NOLS Blog
Case Study: Fishhooks
The Setting You’re on the first day of a twelve-day whitewater canoeing expedition down the Green River. Your group consists of fifteen students and four instructors. Everyone is paddling close together down a stretch of flat water practicing strokes, building skills, and getting to know one another. Spirits are high. People are laughing, chatting, and…
When Everything Came Into Focus — Hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine O Circuit Alumni Trip
Photo: Libby Poston I first learned about the O Circuit in 2025, a year before I actually did ...
Case Study: Heat Illness on an Early-Season Wildland Fire Assignment
Photo by Kirk Rasmussen The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the ...
Rothberg-Birdwhistel Expedition Fund: Panchachuli III Peak Climb
In May 2025, Bharat Bhushan, Prerna Dangi, and I took on a challenge to climb Panchachuli III (6,349m), believed by local residents to remain unclimbed. We aimed to approach it via the northeast route through the Meola Glacier. Despite occasional visits by military and paramilitary personnel, there was no recorded mountaineering information or documented route…
Case Study: Non-Freezing Cold Injury on a Canoe Trip
The Setting You are leading an early-season canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s mid-May, and while the days are mild, the water is still very cold. Travel involves frequent portaging and wading in and out of the canoe to load and unload gear. Despite good effort, everyone’s feet have been wet…
Lou Gordon: Three Decades of Influence
Louise “Lou” Gordon’s office in the Wilderness Medicine wing of NOLS Headquarters is tucked into the perpendicular intersection of two banks of offices, in the center of the activity but quiet and a little reserved. Like Lou herself.
After more than 30 years, the last 6 1/2 as NOLS Wilderness Medicine’s Wilderness EMT Supervisor, Lou is cleaning and packing up her office in preparation for her retirement. Her last day is May 1.
Climate Medicine: Where Climate Change and Healthcare Meet
Springtime has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. Trees and grasses are greening up, flowers are blooming, and birds have returned to greet the morning with song. As many of Earth’s residents head into boreal summer, they know to expect rising temperatures. But what does that heat mean for human health? What happens when infectious diseases…
Summer Travel Programs for Teens: Why Wilderness Expeditions Offer More Than a Passport Stamp
Most summer travel programs for teens promise adventure. A select few actually deliver it. There is a difference between traveling through a place and learning to move through it with skill and intention. That difference is worth understanding before you commit to any program, and before your teen boards a plane. This guide breaks down…
Staying Power
Shari Kearney didn’t just find a place at NOLS—as our longest serving female instructor, she has worked over 424 weeks in the field and influenced generations of students. Shari Kearney is checking on Three Peaks Ranch’s stable of horses, kept on pastures outside of Lander, Wyoming in the offseason. Each autumn, the horses—dozens of them—are…
Turning My NOLS Experience Into a Minimalist Lifestyle
Camper life comes with some challenges; however, it’s the most freeing thing I have experienced since my gap year, and I can’t recommend the experience highly enough to anyone interested.
Why I Trusted a NOLS Course during COVID
When I say 2020, what comes to mind? Pandemic, quarantine, fear, loneliness, job loss, online overload. It was February 2020 when I began my journey with NOLS, and I’m so glad that I did.
Case Study: Abdominal Pain on the Trail
At 6:30 in the morning some of your participants come and tell you that their tentmate is complaining of abdominal pain. As the WFR-trained course leader, you go to their tent to investigate.
How NOLS Helped Me Thrive After Dropping Out of College
Out of the blue, a tip from an old mentor pointed me towards NOLS as an alternative, and maybe more fitting, way to continue my education.
First Ascent of Cerro Nora in Patagonia
Stretching myself right to the limit, day after day, and finding camaraderie in that challenge gave me a new sense of capacity and bravery as we attempted to climb Cerro Nora.
5 Myths About a NOLS Gap Year
5 Gap Year Myths Debunked - Worried that a NOLS gap year expedition is beyond your reach in terms of timing, finances, or technical skills? Guess again!
Why You Should Take a WFR with NOLS
Discover why the NOLS Wilderness First Responder course is transformative, equipping you with skills, confidence, and a new perspective on handling accidents.
55th Anniversary: Stories from Our Alumni
Over 55 years, we've learned the value of NOLS isn't in accomplishments so much as the way a NOLS education inspires and empowers our graduates to act, as we see in these alumni stories.
30 Years of Wilderness Medicine
In 1990, two people started a business that was remarkable for 2 reasons—most important because the business was dedicated to teaching wilderness medicine. Read on and celebrate NOLS' anniversary with 30 years of wilderness medicine history.
New Expeditions for Summer 2021
New this summer: Salmon River Rafting Adventure for ages 14-15, and Alaska Women’s Backpacking for adults 23+ (now with a 14-day option!)
Case Study: Suspicious Stomach Pain
Five days into sea kayaking with friends in Prince William Sound, Alaska you feel lousy; some diarrhea, some vague abdominal cramping, not much appetite. You assume it's a touch of the flu and don't say anything. See what happens next and test your knowledge with this case study.
Marc Randolph, Jimmy Chin, José González, Knight Campbell, & Kit DesLauriers on Their Trails To Success [Video]
What do Marc Randolph, Jimmy Chin, José González, Knight Campbell, and Kit DesLauriers have in common? Listen to their stories to learn how NOLS influenced their trails to success.
