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The combination of sea kayaking, backpacking
and rock climbing make the Sonoran Semester unique. Instructor John Stoddard teaches about placing protection.
Photo: Rainbow Weinstock |
The Sonoran Desert spans 120,000 square miles from the American Southwest all the way to the tip of Baja California, Mexico. Your semester will be one of crossing boundaries, from the U.S. to Mexico and from the arid desert to the sea. You’ll sea kayak, climb and hike through the unique Sonoran ecosystem, the most lush, diverse desert in North America.
Due to the location of the Sonoran Desert, it has a range of biotic communities, including desert, temperate deciduous forest, coniferous forest, grassland and chaparral.
After you’ve experienced the stunning beauty of the desert and its mountains, you will move to the Sea of Cortez to explore the dramatic coastline.
In this land of contrasts, you’ll gain extensive experience in three skill areas — backpacking, rock climbing and sea kayaking. For a chance to see one of the world’s most incredible ecosystems in all its diversity, this course has no equal.
Backpacking
Your hiking section will take you into the desert Southwest, a diverse landscape of desert basins and deep canyons. You’ll explore the Gila Wilderness—the place that inspired the wilderness concept. Surrounded by rugged canyons, high mesa tops and vast stands of Ponderosa Pines, you'll learn the basics of camping and traveling in the wilderness.
Rock Climbing
You’ll climb at Cochise Stronghold, a canyon in the heart of the Dragoon Mountains in southern Arizona. The hidden nooks of this rock fortress contain remnants from the Chiricahua Apache who once lived in this region. This beautiful remote climbing area provides excellent opportunity to cover a comprehensive climbing curriculum, including moving on rock and climbing systems.
Extended Student Expedition
You’ll embark on a student expedition in the Galiuro Wilderness, refining the skills you’ve learned throughout the course and navigating this living desert environment. This wilderness is considered one of the most rugged and remote ranges in the state, where volcanic rock rises sharply from the desert floor creating a jagged skyline. These mountains have pockets of lush vegetation and forest while still retaining some of the classic desert plant and animal life.
Sea Kayaking
This semester ends with a sea kayaking section along the wild desert coastline of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. You’ll leave from Arizona and fly across the Sea of Cortez to NOLS Mexico. Here you’ll explore the coastline where three contrasting environments converge—the desert, arid volcanic coastal mountains and the ocean. You’ll learn sea kayaking skills and have a chance to skin-dive and explore the region’s underwater world.
Sonoran Semester
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| Duration: |
77 days |
| Age: |
17 and Over |
| Tuition: |
$10,480
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| Dates: |
September 24-December 9, 2007
October 1-December 16, 2007
Gila Backpacking, Climbing, Galiuros Backpacking, Sea Kayaking
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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 Management |
| Course start/end: |
Tucson, Arizona / Mulege, BCS, Mexico |
| Equipment Deposit: |
$700 |
| Fly in/out: |
Tucson, Arizona / Loreto, BCS, Mexico |
| Downloads: |
Course Description
(pdf)
Equipment List
(pdf) |
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Next Steps
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