you land at your destination, to the moment you take off. We ask that Veterans take it upon themselves to travel to and from their chosen airport.

 

No Barriers Warriors programs are designed to help Veterans work on themselves as individuals, so bringing a guest of any kind is not permitted. Please refer back to our website’s home page for other No Barriers opportunities that you can do with your friends and family members.

 

If your dog falls under the ADA definition of service animal – Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. – then you may bring them. Please talk with a Warriors staff member before deciding to bring your service dog. There are some programs that can be hazardous to your dog, and we want to be sure it’s a safe experience for all.

 

When considering applying, participants should discuss their experience with their personal doctor to make sure it’s a good personal decision to attend. We do have suggested training tips that can be discussed with the Warriors staff after being selected for an experience, but we cannot provide a fitness plan. We encourage our participants to talk openly with staff as they prepare for the experience about any concerns or questions they have, but all participants are responsible for their own physical fitness training.

Mental preparation is just as important as physical preparation. Our experiences are designed to challenge and push participants outside their comfort zones both physically as well as mentally. Some moments may present more challenges than others and there will be variability in each day. We ask our participants to embrace the journey as it comes and be open to new experiences with fellow veterans.

 

Selected applicants are responsible for their own fitness and being prepared to conquer the physical difficulty of the experience. If participants are bringing their service animal, they are responsible for the physical fitness of their service animal as well. Our experience Leader team reserves the right to change the itinerary of any experience based on the fitness capabilities of a selected team.

 

Our experiences are led by a team of experienced outdoor leaders, who come from many different backgrounds. We strive to keep a healthy mix of Veteran and civilian guides, men and women, and different personalities. Our leaders are passionate about what we do, and are the backbone of the Warriors experience.

 

The number of participants on each team can vary, but in general, we have 10-14 Veterans, 3-4 Program Leaders, and the occasional photographer.

 

Many of our participants come from sea level and our leaders are well trained in the effects of altitude. You will have an evening at a lower altitude in the front range of the mountains before moving higher into a higher elevation. It is important to drink water and stay hydrated during these transitions. From the moment you arrive, your leaders will encourage you to drink water and will be monitoring everyone for signs of altitude sickness.

 

Weather in the mountains of Colorado has a reputation for being variable and can change within the same day. Temperatures can range from 30° F to 80° F, or higher, depending on the time of day and elevation. The outdoor elements can be part of the challenge we meet in the backcountry. We prepare for both sun and rain with proper rain gear, warm layers, and plenty of sunscreen.

 

Weather in the mountains of western North Carolina has a reputation for being variable and can change within the same day. Temperatures can range from 40° F to 80° F, or higher, depending on the time of day and elevation. The outdoor elements can be part of the challenge we meet in the backcountry. We prepare for both sun and rain with proper rain gear, warm layers, and plenty of sunscreen.

 

Typically, participants will sleep in double hotel rooms on the first, and/or last nights of an experience. During backcountry experiences, Veterans will double up in a spacious 3 person tent, and are issued a warm sleeping bag and foam sleeping pad. For basecamp experiences, Veterans will have a sleeping bag and pad, and be lodged in a large hunting tent with bunks and mattresses.

 

MRE’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Just kidding – we take pride in our wilderness cuisine, and try to cook as much fresh, healthy food as possible. We’ll have plentiful snacks, and can work with nearly any dietary restriction/allergy. Don’t expect steak and lobster, but our leaders make some pretty tasty backcountry fajitas.

 

No Barriers provides the majority of camping equipment and clothing. Gear lists are provided to each individual with specific gear for each experience. When participants complete their registration form, size information is gathered for boots, rain gear, and trekking clothes. Typical camping equipment provided includes, but is not limited to: tents, sleeping bags, pads, trekking poles, backpacks, cutlery, water purification pens, gravity bags, and more. Participants are encouraged to use their own gear, if they want. However, Experience Leaders have the final say on what goes into the backcountry. Please, no machetes, hatchets, or firearms

 

No Barriers prioritizes the health and safety of our participants and staff. As such, we implement policies and procedures that mitigate health and safety risks, including requiring actions that reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. Examples of requirements that could be put into place include: properly wearing recommended face coverings, maintaining physical distance indoors, providing negative COVID-19 PCR test results, and/or providing proof of current COVID-19 vaccinations. Specific requirements are determined based on information regarding the current spread of the COVID-19 virus, current CDC guidelines, and recommendations from No Barriers’ medical advisor, and will be communicated to participants with sufficient time to comply with these requirements.

 

Where can I get more information?

Contact the warrior’s team at warriors@nobarriersusa.org or 970.484.3633. ext. 305