NOLS Blog
Case Study: Dental Emergency while Rafting
The Setting You are on day three of a 4-day rafting trip on the Rogue River in Oregon. The trip has been incredible so far. Great rapids, beautiful scenery, skies full of stars, and endless cups of hot cocoa. You’re almost to your campsite on day three, but have one more rapid to go. At…
Case Study: Sea Kayaking Slip
Oscar Manguy The Setting You are enjoying an amazing day of paddling on Prince William Sound in Alaska. ...
Gap Year Pros and Cons: Solo vs. Group
Taking a gap year can be a transformative experience that expands your horizons, fosters personal growth, and unlocks ...
Trip Report: Inaugural NOLS Alumni Climbing Trip In Greece
In May of 2025, the Inaugural NOLS Alumni Greece Climbing Trip traveled to the Greek island of Kalymnos, one of the most famous climbing destinations in the world. Our small but mighty group of alumni and NOLS instructors climbed, swam, staged breathtaking photo shoots, practiced climbing skills, visited nearby islands, sampled the best spinach pies…
Exploring the World and Finding Yourself: The Power of a Gap Year After High School
Discover the power of taking a gap year after high school—adventure, cultural immersion, and self-reflection highlight this transformative experience.
Case Study: Embedded Tick while Backpacking
Photo by Eva Darron The setting You’re on day 6 of a week-long backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail in New York. The last few days have been beautiful, and you’re so glad to be enjoying this time outside. You and your friends decide it’s time for a break, so you sit down to enjoy…
Instructor Spotlight: Caeden Greene
A NOLS experience can truly be a transformative experience for a young person’s life, and that was certainly the case for field instructor Caeden Greene. In high school, Caeden embarked on a 30-day Waddington Range Mountaineering Expedition (WAD), long known as one of NOLS’ most rigorous courses. The WAD expedition had such a profound effect…
Case Study: Jellyfish Sting in Paradise
Photo by Molly Hagbrand The setting You and your friend are enjoying some early morning sunshine and perfect waves while surfing on the Pacific Ocean. While waiting for the next break, you are sitting on your surfboard taking in the beautiful scenery when you hear your friend shriek. You ask what’s going on and they yell,…
Through the Diamond Heart of Brazil: Our Next Alumni Adventure!
Lush valleys, waterfalls, ancient ruins, and diamonds can all be found in Brazil’s Chapada Diamantina National Park, the backdrop for one of NOLS’ newest alumni trips. Murilo Bellese and Moaci Dantas, the trip’s primary architects, share a little more about the trip and what makes it special. Looking out over Chapada Diamantina National Park. Photo…
Camping Recipe: 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Truffles
Chocolate and peanut butter—what's not to love? Here's a quick and tasty dessert to try on your next adventure.
10 Useful Wilderness Medicine Posts To Read Before Your Next Adventure
Check out these blog posts to get a refresher on key first aid topics before heading out on your next outdoor trip.
Tolerance for Uncertainty & Adversity
NOLS grad Carolyn Highland reflects on how learning tolerance for adversity on an outdoor semester in New Zealand translates to challenges at home.
When Your Teammate Becomes Your Patient: My First Aid Training in Action
A NOLS Wilderness First Aid grad shares the story of how his first aid training helped him when a friend was injured in a mountain biking accident.
Why Humans Need Wild Country
For us as a society, wild country gives us a place to wander in, to dream about, to disconnect, to live out our adventures in.
Looking Within, Stepping Forward
52 years after its founding, NOLS reflects on its foundational values and the relevance of its leadership curriculum then and now.
Our 10 Favorite Books about Leadership by Women
Check out top staff picks featuring leadership books by inspiring female authors.
How to Connect Leave No Trace to Your Daily Life
The 7 Leave No Trace principles aren't just for camping. Here are some ways you can apply them at home as well as outdoors.
My Trials and Triumphs Mountaineering in the Himalaya
NOLS grad Haley Peel found the challenge she was looking for on a mountaineering course in India—and learned some lasting lessons along the way.
The Big Picture: How I Found My Grit on a Semester in Baja
A NOLS alum reflects on the life-changing experiences he had while hiking, kayaking, and sailing on a semester in Baja California, Mexico.
Vulnerabilities into Empowerment: What Alaska Meant to Me
A first-generation college student reflects on what she learned on a NOLS sea kayaking expedition for STEP students in Alaska.
