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…
Peter Roy Named Chairman of the National Outdoor Leadership School
Peter Roy Named Chairman of the National Outdoor Leadership School
Adventure Collection Welcomes NOLS as the First Educational Member
Adventure Collection Welcomes NOLS as the First Educational Member
New Arrival in the NOLS International Headquarters Building
New Arrival in the NOLS International Headquarters Building
WRMC Announces Charles (Reb) Gregg Award Recipient
WRMC Announces Charles (Reb) Gregg Award Recipient
NOLS Honors Exemplary Land Managers from the National Park Service
NOLS Honors Exemplary Land Managers from the National Park Service
Hughes Marino: Surviving and Thriving
I was on a course called Executive Leadership Expedition, or ELLE. The course has been developed by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and championed by Bob Schoultz, NOLS Instructor, Navy Seal and leadership guru
Grown & Flown: N Phone Calls, No Emails, No Texts
That’s when it hit me: how good it was that we couldn’t connect; that a single phone call or text from me might have undermined the most important part of what he was doing.
My Suburban Life: Life-changing Wilderness Expedition
A three-month wilderness expedition through the Rocky Mountains with National Outdoor Leadership School gave Hellwig focus.
Army and Navy Academy: Cadet Completes NOLS Course
Cadet recently completed a 30-day National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Course in Alaska. The course is designed to develop leadership and ethics while also teaching technical outdoor skills, like map reading and how to exit from a wet kayak
Trail Lovin’: NOLS Pacific Northwest Trip Leader Seminar Overview
Reflections on my own personal outdoor adventure: a 9-day backpacking course with NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School)
