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…
Branksome Hall Students Build Character and Climb Mountains with NOLS
During their 2018 summer break, two rising seniors at Branksome Hall girls’ school received scholarships to fund NOLS expeditions of their choice, returning home with newfound leadership skills.
Winterline Students Reflect on Their NOLS Experience
Winterline gap year students share reflections on an eight-day NOLS expedition spent backpacking through Gila National Forest in September 2018.
NOLS Med Kit Rated Top Gift for Outdoorsy Friends
The NOLS Med Kit 4.0 makes the short list of a former park ranger’s recommended gifts for outdoorsy friends. Like wool socks, a good light, and water filtration device, a NOLS med kit is a must-have for backcountry trips.
NOLS Rocky Mountain Assistant Director Comments on the Value of Wyoming’s Wilderness Study Areas
In a conversation with Wyoming Public Media after three Wyoming counties opted out of a collaborative land management process, NOLS Rocky Mountain Assistant Director Andy Blair commented that lifting protections on wilderness study areas will negatively impact student experiences.
Clare Dallat Receives the WRMC’s 2018 Charles (Reb) Gregg Award
At the October 2018 Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC) in Portland, Oregon, Clare Dallat received the Charles (Reb) Gregg Award for her contributions to risk management in the outdoor industry.
Jessica Wahl Receives 2018 NOLS Stewardship Award
Jessica Wahl, Government Affairs Manager for the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), received the 2018 NOLS Stewardship Award in recognition of her commitment to environmental stewardship and involvement in the permitting process for public lands.
Ride the Wind: Szu-Ting Yi’s Wind River Traverse
In an article for Alpinist, former NOLS instructor Szu-ting Yi reflects on her 2017 traverse of Wyoming’s Wind River Range. She and her husband, Dave Anderson, climbed 33 peaks in the Winds over the course of 20 days despite challenging conditions.
NOLS Horsepacking in Wyoming’s Red Desert Threatened by Oil and Gas Development
September 20, 2018 press release from NOLS regarding the recent Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decision to move forward with an oil and gas lease sale in Wyoming's Red Desert, a key operating area for NOLS horsepacking courses.
How to Raise an Adventurer
A climber, alpinist, skier, photographer, filmmaker, and former NOLS instructor, Jimmy Chin believes adventure in the outdoors is key to successful parenting.
The Top 10 Hiking Illnesses and Injuries
Backpacker magazine consults NOLS Wilderness Medicine Curriculum Director Tod Schimpelfenig on how to prevent and treat the top 10 hiking injuries and illnesses identified in the NOLS database of medical incidents.
Freezer Bags: The Secret to Eating Well While Backpacking
Popular Science consults NOLS Rocky Mountain Rations Manager Claudia Pearson on how to prepare the best freezer bag meals for backcountry camping.
Building a Proper First Aid Kit
Outside Online looks to NOLS Wilderness Medicine for some tips on how to build a well-stocked first aid kit, starting with knowing how to use the supplies you packed.
