NOLS Blog
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
Photo by Kirk Rasmussen The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the ...
Rothberg-Birdwhistel Expedition Fund: Panchachuli III Peak Climb
Team selfie. In May 2025, Bharat Bhushan, Prerna Dangi, and I took on a challenge to climb Panchachuli ...
Case Study: Non-Freezing Cold Injury on a Canoe Trip
The Setting You are leading an early-season canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s mid-May, and while the days are mild, the water is still very cold. Travel involves frequent portaging and wading in and out of the canoe to load and unload gear. Despite good effort, everyone’s feet have been wet…
Lou Gordon: Three Decades of Influence
Louise “Lou” Gordon’s office in the Wilderness Medicine wing of NOLS Headquarters is tucked into the perpendicular intersection of two banks of offices, in the center of the activity but quiet and a little reserved. Like Lou herself.
After more than 30 years, the last 6 1/2 as NOLS Wilderness Medicine’s Wilderness EMT Supervisor, Lou is cleaning and packing up her office in preparation for her retirement. Her last day is May 1.
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…
Virtual Sea Kayaking – Alaska through a NOLS Student’s Lens
Virtual Sea Kayaking - Alaska through a NOLS Student's Lens
Case Study: A Freezing Snowmobile Ride
Do you know how to prevent, recognize, and treat a non-freezing cold injury (NFCI)? Test your wilderness medicine skills with this case study.
Announcing New Expeditions for Summer 2020
Check out our seven new expeditions for summer 2020 and start planning your next adventure!
How To Build a Winter Snow Shelter
Excited to go winter camping? These pro tips and instructions teach you how to build a quinzhee shelter out of snow instead of using a tent.
Celebrating NOLS in the New Year
NOLS welcomes new president, and celebrates Paul Petzoldt's 112th birthday, our 55th anniversary, and 50th anniversary of 30 Days of Survival documentary.
A Can of Calm: Applying Wilderness Medicine in Disaster Zones
NOLS Wilderness First Responder trainings aren't just for outdoor enthusiasts—they're also great prep for humanitarian work in disaster zones.
NOLS Awards Close to $2M in Need-Based Scholarships This Year
In 2019, NOLS awarded more than $1.9 million in need-based scholarships to over 900 students participating in wilderness expeditions and wilderness medicine courses.
2019 Holiday Gift Guide
Searching for the perfect gift for an outdoorsy friend but not sure what to get? Check out our 2019 holiday gift guide!
Camping Recipe: How to Make a Backcountry Pie
What's a meal without dessert? Satisfy your sweet tooth and show off your backcountry cooking skills with this tasty fruit pie recipe from NOLS Cookery.
Thankful for Wilderness Medicine
Audrey Goral took a NOLS WFA thinking she would only use the skills for a sprained ankle. She never expected to use the skills on her twin in an emergency.
