NOLS Blog
Case Study: Chest Injury with Fall
The Setting You are on a climbing trip in Red Rocks, Nevada. You’ve spent the last week dialing in your climbing, swapping beta with new friends at the crag and soaking up the desert sun. Today, you decide to take a break from long routes and focus on bouldering. You’re chalking up, eyeing a new…
Backpacking the Vilcabamba Valley to Machu Picchu Alumni Trip: Inaugural Trip Reflection
An Interview with Kellsie Forbes, NOLS Alumni Trips Manager Where did the idea to create an alumni trip ...
Alumni Spotlight: How my NOLS Course Impacted My Career
Almost exactly 10 years after coming to Alaska for the first time to take a NOLS course, Asa ...
The Wilderness Risk Management Conference: a Conference and a Community
An interview with Elyse Rylander, Wilderness Risk Management Steering Committee Chair The 33rd annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC) will be held this fall, October 20 – 22nd, in Portland, Oregon. If you haven’t attended yet, the WRMC was developed from the work of multiple outdoor programs who wanted to create a space to foster…
Case Study: Bear Spray in the Face
The Setting You are almost done with a 3-day backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountain Range of Wyoming with two of your friends. You only have a couple miles left to get back to the car, and you’re already dreaming of the cheeseburger and milkshake you’re going to have once back in town. Prior…
Case Study: Fishhooks
The Setting You’re on the first day of a twelve-day whitewater canoeing expedition down the Green River. Your group consists of fifteen students and four instructors. Everyone is paddling close together down a stretch of flat water practicing strokes, building skills, and getting to know one another. Spirits are high. People are laughing, chatting, and…
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
The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the Deschutes National Forest during the early part of fire season. It’s one of the first assignments of the year, and while conditions aren’t extreme yet, temperatures have climbed into the mid-80s°F with full sun exposure on a south-facing slope. The crew…
Rothberg-Birdwhistel Expedition Fund: Panchachuli III Peak Climb
In May 2025, Bharat Bhushan, Prerna Dangi, and I took on a challenge to climb Panchachuli III (6,349m), believed by local residents to remain unclimbed. We aimed to approach it via the northeast route through the Meola Glacier. Despite occasional visits by military and paramilitary personnel, there was no recorded mountaineering information or documented route…
Our 10 Favorite Books about Leadership by Women
Check out top staff picks featuring leadership books by inspiring female authors.
How to Connect Leave No Trace to Your Daily Life
The 7 Leave No Trace principles aren't just for camping. Here are some ways you can apply them at home as well as outdoors.
My Trials and Triumphs Mountaineering in the Himalaya
NOLS grad Haley Peel found the challenge she was looking for on a mountaineering course in India—and learned some lasting lessons along the way.
The Big Picture: How I Found My Grit on a Semester in Baja
A NOLS alum reflects on the life-changing experiences he had while hiking, kayaking, and sailing on a semester in Baja California, Mexico.
Vulnerabilities into Empowerment: What Alaska Meant to Me
A first-generation college student reflects on what she learned on a NOLS sea kayaking expedition for STEP students in Alaska.
Debunking 5 Myths about Gear
Keep these misconceptions in mind when you head to the store to purchase new outdoor gear.
Instructor Expedition: A Grand Canyon Trip with Friends
Four NOLS instructors share the experience of leading a group of friends and family on a rafting expedition in the Grand Canyon.
What to Do If You Get Sick While Camping
Get recommendations from NOLS Wilderness Medicine on how to deal with colds and flu-like symptoms in the backcountry.
Building and Rebuilding: What I Learned on an Alumni Service Trip
NOLS alumni of all ages come together to repair a bridge in the Adirondacks.
Getting Ready: Mental and Physical Prep for My Gap Year
Here's what one grad did to prepare for her gap year expedition in Patagonia with NOLS.
7 Ways to Make Coffee While Camping
Need coffee to function? Here are the seven best ways to make your favorite drink while you're out in the great outdoors.
Enjoying the Tiny Life
Get the scoop on what it's like to live in a tiny house—and why you might want to give it a try.
