COL ROWE SERIES EVENTS
"Four Rucks. Five Years. One Unconquerable Will. Walk the Path of COL Nick Rowe."
In 1963, 1LT Nick Rowe was ambushed in the jungles of Vietnam. For the next five years, he lived in a bamboo cage—enduring torture, starvation, and a death sentence. He survived by outsmarting his captors, creating a false identity that held until the day he escaped into the rotors of a U.S. helicopter. He didn't just return home; he built the SERE school to ensure no soldier would ever be unprepared again. Now, we carry his story. Four rucks. One legacy. Prove you are unbreakable.
Patches that you will earn upon successful completion of the event
Your Mission is to Complete one or multiple Ruck Based Endurance Events Honoring COL Nick Rowe to be handed a patch that will never be sold, only earned. Click on the Patches above to Register Now or continue to scroll for more information.
Logistics: Event Location
Durland Scout Reservation is a tucked in the Hudson River Valley, located about one hour North of New York City, 30 minutes from West Point, NY. Fahnestock State Park and the Appalachian Trail are right next to the Reservation.
The 1500 acre facility is home to a glacial lake that we will swim in, miles of trails that we will ruck, and plenty of space for survival type activities.
Lodging: We have reserved one of the cabins that house the Scouts. It is an open bay with bunk beds concept, bathrooms located outside, no showers and a small kitchen area inside. If you are looking at going for your bolts “HTB” (meaning three events in a row), you can sleep in the cabin between the events.
We have a pretty big parking lot at the start point that will facilitate “Car Camping” if you wanted to stay in your car instead of the cabin.
Logistics: Travel and Rental Car Options
Click on the link to the left to access the “COL Rowe Series” Facebook event page. This page will help with travel reservations as you can use the chat feature for carpooling, primarily from the airport OR you might have some ruckers drving and you can link up.
Updates/additions for logistics: travel and rental car option
Fly into NYC area airports including Newark (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA), or JFK.
From EWR: Take the AirTrain Newark to MTA to the Metro-North Hudson Line (approx 2 hours 30 min) to Cold Spring
From JFK: Take the MTA to the Metro-North Hudson Line (approx 2 hours) to Cold Spring
From LGA: Take the Jamaica AirTrain to the Metro-North Hudson Line (approx 2 hours 20 min) to Cold Spring
Carpool from Cold Spring to Durland Scout Reserve (approx 30 min)
Rental car from any NYC area airport to Durland Scout Reserve (approx 1 hour 30 min)
Alternatively fly into:
Stewart Airport (SWF): Rental car to Durland Scout Reserve (approx 45 min)
Westchester (HPN): Rental car to Durland Scout Reserve (approx 45 min) This airport has a lot more flight options than Stewart.
Concept of the Operations
Event Types
Each event is uniquely crafted, and built and executed by the Cadre team of Cadre Dan, Cadre Norwich, Titan6 and LT. You'll ruck through beautiful rock formations on trails with some phenomenal scenery. You will forget that you are under load of your ruck and enjoy nature, in this lightly touched Scout Reservation. The Cadre team will have something for all physical fitness levels at all the events. All events are designed around the life of COL Nick Rowe, specifically his book “5 Years to Freedom”.
12 Mile Trail Ruck that you can ruck solo or with a team. The trails are well marked and with a little elevation. Showtime 0800 11 JUL 2026 to check in. We’ll together do a 20 Minute Tactical Yoga flow to get you ready to conquer the event. Step off at 0830 11 JUL 2026 with an After-Party upon completion. Time standard to earn the 12 Mile COL Nick Rowe Patch is 6 Hours.
The GORUCK Heavy is a 24 Hour Ruck Based Endurance Event that will be physically and mentally exhausting. You can expect to move 24 plus miles under ruck, Ruck sack swim (built for non-swimmers), physical fitness workouts, Log PT and most importantly, learn about COL Rowe. We’ll start the event at 1200 10 JUL 2026 and be complete 1200 11 JUL 2026.
The GORUCK Tough is a 12 Hour Ruck Based Endurance Event that will be physically and mentally challenging. You can expect to move 12 plus miles under ruck, Ruck sack swim (built for non-swimmers), physical fitness workouts, Log PT and most importantly, learn about COL Rowe. We’ll start at 1600 11 JUL 2026 with the event complete at 0400 12 JUL 2026.
The GORUCK Basic is a 5 Hour Ruck Based Endurance Event that is Family Friendly. You can expect to move 6 plus miles under ruck, Ruck sack swim (built for non-swimmers), physical fitness workouts, Log PT and most importantly, learn about COL Rowe. We’ll start at 0800 12 JUL 2026 with completion of the final event at 1230 12 JUL 2026 followed directly with an after-party immediately following for ALL Participants of all the events.
You can complete multiple events. Our rucking community at GORUCK is strong and a prized patch is the “HTB” patch. This patch is awarded to folks who complete the Heavy, Tough, Basic in a row on the same weekend. Completing a “HTB” is referred to as getting your bolts. Additionally this weekend, you can sign up for the 12 Miler, Tough and Basic.
Every Event Includes:
Tactical Yoga warm-up: Prepare your mind, body and spirit for each event.
Ruck-based physical training: Build strength, mobility, and grit.
Guided discussions and instruction on COL Rowe’s book “5 Years to Freedom”
Team-based challenges: You'll carry more than weight—you'll carry purpose.
Closing finisher: A symbolic ruck-based evolution that ties it all together.
Who Should Sign Up?
You just need to show up ready to work—with discipline, humility, and a willingness to suffer with purpose.
Whether you're a seasoned rucker or somebody looking to push your limits—this is for you.
“We move together. We carry the weight. We honor those who came before us by living lives of resilience, purpose, and service.
Perseverance is the standard.
See you under ruck."
- Cadre Dan
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear for All Events
A rucksack (Rucker recommended) - must have reflectivity
Ruck Plate or equivalent weight
Water/Hydration: GORUCK Tough & Trail Ruck (3L Minimum), GORUCK Light (1L Minimum)
Any medication you might need
Photo ID
Smiles
Recommended Items (All Events)
Gloves (1 pair) - working gloves, not medical gloves
Extra layers of clothing (merino wool socks, shell jacket appropriate for weather)
Dry Bag or contractor bag to keep items dry
Change of clothes and flip-flops for after the event
Supportive footwear (GORUCK recommended)
Food, snacks, electrolytes as desired
Need some new gear, smash the button below and check out Titan6actual.com website that has some cool gear to get you ready
Of course, check out GORUCK.com
Family friendly things to do in the area
Harriman State Park: Offers over 200 miles of hiking trails, lakes, and beaches, ideal for hiking and swimming.
Bear Mountain State Park: Features a pool, trailside museums, and hiking.
SplashDown Beach Waterpark (Fishkill): Known as "Hudson Valley's Water Park" with slides and a lazy river.
West Point Military Academy: Offers a free museum with military artifacts.
Walkway Over the Hudson: A scenic pedestrian bridge connecting Poughkeepsie and Highland.
Hudson Valley Renegades: Catch a minor league baseball game.
Weight Requirements by Event Type
Weight requirements will vary by event type. Registration (Sandlot) page has the weight requirement.
Training Suggestions
Joe Baker Fitness (JBF) is the primary trainer for this event series and ALL Cadre Dan events. Highly recommend that you check out his website on the button below if you are looking for a training plan to thrive during any of the events.
HEAVY/TOUGH:
-Pack the entire packing list in your ruck, weigh it, then train to walk a Sub 3 hour and 30 minute 12 Miler.
-Be physically fit to survive 24 hours, train to thrive for 24 hours with no sleep, plenty of food and physical exhaustion
-Be a team player by focusing on a good strength training program (JBF), pick heavy things up and put them back down.
-Use Tactical Yoga to work on flexibility, mobility, breathing, meditation to excel at this event
12 Miler: Pack the entire packing list in your ruck, weigh it, then train to walk a Sub 3 hour and 30 minute 12 Miler.
BASIC: As long as you do some sort of fitness, you will be good. With this being a family friendly event, all fitness levels are encouraged
For All Events: Break in your footwear well before event day!