Participants in Girls on Rock get to explore forests, hike mountains and sleep under the stars. But that is only part of the experience the young women seek in the free Colorado-based educational program. The program also provides them the chance to carry out field research with actual scientists. Girls on Rock is part of the organization Inspiring Girls Expeditions. The group supports similar programs in the American states of Alaska and Washington, and in the countries of Canada and Switzerland. In late July, a team of nine girls and five instructors launched the first Girls on Rock trip. The group spent 12-days in the Gore Mountains near Frisco, Colorado. Each girl took turns climbing a wall of rock. After climbing, the girls took a hike. During the hike, they stopped for a lesson on map reading. They also learned how to find their position on Earth using nothing but a thin rope and information about their current elevation.