Take time to sharpen your sense of self and your sense of direction. Navigate ocean channels and group dynamics. Build your outdoor skills and your leadership skills. Learn deeply about the world’s cultures and yourself. Grow with and from the best. Take time for your future on a NOLS wilderness semester.

With the academic credit you’ll receive and opportunities for scholarships and other financial aid, there’s nothing stopping you from stepping forward and taking your education to the next level with NOLS.

Leave the ordinary behind on the Semester in Patagonia. Climb the mountains and paddle the fjords. Taste the cold wind of the Andes on your face. Breathe in the smell of mate while passing by a poblador’s ranch.

On this course, you’ll go mountaineering and sea kayaking in the Andes and coastal regions of Chile and earn an industry-respected Wilderness First Aid certification. You’ll start with the basics and work towards more advanced skills so that you can work toward being totally self-sufficient in the backcountry. As you travel through these remote places, you’ll learn about the area’s natural history and meet members of the ranching communities that make Patagonia home.

You’ll finish this course as someone ready to be a thoughtful international traveler, wilderness explorer, and leader in your community.