FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have additional questions, please contact us by telephone (480-969-9744) or email (rfc@peterrolland.com).
Is this camp for children or adults?
Group classes are geared to an adult attention span, but we welcome
students of any age as long as they want to learn the music and can stay
focused during the classes.
Instruction is offered at levels ranging from beginners to
professionals.
Can I have special meals? What about my food allergies?
If
you have food allergies please notify us in advance. Any special meal requests must be on a medical needs
basis. Campers requesting special
meals without medical reason must provide their own food. They will be assigned to a kitchenette
room with refrigerator. The
facility will provide vegetarians an adequate meal if sufficient advance notice
is given.
How can I get to the camp by car?
The maps below will help. Further information is given on the LOCATION & ACTIVITIES page of this website.
http://www.hermitbasin.com/hblocation.html
"Cowgirl Concierge" operates a shuttle service to and from airports in Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver. Contact them at 719-371-2080 for pricing and reservations. Silver West Airport is a small non-commercial airport located a few miles south of Westcliffe off of Highway 69 if you want to fly in on your own small plane.
What about carpooling?
If you are interested in
sharing a ride to camp, let us know and we’ll put you in contact with any
others from your area that are also interested in carpooling.
How early can I arrive?
The
official arrival and check in time is 4pm on Sunday June 26. This is the time that you will have
access to your room. I have
been told that you can arrive earlier in the day and relax in the hotel while
waiting for us to check you into your room. In any case, dinner that evening is served at 6pm, so try to
be on time for that. Dinner, like
all meals at camp, is served to your table by wait staff in a single
seating.
What's the weather like?
It's likely to be
· Chilly in the early morning 40-ish degrees Fahrenheit
· Pleasant in the day (65-75 degrees Fahrenheit) with good chance of short rains in the afternoon
· Cool nights.
· Bring long pants, a light jacket, sweat shirt, raincoat or poncho and a hat
What if I have a problem with the altitude?
The camp's elevation is 9000 feet. About 1 in 4 visitors to the area experience a mild form of altitude illness until their bodies adjust to the altitude. Common symptoms include headache, shortness of breath, fatigue and dry throat. To minimize the effect of altitude, you can:
· Arrive rested and get a good night's sleep when you arrive
· Avoid strenuous exercise and salty foods when you first arrive
· If you come from low elevation, spending a night in Colorado Springs, Cañon City, Florence or Pueblo would allow your body more time to adjust to the change in altitude.
· Drink plenty of water before you arrive and during your stay to prevent dehydration.
· Your primary instrument
· We encourage you to bring a secondary instrument if you would like to (not required)
· Tuner and music stand (both optional but strongly recommended)
· Extra strings, rosin, picks, etc.
· Recording device, extra batteries, tapes, etc; plan on recording lessons, concerts, classes & workshops for later study
· A notebook to keep music organized (plastic sleeves are great at protecting loose sheets)
· Pen, pencils & eraser
· Extension cord
· Camera a/o video recorder
· Enough clothes for the week (there is a small coin laundry at the camp)
· Long pants, a light jacket, sweat shirt, raincoat or poncho, an umbrella if you like, and a hat
· Comfortable walking shoes; if you hike in the mountains, shoes with ankle support are advisable since the natural terrain is rough and rocky
· Shoes suitable for dancing in
· Toiletries and personal items (nothing is available for purchase at camp unless you drive to town)
· Anti-nausea pills like Dramamine
· Sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher (the sun is more intense at high altitude!)
· Earplugs (in case you want to sleep with jamming all around)
· Insect repellent
· Personal first aid kit
· Flashlights
· A day pack & water bottle if you plan on doing any hiking
· Swimming suit
There is free Wi-Fi at the camp. Reception is good in the Day Lodge where classes are held, but spotty in the hotel rooms.
The hotel switchboard number is 719-783-2100.
Cell phone reception quality varies considerably with location and service company.
We will give our personal cell phone number to registrants.
Routine medical care is provided at the Custer County Medical Clinic, 719-783-2380. The hours are Mon-Fri- 8:30 am - 5 pm and Sat- 9:00 am-12:00 pm. For after hours care, call 719-783-2270, and for emergencies dial 911. For major medical problems, Pueblo is a large population center less than 90 minutes drive from camp.
Is there a camping facility or RV hookup available at camp?
No. There are camping facilities and RV hookups available elsewhere in the Wet Mountain Valley.
If I get accommodations off premises and commute to classes, is there a discount?
There is no discount unless camp enrollment exceeds 40. If enrollment exceeds 40 there is a $125 discount if you stay elsewhere. We do not recommend this because you will miss out on some of the fun of attending camp! The drive to Westcliffe takes about 25 minutes on dirt roads, so the commute both ways is nearly an hour out of your day.
Are semi-private and private rooms available?
The Hermit Basin Conference Center hotel
has sixteen rooms with kitchenettes and twenty with bunk beds. If the camp fills, there will be 3 or 4
per room. The facility allocates
rooms to the camp on the basis of at least two per room. Couples can guarantee a semiprivate
room (2 per room). The fee is $745 each if paid before May, $795 each if paid in May, and $845 each if paid after May. If the camp runs with low enrollment and all privacy concerns can be met with our room allotment, the fee will revert to the regular student rate and any overpayment due to paying the higher fee to guarantee privacy will be refunded.
Do I have to bring my own linen?
No, the hotel will provide clean linen at the beginning of camp. There will be a change of towels half way through the week. There is a coin laundry where you can do your personal laundry if you choose to do so.
Why is alcohol not permitted at the camp?
Our contract with the Hermit Basin Conference Center prohibits anyone from bringing alcohol on the premises.
Additionally, smoking is not allowed in any building.
If you prefer not to travel with your fiddle, you can arrange to rent one of ours for $50 for the week. You must schedule it in advance. There will be only enough for campers who have requested them prior to camp, and we can only make a small number available due to space limitations in our vehicle. Contact us with your request as soon as possible.
What if my instrument needs repair during camp?
I will bring an emergency repair kit to handle minor
emergencies and maintenance issues during camp. I own a violin shop and have repair skills. Students should expect to pay repair
shop rates for repairs. I strongly recommend that you bring your own spare strings.
No. There are two banks in Westcliffe: Wells Fargo Bank (719) 783-9102 (which has an ATM) and Colorado Mountain Bank (719) 783-9211