NOLS Blog
6 Reasons Why You Should Take A WEMT Course (And Tips for How to Prepare)
Here are the top six reasons why one NOLS Wilderness Medicine grad recommends taking a Wilderness EMT course.
How to Make Hash Browns with Cheese
Photo by Karly Gutermuth Hash browns have a well-deserved reputation as a delicious breakfast treat, but this cheesy ...
NOLS Picante Sauce
Picante perks up almost any savory recipe—try it on eggs, beans, in soups and coupled with anything on ...
Backpacking Among Giants: A Trip Report from Norway’s Jotunheimen Mountains
In August of 2025, the inaugural NOLS Alumni Norway Backpacking Trip ventured into the Jotunheimen Mountains for ten days of challenging hiking amongst stunning scenery. Our group first met in Oslo before traveling about five hours by bus to the Jotunheimen region in western Norway. The bus conveniently dropped us off at our first hut of the trip and…
Case Study: Altitude Illness While Trekking
The Setting You are on the trip of a lifetime hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal with one of your best friends. This trip has been in the works for over a year. You’ve spent countless hours training, reviewing maps, and daydreaming about being in the mountains. You can’t believe you’re finally here! You flew…
What a NOLS Risk Review Really Looks Like: A Case Study with NatureBridge
In the same year as NOLS’ 60th anniversary, we are celebrating 20 years since the formation of NOLS Risk Services. For 60 years, NOLS has operated in remote locations all over the world, and in 2005, NOLS Risk Services was formed to share what NOLS has learned about operational risk management in the process. NOLS…
Case Study: Dental Emergency while RaftingÂ
A member of your rafting party loses a tooth partway through a 4-day trip. How do you respond?
Where Play Meets Purpose: A Journey Through the Canyons
Since 2022, NOLS and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business have collaborated on a yearly weeklong expedition to the canyons in southeastern Utah. This expedition is the culmination of a semester-long leadership course for Ross undergraduate students. It combines concepts and learnings from the classroom course with the NOLS leadership curriculum in a…
Rothberg-Birdwhistell Exploration Fund: Expedition to the Peruvian Andes
In the spring of 2025, we set out on an Alpine and ski mountaineering expedition to Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. As outdoor educators with experience leading students on NOLS courses, our team shares a deep commitment to learning through challenge and a connection to wild places. Our goals: explore new terrain, attempt several high peaks, and…
How to Make (Irresistible) Fudge No-Bake Cookies
Give these tasty no-bake cookies a whirl on your next backcountry trip (they also taste good at home...).
The Hurrier I Go: What This Winter Taught Me about Patience in the Mountains
Instructor Navarana reflects on what it means to practice patience and compassion in the face of adversity, using outdoor experiences to frame her learning.
Applying Wilderness Medicine Skills During the COVID-19 Pandemic
To reduce the strain on local health care facilities during a global crisis, you can step up and use your first aid training to treat some injuries at home.
What Can Spring Learn from Winter? Lessons for the Transition
Reflecting on seasonal transition, NOLS instructor Jonny Hepburn shares lessons learned during ski season and how they might apply to spring adventures.
Cowboy Tough Race: Team Wind River Country is On the Course!
Cowboy Tough Race: Team Wind River Country is On the Course!
Climbing Goddess Majka Burhardt Nominated for 2010 Epic Award
Climbing Goddess Majka Burhardt Nominated for 2010 Epic Award
Stepping Out of the Classroom: Diversity & Inclusion at NOLS Rocky Mountain
Stepping Out of the Classroom: Diversity & Inclusion at NOLS Rocky Mountain
60 Pounds of Cheese and 104 Degrees: After a Long Summer, Super Hero In-Town Staff Re-open NOLS Southwest for Fall Season
60 Pounds of Cheese and 104 Degrees: After a Long Summer, Super Hero In-Town Staff Re-open NOLS Southwest for Fall Season
Keeping America Beautiful
NOLS Instructor Molly Absolon reflects on the evolution of environmentalism in the U.S., calling for a renewal of the energy and commitment of the 1970s.
What It Means to Leave No Trace
Journalist Shikha Tripathi reflects on the Leave No Trace principles she learned on her 2016 NOLS India Trip Leader course.
