NOLS Blog
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
Two people paddle a canoe on a calm river. Photo by Craig Muderlak The Setting You are leading ...
Lou Gordon: Three Decades of Influence
Lou Gordon. Photo courtesy Lou Gordon Louise “Lou” Gordon’s office in the Wilderness Medicine wing of NOLS Headquarters ...
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…
Connection, Resilience, and Dal Bhat: Manaslu Circuit Alumni Trip 2025
In November 2025, five gentlemen, one lady, three guides, and three support staff met in Kathmandu in preparation for a two-week NOLS alumni trek on the Manaslu Circuit in Nepal. Although we were all strangers coming from different parts of the world, our shared excitement for setting foot in the Himalayas was palpable. During those…
Best Summer Programs for Teens: Outdoor Adventures That Build Leaders
Most teens will spend this summer doing something fun, but maybe not so meaningful. Not because they lack ambition, but because the summer camps available to them were designed to center around fun, rather than building long-lasting skills. The difference between a summer that fades and one that becomes a reference point — something your…
Case Study: Motion Sickness on a Surf and Dive Trip in Oahu, Hawaii
The Setting You’re leading a small group on a combined surf and introductory scuba trip on Oahu. The group is staying on the North Shore and driving early in the morning to a south shore harbor to meet the dive boat. The coastal road is narrow, hilly, and full of tight curves. Several group members…
The Leadership Project: Self Awareness
NOLS Instructor Andy Notopoulos talks about the leadership skill self awareness. Subscribe to the NOLSie News to follow along our series exploring the 7 NOLS leadership skills.
The Leadership Project: Expedition Behavior
NOLS Instructor Molly Herber talks about the power and simplicity of the leadership skill expedition behavior as part of our series The Leadership Project
Case Study: An Undefined Rash
When symptoms are hard to define, the skills of decision-making and problem solving become more important. Test what you know in this case study!
NOLS Wilderness Medicine Courses to Reopen in July 2020
After months of planning, NOLS Wilderness Medicine will start running courses for the first time since suspending courses in March due to the global pandemic .
How NOLS Is Reopening Courses Responsibly in the Field
Through careful planning and preparation to mitigate risks of COVID-19, we will be able to welcome students for select courses this summer.
Growing Access to the Outdoors
Enjoy stories from NOLS alumni and partner organizations focused on increasing outdoor access
Case Study: Cold Injuries on a Hike
Do you know how to prevent, recognize, and treat a non-freezing cold injury (NFCI)? Test your wilderness medicine skills with this case study.
The Leader: Spring 2020 Digital Edition
We're sharing our first ever digital-only publication of The Leader alumni magazine for Spring 2020
How to Communicate with Emergency Services Using a SOAP Note
Knowing the SOAP note steps can help communicate accurate information to providers, which is especially useful now that more providers prefer a phone call before coming in with an ailment or injury
Our Human Expedition: Stories of Courage in Uncertainty
We are committed to highlighting the inspirational and brave work of those in the NOLS community serving others in need during this crisis
Quiz: What’s Your Leadership Style?
Everyone has their own signature leadership style—but where do you find yourself most?
Wilderness Medicine for Summer Runners
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.
