Spend a full semester learning outdoor skills—from river rafting to rock climbing—as you grow as a leader. You’ll gain valuable certifications and spend 87 days with a group of motivated peers exploring some of the country’s most beautiful wilderness areas.

Your semester consists of four different outdoor activities (backpacking, rock climbing, river travel, canyon travel, or winter backcountry skiing) and a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification from NOLS Wilderness Medicine. You’ll start with the 10-day WFR, learning to make critical medical and evacuation decisions in remote locations through classroom case studies and outdoor clinics.

Photo credit: Karly Gutermuth

From there, you’ll rotate through four sections. The winter section (11-15 days) takes place in Wyoming’s mountain ranges, where you’ll learn backcountry skiing and in-depth avalanche education while building elaborate snow shelters. The canyons section (17-21 days) takes you through the unique canyon country of the Colorado Plateau in southern Utah, where you’ll walk canyon bottoms, navigate mesa tops, and scout routes in and out while minimizing your impact in an area where soil is fragile. The river section (16-20 days) explores the Green and San Juan Rivers through deeply incised canyons, where you’ll see ancient petroglyphs as you learn to run rapids, rig crafts, perform eddy turns and ferries. Rock climbing (15-20 days) takes place at world-class crags of the Mountain West, progressing from basic movement and belaying to placing protection, building anchors, and managing rope systems.

Photo credit: Eric Page

Weather in the mountains is unpredictable—you’ll learn to live comfortably outside in blizzards, rainstorms, and high winds. As you demonstrate competence, you may travel in student-led groups, culminating in a multi-day independent expedition where you navigate with minimal instructor support.

You’ll return with technical skills, certifications, and friendships built through challenges in the backcountry.