NOLS Blog
Case Study: Chest Injury with Fall
The Setting You are on a climbing trip in Red Rocks, Nevada. You’ve spent the last week dialing in your climbing, swapping beta with new friends at the crag and soaking up the desert sun. Today, you decide to take a break from long routes and focus on bouldering. You’re chalking up, eyeing a new…
Backpacking the Vilcabamba Valley to Machu Picchu Alumni Trip: Inaugural Trip Reflection
An Interview with Kellsie Forbes, NOLS Alumni Trips Manager Where did the idea to create an alumni trip ...
Alumni Spotlight: How my NOLS Course Impacted My Career
Almost exactly 10 years after coming to Alaska for the first time to take a NOLS course, Asa ...
The Wilderness Risk Management Conference: a Conference and a Community
An interview with Elyse Rylander, Wilderness Risk Management Steering Committee Chair The 33rd annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC) will be held this fall, October 20 – 22nd, in Portland, Oregon. If you haven’t attended yet, the WRMC was developed from the work of multiple outdoor programs who wanted to create a space to foster…
Case Study: Bear Spray in the Face
The Setting You are almost done with a 3-day backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountain Range of Wyoming with two of your friends. You only have a couple miles left to get back to the car, and you’re already dreaming of the cheeseburger and milkshake you’re going to have once back in town. Prior…
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
I first learned about the O Circuit in 2025, a year before I actually did it. My wife and I were in Patagonia on a Road Scholar trip. It started with a cruise through the Strait of Magellan and the Darwin Passage, followed by a few days in Torres del Paine National Park doing short…
Case Study: Heat Illness on an Early-Season Wildland Fire Assignment
The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the Deschutes National Forest during the early part of fire season. It’s one of the first assignments of the year, and while conditions aren’t extreme yet, temperatures have climbed into the mid-80s°F with full sun exposure on a south-facing slope. The crew…
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…
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.
Netflix Founder Says You Learn Leadership by Doing
Netflix co-founder and NOLS Board Chair Marc Randolph says the leadership experience he gained in the field as a NOLS student and instructor was the “single biggest contributor to my success as a businessperson.”
Why You Should Sleep Outdoors
NOLS Instructor and Financial Aid Counselor Cristina Edwards shares her thoughts on the benefits of sleeping outside.
Seeley Lake Student Funds Gap Year Working at Coffee Shop
He registered for a five-month course with NOLS. The Year in Patagonia course starts in Chile in October. Batchelder said this is exciting and very expensive.
TDA Cyclist Reflects on Expedition Behavior
Inspired by NASA astronauts who’ve completed NOLS leadership training, TDA cyclist Henry Gold reflects on how expedition behavior taught on NOLS courses applies to cycling tours.
Lessons from an Executive Leadership Expedition
Alison Wright, founder of The Cairn Project, reflects on the lessons she learned on a recent NOLS Executive Leadership Expedition in the Wind River Range.
