As a NOLS instructor and having climbed extensively in the Cascades, the Wind River range, and Tetons, I was feeling ready to step up my personal climbing to some bigger ranges. My experience as a NOLS instructor became invaluable on this expedition both as we made challenging decisions in hazardous terrain and kept strong expedition…

Lauren Wong is an experiential educator that has blended the worlds of higher education, outdoor education, and QTBIPOC community organizing. Her expertise is in creating unique leadership experiences that are socially conscious and foster curiosity for self and others. Lauren is a recent graduate of The University of San Diego’s Higher Education Leadership program, where…

Sarah is a Wyoming native, Wilderness First Responder graduate, and former marketing coordinator for NOLS Wilderness Medicine. When she’s offline she enjoys running, singing and playing guitar, and playing in the mountains

The Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC) unites hundreds of organizations annually to educate wilderness practitioners on practical risk management skills. Hosted by NOLS, in collaboration with legacy partners Outward Bound and the Student Conservation Association, its core objective is to offer an outstanding educational experience that helps mitigate the risks inherent in exploring, working, teaching,…

Kim is a Wind River Wilderness and Wilderness First Responder graduate who works as the NOLS Writer and PR Specialist. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, warm yoga, and drinking lots of coffee!

Stephanie Cantu is the Senior Student Program Coordinator and an academic advisor for the Canfield Business Honors Program at The University of Texas at Austin. As a native Austinite, she fills her days with running, yoga, and discovering the best breakfast taco.

Katiya graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point with a B.S. in Environmental Education and Interpretation. She has worked for City Kids Wilderness Project and Experience Learning Inc. Katiya is an ultra runner and in her free time can be found running and frolicking around trails in the backcountry. She is now part of…

Cristina is a NOLS instructor. She’s one of seven siblings, a Libra, and an overplanner. She enjoys baking box cakes, training her dog, and reading graphic novels.

Tess is a 2018 Wilderness First Aid (WFA) graduate. She and her adventure partner, Ben, have trekked the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. When she’s not on a trail or rappelling into slot canyons, she runs her own creative business as a yoga instructor, artist, and writer.

Shelli Johnson is an entrepreneur, life and leadership coach, leadership development facilitator, keynote presenter, writer, personal trainer and adventure guide. She is also a NOLS graduate and a certified Wilderness First Responder. Her current business, which she views more as a movement than a business, is Epic Life, at YourEpicLife.com. She coaches leaders from throughout…

Stéphane Terrier is a four-time NOLS alumni from Switzerland, having taken his courses in Alaska and the Yukon. He recently finished a PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and is now working as a civil engineer. During his free time, he seeks adventure while hiking, climbing and skiing in the…

Taylor was the alumni intern at NOLS World Headquarters for summer 2017. She can usually be spotted paddling a river, skiing the slopes, sipping coffee, or on the hunt for the best breakfast.

Ben has been a proud NOLS instructor for over a decade. Though he now works on conservation issues as a lawyer, continuing to teach wilderness medicine remains one of the great rewards of his professional life.

Haley is a clinical pharmacy manager who enjoys mountaineering and competing in triathlons. She believes getting outside her comfort zone is a means for growth and self discovery.

Brooke is preparing to take a gap year, starting with the NOLS Patagonia Coastal Expedition.

Maya Johnston is currently at the University of Maryland studying film and screenwriting. She is an avid lover of the outdoors and is still keeping in touch with her NOLS comrades. This upcoming summer will be her second season working with the Maryland Conservation Corps.

Erin Sullivan is a writer, producer and NOLS alum based in Colorado. After traveling and leading adventure trips for five years, Erin made Colorado her home base. She currently writes on her blog, Erin Outdoors (erinoutdoors.com), and works on Born Wild (bornwildproject.com), a film project focused on educating and inspiring families to get outside. You…

Annalise is a hiking fanatic and avid cloud-watcher. She is an alumna of NOLS Himalaya Backpacking Spring 2013 and was a Curriculum and Publications intern at NOLS. Her passions include cross country skiing, baking, trail running, backpacking, and calculating hiking times. She has taken several friends up their first 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado and…

Rianna has been a NOLS instructor since 2018, focused mostly on whitewater canoeing. She also works as a canoe guide and Instructor trainer with MHO Adventures leading their River Roots Program, as well as teaching river rescue with Boreal River Rescue. She lives on the Ottawa River in Ontario, Canada. She spends her days kayaking…

Originally from Arizona, Nate is a senior at Whitworth University in Spokane, WA. When he’s not studying for his degree in Computer Science, he’s busy climbing in the Cascades of central Washington and ski touring in the Selkirk Range of northern Idaho. He’s currently studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, where he’s on the hunt for…

Kimberly is a geologist/geospatial analyst. She loves hiking, backpacking, trail running, photography, planning future trips, and cuddling with her cats. She hopes to achieve the triple crown of hiking, but it’s a work in progress.

Rich Brame came to NOLS in the 80’s as a Fall Semester in the Rockies student and worked his first NOLS course at Wind Cave National Park in 1984. Since then, he’s worked varied NOLS trips and courses on five continents—with a few more on the way. Rich does some frontcountry shenanigans for NOLS, too.…

Eric Johnson writes and teaches in South Dakota, a state with very little whitewater, so he drags his wife and three children to the Mountain West. They love it—mostly.

Kate Dernocoeur is a journalist, non-fiction writer and two-times NOLS alumni. Find her writing at katedernocoeur.com