Gear selection and placement are key skills you'll review at climbing camp.
Photo: Pascal Beauvais
The goal of the Professional Instructor Course is to provide a fast track for those who already have ample experience leading in the outdoors to become NOLS instructors.
We’ll focus on orienting you to the NOLS curriculum, course progression, and culture, but a large part of this course will be the expertise that you and your coursemates bring to the table. Here in the Wind River Range, you’ll find a good cross section of terrain, and the camping and travel techniques used here are representative of a good number of NOLS course areas.
After a 9-day backcountry section, the course will progress to a short rock camp, during which we’ll focus on technical rock climbing skills. The course will also include an administrative orientation to NOLS practices. Successful graduates of the Professional Instructor Course will come out of the field ready to work for NOLS as either backpacking instructors, climbing instructors, or both.
If you have over 50 weeks of extended wilderness trip-leading experience with another organization, and you are well-versed in risk management, leadership, and technical outdoor skills, this course is the ideal bridge to becoming a NOLS instructor.
