NOLS Blog
Knee Injury While Cross-Country Skiing
The Setting You are cross-country skiing with four of your friends on a beautiful December day. The sun is shining, the temperature is a balmy 25℉, and you’re enjoying feeling the wind against your cheeks as you ski. You are roughly 3 miles into your 6-mile loop. Your moment of enjoyment is broken when, out…
Epistaxis on a Llama Packing Trip
Photo by Nick Springer The Setting It’s day two of a guided family llama packing trip deep in ...
Medicine in Orbit
Space, some say, is the final frontier. For N. Stuart Harris, M.D., M.F.A., Massachusetts General Hospital Emergency Department ...
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.
Paul Petzold, the U.S. Army, and NOLS
Paul Petzoldt was 36 years old in 1943 when he joined the U.S. Army’s prestigious 10th Mountain Division, an elite group of soldiers who were trained for alpine warfare. Already decades into his career, the future founder of NOLS had worked a slew of jobs, including farmer, waiter, and used car salesman. He was best…
How to Make Hash Browns with Cheese
Hash browns have a well-deserved reputation as a delicious breakfast treat, but this cheesy version is great for lunch or dinner too—and that’s before you add nuggets of ham or bacon and a few shakes of hot sauce into the mix! This recipe requires a little forethought—both the hash browns and dried onions benefit from…
NOLS Picante Sauce
Picante perks up almost any savory recipe—try it on eggs, beans, in soups and coupled with anything on a tortilla. This, our favorite picante recipe, can be made with a little tomato base and a well-stocked spice kit, but don’t shy away from adding your own favorites! NOLS Picante Sauce (makes about 1 cup) 1…
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…
Your Favorite Stories from 2017
We hope you enjoy taking a look back at the seven most-read stories from 2017.
From the Office to the Wild: How I Became a Naturalist
Adventuring in nature has the ability to open our hearts and interpretive learning opens our minds.
Leaving a Legacy: Learning and Leading Risk Management Collaboration and Dialogue in Seoul
Director of Teaching and Learning at the Korea International School (KIS) talks about lessons learned from a risk management training.
Case Study: How to Manage Frostbite
Test how you would respond to possible frostbite with this wilderness medicine case study.
55 and Climbing
I had registered for the women's climbing course for many reasons, but my essential motive was to be in a positive, supportive, and encouraging environment.
9 Wilderness Medicine Jobs You Can Get With A Wilderness Medicine Certification
Check out the top 9 wilderness medicine jobs you can score with a wilderness medicine certification.
Enhancing Student Experience and Inclusion through Risk Management
Cal Poly recreation and adventure education staff talk about how risk management adds perspective and growth for their students and programs.
Transform Your Backcountry Cooking with the New NOLS Cookery
To help students learn about backcountry cooking, we started collecting recipes and published the first cookery in 1974. The 7th edition comes out this year.
A Letter to My Future Self
Carolyn shares the letter she wrote to herself on a one-night solo near the end of her Semester in New Zealand.
Embracing Acceptable Risk in the Non-Traditional Classroom: Marin Academy & the WRMC
NOLS caught up with Marin Academy Director of Outings Julie Barnes to find out why she values risk taking, risk management, and wilderness-based education.
Q&A with a NOLS Parent
Parent Shelli Johnson writes about what it was like for her son to go on a 30-day NOLS course
Quiz: Winter Injury and Illness
Do you know how to help with first aid for winter injuries and illnesses?
