NOLS Blog
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…
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 ...
Case Study: Dental Emergency while RaftingÂ
Photo by Anvesh Thapa The Setting You are on day three of a 4-day rafting trip on the ...
Case Study: Sea Kayaking SlipÂ
A fall partway through a sea kayak trip deep in the wilderness poses unique issues. How do you apply your wilderness medicine skills to this incident?
Gap Year Pros and Cons: Solo vs. Group
Explore the gap year pros and cons of solo vs. group programs to find the right balance for you between independence and shared experiences.
Trip Report: Inaugural NOLS Alumni Climbing Trip In Greece
In May of 2025, the Inaugural NOLS Alumni Greece Climbing Trip traveled to the Greek island of Kalymnos, one of the most famous climbing destinations in the world. Our small but mighty group of alumni and NOLS instructors climbed, swam, staged breathtaking photo shoots, practiced climbing skills, visited nearby islands, sampled the best spinach pies…
Exploring the World and Finding Yourself: The Power of a Gap Year After High School
Discover the power of taking a gap year after high school—adventure, cultural immersion, and self-reflection highlight this transformative experience.
Case Study: Embedded Tick while Backpacking
In the Appalachian Mountains of New York you friend notices that they have an engorged tick on their leg. How would you apply your wilderness medicine skills in this scenario?
Instructor Spotlight: Caeden Greene
A NOLS experience can truly be a transformative experience for a young person’s life, and that was certainly the case for field instructor Caeden Greene. In high school, Caeden embarked on a 30-day Waddington Range Mountaineering Expedition (WAD), long known as one of NOLS’ most rigorous courses. The WAD expedition had such a profound effect…
NOLS and Saybrook University Pioneer Innovative New Master’s Program
NOLS and Saybrook University have partnered to launch a new Master’s in Leadership program that combines online study and outdoor education. A 32-credit, three-semester program beginning in January 2019, the NOLS Saybrook MA in Leadership includes three wilderness expeditions led by NOLS.
James Mills Receives Paul K. Petzoldt Award for The Adventure Gap book
The Wilderness Education Association gave James Mills the Paul K. Petzoldt Leadership Award at the 2016 International Conference on Outdoor Leadership.
The Ultimate Gifts for the Daring Adventurer
See gift ideas for the adventurer in your life, including a NOLS expedition.
Honors Business Students Share Reflections on Wilderness Expedition
Students from the University of Texas’ Canfield Business Honors Program (BHP) reflect on an eight-day backpacking expedition with NOLS in January 2019.
ESF: SEO Steers NYC Student to Conservation Biology
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Scholars. Taste for adventure sent him to the Talkeetna Mountains in Alaska for a 30-day backpacking trip with the National Outdoor Leadership School and helped guide him into an internship with the Nature Conservancy.
The Gap Year Trend: What, Why and How?
One option through NOLS is a semester in the Rocky Mountains including backpacking, mountaineering, winter camping, wilderness medicine, rafting, etc.
Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor Inspired by NOLS Course
David Zuckerman, Vermont’s lieutenant governor, took a NOLS sea kayaking course in Alaska shortly after the Exxon Valdez ran aground, an experience that solidified his commitment to tackling environmental issues.
Finding Refuge in the Wild
A part of Colorado’s growing refugee population, Muna Oweidat recently went backpacking for the first time on a NOLS expedition for MBA students.
4 Spring Break Trips You Haven’t Considered
Choose a different kind of spring break this year. Forget the touristy beaches and overcrowded ski resorts and dive into a real outdoor adventure!
The Engineer, His Camera and an Alaskan Love Affair: Part Two
The Engineer, His Camera and an Alaskan Love Affair: Part Two
