Program Reviews

HMI was an amazing experience that I grew a lot from. The friendships I made well on the expeditions were beautiful and intentional. I grew a lot from this experience and feel like a new person walking out. I learned how to support the community I was living with over the few months, and how to support myself. There are great leaders that teach you how to be even greater leaders. It teaches you how to come up with your own environmental ethic. The instructions we had on this trip could not and been better.

This was my second semester with the High Mountain Institute. Last semester I was with Trek. This semester I was with Traverse and this time around we explored a variety of outdoor activities. These activities included skiing, backpacking, rock climbing, and rafting. Along with a few exciting service projects. We travelled to Arizona, Utah, and Colorado this time and it was truly a blast. I would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in outdoor activities to participate in an HMI semester!

Spring Traverse was pretty packed with a lot of different things to do and places to go. The beginning backpacking expedition in the Kofa in Arizona was a fun introduction to getting to know what a lot of course would look like and getting to know the people I’d spend the next three months with. It’s nostalgic to look back on it now, as it was so tough in the moment yet now after the crazy yet fun things we did later—like ski expedition especially—it’s probably one of the breeziest times we had.

I had a great time on my spring gap program with HMI! I had never been on a backpacking trip before and thought it was a great introduction to spending extended time in the backcountry. The instructors were super enthusiastic and helpful and we saw beautiful parts of the United States. Additionally, I loved the diversity of actives we participated in including backcountry skiing, backpacking, rafting, and rock climbing. The trip is definitely physically demanding but I would recommend it for anyone who loves the outdoors.

Over the last 80 days I met people I will never forget and encountered challenges that helped me grow. So many moments I stood in awe of the places we traveled and wondered how I got so lucky.
Our students and staff skied, hiked, climbed, rafted, cooked, laughed, and so much more over the course of the semester. You never fully know what to expect on a course like this. This far exceeded my expectation. I feel like I learned so much and am ready to go into college with the tools I need to succeed.

Choosing to do HMI Fall Rock is the best thing I’ve ever done. You start with a backpacking trip in Colorado, then do climbing expeditions in Rifle, Indian Creek, and Moab, plus a canyon backpacking trip, before heading to Chile. In Chile there is a remote base camping expedition at a basalt mountain, and then lastly a more student lead trip at a trad and sport area. Sharing beautiful places and experiences with breathtakingly incredible students and instructors is amazing, but you also get to do that while rock climbing? You can’t find a better combination in my opinion. Need I say more than you get to learn trad climbing in Patagonia?

My gap semester at HMI was so wonderful! I did the trek program which is primarily backpacking.I met so many cool, kind, and supportive people. All of the instructors were super knowledgeable and helpful and taught me so much. It was really hard at some times but so rewarding and so worth it and I 100% recommend it. You definitely don’t need previous camping or backpacking experience to do this program. HMI does a great job with building towards independence. After this trip I’d feel super confident planning my own backpacking trip and I can’t wait to bring my family and friends on backpacking trips.

HMI gap was a great fit for me. I was looking for a program where we were backpacking a lot, so it was perfect. We started by doing a 2 week backpacking trip in Colorado, then an 8 day base camp in colorado, then a 16 day backpacking trip in Utah, and finally a month down in Patagonia, Chile. The instructors are all very driven and kind. HMI has well developed connections in all of these places, so it was easy to travel everywhere. I would highly recommend this program! The other people on the trip were of all backpacking levels and it worked well.

This program is the best for someone who enjoys being physically challenged, is curious about the outdoors, and is interested in environmental studies.

During my semester I was able to get more out of it than I thought I would. I learned more about myself and who I am. I improved my skills as leader. I was able to learn other perspectives on environmental issues. I learned about the places we were in.

We had many classes that were taught in a variety of engaging ways. We were able to express our creativity in many ways. Such as for our backcountry talent shows and for our Personal Environmental Ethic Presentation.

This semester has left a positive mark in my life. I am grateful to have had this opportunity. I feel I am equipped with the skills to continue self improvement.

The past 80 days at HMI have been the perfect combination of fun, challenge, and growth. I have been able be pushed both physically and mentally, but in these moments of challenge I felt really supported by the community we built. Our group was able to come together through long hiking days, sharing stories, and exploring new places. Our instructors were so intentional, kind, and genuinely cared about each member of the group. As we travelled through Colorado, Utah, and Chile we learned about the land which helped us feel more connected and educated about the places we explored. I am so glad I got this opportunity to make 10 new friends who felt like a home during our 80 days of constant motion.