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Semester in the Rockies
 

Students use teamwork and their ever-growing navigational skills to determine their exact location.
Photo: Rainbow Weinstock

NOLS INVENTED THE OUTDOOR SEMESTER, and this course is where it all began.

A Rockies Semester will take you on a Wild West “tour de force” while giving you a complete set of skills to lead and teach in the backcountry, whether in the field of outdoor education or with your own friends and family.

Our grads are among the most well-rounded and self-sufficient backcountry travelers in the world. Learn to paddle a canoe down a class-III rapid, make sound first aid decisions miles from the nearest road, and navigate through winding slot canyons.

You’ll see some of the great American West’s most treasured spots, carving a telemark turn through the winter wilderness on one section and jamming your hands into cracks while climbing one of Wyoming’s world-class crags on the next.

Because the Rockies are a hotspot for outdoor activities, this semester offers a variety of skill sets, allowing students to choose the combinations they prefer.

2010 Fall
Semester in the Rockies

Features world-famous Orvis™ fly fishing curriculum and gear.
Duration: 94 days
Tuition: $11,450 w/WFA
$12,175 w/ WFR
Financial Aid Options: NOLS Scholarships
Federal Financial Aid
Ages: Minimum age 17 - Average is 20
College Credit:
(Optional)

16 (19 w/WFR) Semester Credit Hours
4 Hours Biology
2 Hours Environmental Ethics
2 Hours Leadership Techniques
6 Hours Skills Practicum
2 Hours Risk Assessment
3 Hours WFR

Course start/end: Lander, WY
Equipment Deposit: $700
Fly in/out: Riverton, WY
Dates: August 23-November 23, 2010
Section 1&2: Backpacking, WFR, Canoe Expedition, Climbing, Canyon
  August 27-November 27, 2010
Section 3&4: Mountaineering, WFA, River (Kayak/Raft/Canoe), Climbing, Canyon
  September 2-December 3, 2010
Section 5: Backpacking, WFR, River Travel, Canyon, Winter (Ski)
  September 2-December 3, 2010
Section 6: Backpacking, WFR, Climbing, Canyon, Winter (Ski)
  September 6-December 7, 2010
Section 7:  Mountaineering, WFA, River Travel, Canyon, Winter (Ski)
Gap Year Semester
17-19 Year Olds Only
September 9-December 10, 2010
Section 8&9: Backpacking, WFA, Climbing, Canyon, Winter (Ski)
Downloads:
Require Adobe Acrobat Reader

Fall Semester
Course Description (pdf)
Equipment List (pdf)

Apply Now

2011 Spring
Semester in the Rockies

 
Duration: 87 days
Tuition: Section 1&2: $12,275 w/WFR
Section 3&4, 5: $11,510 w/WFA
Financial Aid Options: NOLS Scholarships
Federal Financial Aid
Ages: Minimum age 17 - Average is 20
College Credit:
(Optional)

16 Semester Credit Hours
4 Hours Biology
2 Hours Environmental Ethics
2 Hours Leadership Techniques
6 Hours Skills Practicum
2 Hours Risk Assessment

Course start/end: Lander, WY
Equipment Deposit: $700
Fly in/out: Riverton, WY
Dates: February 14-May 11, 2011
Section 1&2: Winter (Ski), WFR, Canyon, Climbing, Canoe Expedition
February 21-May 18, 2011
Section 3&4: Winter (Ski), WFA, Canyon, Climbing, River Travel (Kayak/Raft/Canoe)
March 3-May 28, 2011
Section 5: Canyon, WFA, Climbing, River Travel (Canoe/Kayak/Raft), Horsepacking
Downloads:
Require Adobe Acrobat Reader

Spring Semester
Course Description (pdf)
Equipment List (pdf)

Apply Now

2011 Summer
Semester in the Rockies
Features world-famous Orvis™ fly fishing curriculum and gear.
Duration: 68 days
Ages: Minimum age 17 - Average is 20
Tuition: $10,510
Financial Aid Options: NOLS Scholarships
Federal Financial Aid
Dates:

June 6-August 12, 2011
Backpacking, Climbing, River Travel (Kayak/Raft)

College Credit:
(Optional)

16 Semester Credit Hours
4 Hours Biology
2 Hours Environmental Ethics
2 Hours Leadership Techniques
6 Hours Skills Practicum
2 Hours Risk Assessment

Course start/end: Lander, Wyoming
Equipment Deposit: $700
Fly in/out: Riverton, Wyoming
Downloads:
Require Adobe Acrobat Reader

Summer Semester
Course Description (pdf)
Equipment List (pdf)

Apply Now

2011 Fall
Semester in the Rockies

Features world-famous Orvis™ fly fishing curriculum and gear.
Duration: 89 days
Tuition: $11,775 w/WFA
$12,525 w/ WFR
Financial Aid Options: NOLS Scholarships
Federal Financial Aid
Ages: Minimum age 17 - Average is 20
College Credit:
(Optional)

16 (19 w/WFR) Semester Credit Hours
4 Hours Biology
2 Hours Environmental Ethics
2 Hours Leadership Techniques
6 Hours Skills Practicum
2 Hours Risk Assessment
3 Hours WFR

Course start/end: Lander, WY
Equipment Deposit: $700
Fly in/out: Riverton, WY
Dates: August 26-November 22, 2011
Section 1&2: WFR, Canoe Expedition, Backpacking, Climbing, Canyon
  September 2-November 29, 2011
Section 3&4: Mountaineering, WFA, River (Kayak/Raft/Canoe), Climbing, Canyon
  September 5-December 2, 2011
Section 5: Backpacking, WFR, River Travel, Canyon, Winter (Ski)
  September 5-December 2, 2011
Section 6: Backpacking, WFR, Climbing, Canyon, Winter (Ski)
  September 9-December 6, 2011
Section 7:  Mountaineering, WFA, River Travel, Canyon, Winter (Ski)
Gap Year Semester
17-19 Year Olds Only
September 12-December 9, 2011
Section 8&9: Backpacking, WFA, Climbing, Canyon, Winter (Ski)
Downloads:
Require Adobe Acrobat Reader

Fall Semester
Course Description (pdf)
Equipment List (pdf)

Apply Now

Next Steps
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Related Courses
Semester in the Pacific Northwest
Semester in the Southwest
Semester in Patagonia
Learn from the best: Instructor Lauren Edwards on a classic crack climb, "Wine and Roses," in Fremont Canyon, Wyoming.
Photo: David Anderson

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  “I had never had the opportunity to be a leader like I did with NOLS. The NOLS education that I obtained on my semester was amazing.“

Patrick Kiely
Spring Semester in the Rockies ’01
St. Michael’s College Student
 

EXPLORE NOLS ROCKY MOUNTAIN...
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WHAT MAKES NOLS THE LEADER?

Extended expeditions in remote wilderness make NOLS leadership lessons real.
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Semester in the Rockies
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Wind River Mountaineering
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Mountain Instructor Course - Rocky Mountain
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Professional Instructor Course - Mountain
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Blog
Food Store - The Gulch
Rocky Mountain Outfitting
The Noble Hotel Renovation Blog
Photo Gallery

Course Finder

 

Semester Sections

Backpacking
(summer and fall) Map reading, route finding, cooking, and Leave No Trace practices will become second nature as you travel through Wyoming’s Wind River or Absaroka ranges. Advanced topics covered on this section include fly-fishing, baking, off-trail navigation, GPS use, and environmental ethics.

Mountaineering
(fall only) The rugged glacier-carved Wind River Range is the ideal environment for learning wilderness mountaineering. The climbing, belaying, and rappelling skills you’ll learn on this section will enable you to challenge yourself on technical peak ascents while honing other fundamental backcountry living and traveling skills.

Winter

(fall and spring) The Rocky Mountains’ harsh and beautiful winter environment will create some of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of your semester. After breaking trail from camp to camp, you’ll “dig in,” building a snow shelter for you and your coursemates to camp in. Much time will also be devoted to practicing your telemark turn on backcountry slopes and assessing snow and avalanche conditions.

Rock Climbing

This fast-paced section takes place in some of the West’s most famous climbing areas, from Nevada’s Red Rocks to Idaho’s City of Rocks and the Needles in South Dakota. It begins with a foundation of skills such as bouldering, belaying, rappelling, knots, and climbing techniques. We’ll also emphasize advanced topics such as anchor construction, direct aid, belay escapes, and gear selection. If you’re ready, there will also be opportunities to lead climb.

River Travel

This multi-day expedition through Utah’s scenic river canyons will introduce you to the fun and excitement of whitewater. Whether in a kayak, a canoe, an oar raft, or a paddle raft, you’ll learn to read the water, scout rapids, and execute maneuvers such as eddy-turns, peel-outs, and ferries. Depending on your craft, advanced skills such as surfing, playboating, raft captaining, and solo canoeing will also be taught and practiced on this very hands-on section.

Horsepacking

(spring) From NOLS’ Three Peaks Ranch at the base of the Wind River Range, you’ll learn and practice the skills needed to enjoy an extended horsepacking expedition. Four days at the ranch encompass saddling, riding, packing, and getting to know your horses, then you’ll embark on a two-week trip exploring Wyoming’s wilderness on horseback.

Canyon

(fall and spring) Developing and expanding your own leadership style and environmental ethics are the focus of this section, which culminates in a multi-day, student-led expedition. You’ll travel through the unmistakable red rock canyons of southern Utah where you’ll study Anasazi rock art and ruins, desert ecology, and land-use policies.

Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

(fall and spring) The Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS (WMI) presents this 16-hour section specific to wilderness emergencies. The course is the approved certification for the American Camp Association, the United States Forest Service, and many other governmental agencies and outdoor programs.

Wilderness First Responder (WFR)

(fall and spring) Offered by WMI of NOLS, this 80-hour section is for outdoor professionals and will give you the tools to make sound first aid and evacuation decisions in remote settings.

Leave No Trace
Earn your Leave No Trace (LNT) Master certification, which will allow you to teach LNT ethics to others in the future.

 

 

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