NOLS Blog
Love and EB: a NOLS Valentine Story
Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, is the one day on the calendar dedicated solely to love and connection. It conjures up cards and gifts, candy and flowers, time spent together, and—in some circles—questions about relationships’ origin stories. At NOLS, I learned when I sat down with a few couples, more than a few romantic partnerships begin…
Outdoor Leadership Programs for High School Students: Why Wilderness Matters
Parents searching for summer opportunities face an overwhelming marketplace of camps, programs, and experiences. Sports camps, academic enrichment, ...
Why Teens Need Leadership Skills: A Guide for Parents
Every parent wants their teenager to succeed—good grades, college acceptance, a fulfilling career. But there's something that predicts ...
Ship’s Log: Sailing in Greece’s Ionian Sea Alumni Trip
After a few days of moderate winds, good introductory sailing and island exploring while making our way to the north coast of Kerkyra along the southern border of Albania, a change in the weather was on the horizon. With the forecast in mind, we tucked into the protected harbor of Gouvia just north of Old…
Teen Gap Year Programs: Adventure-Based Options for Before College
The traditional path says: graduate high school, start college immediately, don’t look back. But a growing number of families and college admissions advisors are questioning this formula—and discovering that what looks like a detour often becomes the most valuable part of the journey. Gap year programs for teens have moved from the fringe to the…
Best Backpacking Trips for Teens: Wilderness Adventures That Build Character
Something happens when a teenager shoulders a pack, leaves cell service behind, and walks into the wilderness. Something that organized sports, academic programs, and traditional summer camps—though these experiences have their benefits—simply cannot replicate. Backpacking trips for teens offer more than adventure. They offer transformation. And for parents searching for experiences that genuinely change their…
Leadership Programs for High School Students: What Parents Need to Know
Your teenager stands at a pivotal moment. The skills they develop now—how they handle challenges, work with others, and step up when it matters—will shape their path through college, careers, and life. But here’s what many parents discover too late: traditional classroom settings rarely build the kind of leadership that matters in the real world.…
The Poley-Poley: A Chronicle in the Himalayas
It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop. —Confucius The air was thick. My strides were slow and purposeful, careful not to disrupt the group’s cadence. The thrill of spotting Everest Base Camp, still two hours away, motivated me to maintain the syncopated rhythm of deep breathing. Hypoxia…
Case Study: Injury on the Grand Canyon
The Setting You’re on day 12 of a 21-day Grand Canyon expedition, enjoying a well deserved stretch of flat water, staring at the canyon walls and not paying attention to what’s downstream. While enjoying the last of your morning coffee, you hear someone cry out from a nearby raft. You look over and see a…
James Edward Mills talks about why the face of outdoor adventure must change
Through the course of my conversations with different organizations, I interviewed the very first Director of Diversity and Inclusion at NOLS.
Bridger-Teton National Forest Conserving 40,000 Acres in the Wyoming Range
Today the Bridger-Teton National Forest announced almost 40,000 acres in the Wyoming Range are not available for oil and gas development.
16 Questions with Wilderness Medic Dave Webber
Read this interview with Dave Weber, who has worked as a rescue technician, remote site medic and skills instructor for the last 15 years.
Our Public Lands Are More Than Easy Money
In the spring of 1991 I headed south to Utah to work my first canyon hiking course for the National Outdoor Leadership School.
Why You Must Try Mountaineering At Least Once In Your Life
If you want to give this activity a chance, be prepared to either hate it, or be consumed by it. Start with either taking a course at like NOLS.
NASA Sending First African-American Astronaut to International Space Station
The roster includes Jeanette Epps, the first African-American to be sent to the ISS. She is aNational Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) graduate.
First African-American Crewmember To Join The International Space Station
Jeanette Epps will be the first African-AmericancCrewmember to join the International Space Station. Epps is a NOLS graduate.
Teens in the backcountry
Mayers took a multi-week National Outdoor Leadership School backcountry skiing and winter camping course as well as a Wilderness First Responder course.
Ladakhi Women’s Welfare Network Founder Thinlas Chorol to Speak at Yale
Thinlas traveled to attend Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and then the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) where she became a credentialed guide.
Meet Thinlas Chorol: Mountaineer and more
She attended the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) where she became a credentialed guide. She returned to Ladakh to open Ladakhi Women Travel Company.
How Gap Years Can Prepare You For College: A Semester in Patagonia
After several months and many reiterations of the Common App passed, I decided to defer from Colorado College and apply for a semester in Patagonia with NOLS.
Yarn Registry – I am a Grand Canyon park ranger
I obtained wilderness first aid and CPR certifications. I did a NOLS course and a American Red Cross class before starting to work at the National Park Service.
