Summit the Rockies: 19 Days of Climbing and Challenge

Ready to develop your climbing skills and earn high school or college credit in the Rocky Mountains? This 19-day NOLS course offers hands-on training and expert instruction to help you grow as a climber and leader. Alongside friends and instructors, you’ll embark on a true wilderness adventure — summiting bright white limestone, scaling the quartz and granite of Vedauwoo or Sinks Canyon, and taking in sweeping views over spruce-covered terrain.

Find Your Edge in the Rockies

This isn’t just another rock-climbing course — it’s a transformative experience in an epic and wild landscape that will elevate your skills and push your limits. The Rocky Mountain West is home to a range of remarkable species. Screech owls return from their night’s hunt, a flutter of soft gray and peregrine falcons have spotted bellies and prey clutched in their talons. The hum of cicadas bounces off canyon walls in echoing vibrations. This ecosystem is arid and harmonious. Even the somber stone seems to breathe. This is terrain that demands the utmost awe.

You’ll learn the stone intimately, as climbing in these environments offers an exciting challenge. Your expert instructors will guide you through climbing ethics, placing protection, anchor building, mock lead climbing, and — depending on the course and instructor — vertical self-rescue techniques. As you confront diverse climbing routes, you’ll develop the technical expertise to handle any climb while honing leadership skills that extend well beyond the cliff face.

Level Up Your Goals

NOLS helps you build important skills like resilience, leadership, adaptability, and teamwork — qualities that go beyond climbing. These skills prepare you for future jobs, make your college applications and essays stand out, and help you handle challenges in school and life with confidence. Whether you’re working with a team on a climb or facing new situations, NOLS gives you real-world experience that shapes who you are and sets you up for success.

By completing this course, you’ll join a global community of spirited adventurers, outdoor leaders, and professionals. You’ll take the lessons learned in the wild — and the fun and camaraderie shared along the way — and apply them to whatever path lies ahead. You’ll rise to meet your goals just as you rise to the rock itself.