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…
Stay or Go? Making Evacuation Decisions [Infographic]
How do you make decisions about evacuating a patient from the wilderness?
NOLS Instructor Expeditions of 2017
Check out a collection of stories from some of the expeditions and trainings instructors pursued in 2017 to continue growing as leaders and educators.
Snakebites: Myth vs. Reality
Don't believe everything you see in the movies! Get the real scoop on common myths about treating snakebites from NOLS Wilderness Medicine.
Shock: What Causes It and What To Do
The term shock gets tossed around frequently, but what does it actually refer to in medical terms and how should you respond?
What I Learned About Resilience from Swimming an Icy Canyon Pond
NOLS grad Maddy Eschholz reflects on the transferrable lessons she brought home from her outdoor semester in the Rockies.
How to Pack Your Backpack [Video]
Get ready for your next trip with these tips on how to pack your backpack.
Opinion | Breaking the Habits of Technology
Kathryn Wheeler reflects on the role of technology in our daily lives and offers advice on how to truly unplug.
Lessons from the Alpine Pass: Columbia Business School Student Goes to Chile
A Columbia Business School student shares the lessons he took home from a challenging backpacking expedition in Patagonia with NOLS.
Quiz: Bites and Envenomation
Do you know how to recognize and treat bites from fire ants, scorpions, snakes, spiders, and ticks? Test you knowledge with this quiz.
5 Ways Expedition Behavior Helps You Raise Kids
A NOLS grad, writer, and mother of two, Alyssa Walker reflects on how the expedition behavior she learned in Alaska applies to parenting.
NOLS Sponsors Women’s-Only Southern Alps Traverse
In November 2017, climber Inga Booiman and three friends set out on 25-day "Girls Southern Traverse" in the mountains of New Zealand, funded in part by a NOLS grant.
