Students use teamwork and their ever-growing navigational skills to determine their exact location.
Photo: Rainbow Weinstock
NOLS invented the outdoor semester, and this course is where it all began.
A Semester in the Rockies will take you on a wild West “tour de force” while giving you a complete set of skills to lead and teach in the backcountry, whether in the field of outdoor education or with your own friends and family.
Our grads are among the most well-rounded and self-sufficient backcountry travelers in the world. They can paddle a canoe down a class III rapid, make a quick medical decision miles from the nearest road, and navigate through winding slot canyons.
You’ll see some of the great American West’s most treasured spots, carving a telemark turn through the winter wilderness on one section and jamming your hands into cracks while climbing Devil’s Tower National Monument on the next.
Because the Rockies are a mecca for outdoor activities, this semester offers a variety of skill sets, allowing students to choose the combinations they prefer.
Each Semester in the Rockies is made up of three or four sections
offering different combinations of skills. Here’s
a glimpse at the skills you'll learn. See sidebar to learn more about the different sections within a semester.
Backpacking (summer and fall) Map reading, route finding, cooking, and Leave No Trace practices will become second nature as you travel through Wyoming’s Wind River or Absaroka ranges. Advanced topics covered on this section include fly-fishing, baking, off-trail navigation, GPS use, and environmental ethics.
Mountaineering (fall only) The rugged glacier-carved Wind River Range is the ideal environment for learning wilderness mountaineering. The climbing, belaying, and rappelling skills you’ll learn on this section will enable you to challenge yourself on technical peak ascents while honing other fundamental backcountry skills.
Winter
(fall and spring) The Rocky Mountains’ harsh and beautiful winter environment will create some of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of your semester. After breaking trail from camp to camp, you’ll “dig in,” building a snow shelter for you and your coursemates to camp in. Much time will also be devoted to practicing your telemark turn on backcountry slopes and assessing snow and avalanche conditions.
Rock Climbing
This fast-paced section takes place in some of the West’s most famous climbing areas, from Nevada’s Red Rocks to Idaho’s City of Rocks and the Needles in South Dakota. It begins with a foundation of skills such as bouldering, belaying, rappelling, knots, and climbing techniques. We’ll emphasize advanced topics such as anchor construction, direct aid, belay escapes, and gear selection. If you’re ready, there will also be opportunities to lead climb.
River Travel
This multi-day expedition through Utah’s scenic river canyons will introduce you to the fun and excitement of whitewater. Whether in a kayak, a canoe, an oar raft, or a paddle raft, you’ll learn to read the water, scout rapids, and execute maneuvers such as eddy-turns, peel-outs, and ferries. Depending on your craft, advanced skills such as surfing, playboating, raft captaining, and solo canoeing will also be taught and practiced on this very hands-on section.
Horsepacking
(spring) From NOLS’ Three Peaks Ranch at the base of the Wind River Range, you’ll learn and practice the skills needed to enjoy an extended horsepacking expedition. Four days at the ranch encompass saddling, riding, packing, and getting to know your horses, then you’ll embark on a two-week trip exploring Wyoming’s wilderness on horseback.
Canyon
(fall and spring) Developing and expanding your own leadership style and environmental ethics are the focus of this section, which culminates in a multi-day, student-led expedition. You’ll travel through the unmistakable red rock canyons of southern Utah where you’ll study Anasazi rock art and ruins, desert ecology, and land-use politics. Imagine yourself negotiating deep canyon pools and narrow slot passageways as you and your coursemates explore this stunning canyon country.
Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
(fall and spring) The Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS (WMI) presents this 16-hour section specific to wilderness emergencies. The course is the approved certification for the American Camping Association, the United States Forest Service, and many other governmental agencies and outdoor programs.
Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
(fall and spring) Offered by WMI of NOLS, this 80-hour section is for outdoor professionals and will give you the tools to make critical medical and evacuation decisions in remote settings.
