Gap Year

HMI Gap: Adventure, Conservation & Leadership in the Natural World

Name: HMI Gap: Adventure, Conservation & Leadership in the Natural World
Brand: High Mountain Institute
SKU: 66434
Rating: 4.85 (117 reviews)

Hosted by

High Mountain Institute

4.85 (117 reviews)

Good for

Adventure travelers

Students

HMI Gap: Adventure, Conservation & Leadership in the Natural World

High Mountain Institute

4.85 · 117 reviews

Community Choice Award Winner

Location

Multiple Locations +2

Chile
- Patagonia
United States of America

Length

4 - 26 weeks

Program Tags

Adventure Travel College Credit Conservation Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning Language Immersion Learning Differences Post-High School Study Abroad Volunteer Abroad Wilderness +1

Need-based funding, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility

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Program Details

Activities

Backpacking Camping Canyoning Mountain Climbing Rafting Remote Exploring Rock Climbing Sightseeing Trekking

Timeframe

Fall Spring Winter

Housing

Host Family Hostel Lodge Tent

Primary Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

$19,200

Price Details

We seek to meet the full demonstrated need of every student we accept into an HMI program. If you are accepted and qualify for financial aid, we will strive to offer a financial aid package that makes HMI affordable for your family. Applications are processed through a third-party platform.

The price of tuition includes room and board as well as all domestic travel throughout the program. Tuition does not include travel to and from Denver and to Patagonia or the price of gear.

Need-based financial aid is available on a rolling basis. Our highest awards include full tuition, free gear rentals, and travel to and from the program.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals Park Fees Transportation

What's Not Included

Airfare Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Last Reviewed: Dec 07, 2025

Wish List

69 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

HMI Gap Semesters unite outdoor adventure, environmental service, and leadership development on an unforgettable journey in some of the world’s most awe-inspiring places. On each HMI Gap Semester, you’ll travel for up to 80 days through the wilderness in a tight-knit community of 8 to 12 peers and 2 to 3 instructors. You’ll learn technical outdoor adventure skills, engage in environmental studies and conservation projects, and grow as a leader. Our courses travel within the American West (Colorado, Utah) and Chilean Patagonia.

Central to all HMI Gap Semesters is extended experience and practice in outdoor exploration. Whether climbing iconic sandstone towers in Utah, hiking through a breathtaking glacial valley in Patagonia, or rafting down the pristine blue waters of the Futaleufú River, our outdoor and leadership curriculum moves students towards excellence and independence. Choose your adventure on our Trek (backpacking) or Rock (rock climbing) course today.

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Program Highlights

Experience and explore Patagonia, Colorado, and Utah
Backpacking and rock climbing skills
Hands-on leadership, ecology, and conservation curriculum
Earn college credit through Western Colorado University

Financial Aid for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027

If you're thinking about applying for need-based financial aid, now is the time. Hit the link to learn more about affording an HMI program.

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Financial Aid for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027

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Video and Photos

Fall Gap 2025 Rifle climbing instruction

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

BIPOC Support

The High Mountain Institute believes that both diversity and inclusion are essential to growth and learning. We all achieve our potential when each person in the community feels a true sense of belonging, and has the confidence to express their full self.

At HMI, inclusiveness starts with an intentional and affirming community. Creating such a community is our priority. We connect deeply to each other through classes, wilderness expeditions, and shared responsibilities. We prioritize open communication and honest conflict resolution. These efforts inspire us to build trust, to value diverging perspectives, and to build communities greater than ourselves.

Historically, however, outdoor programs like HMI have attracted largely white and privileged populations. At times, this has made it challenging for all at our school to feel fully part of our community. We seek to address these challenges at HMI by increasing the diversity of our students, faculty, staff, trustees, and advisers; by creating classes and activities that explore and reflect students’ identities; by expanding the cultural competence of faculty and staff; and by continually challenging the assumptions we hold.

We engage with this challenging work because we are committed to building an exceptional learning environment rooted in community — not just for some, but for all who seek to be inspired by the natural world.

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Popular Programs

Rock Semester

Spend a semester rock climbing and traveling through the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Greater Canyonlands of Utah, and breathtaking Patagonia. You’ll advance your rock climbing and wilderness skills while studying pressing environmental issues and participating in hands-on conservation projects.

Trek Semesters

On HMI Trek, you'll hone your technical backpacking and backcountry travel skills, participate in hands-on conservation work, and engage in our environmental studies curriculum. In the fall, you'll travel through the American West and Chilean Patagonia. In the spring, you'll explore Chilean Patagonia.

Program Reviews

4.85 Rating

based on 117 reviews

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Rating Spread Gap Year

5 rating 85.47%
4 rating 14.53%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Housing 4.7
Support 4.9
Fun 4.75
Value 4.9
Safety 4.85

Good for Adventure travelers, Students

Showing 33 - 40 of 117 reviews

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!

Pros

Great places visited
Many new skills learned

Cons

Weather may be unlikable
Shelter in the field isn’t great

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.

Pros

Lots of laughs
Do cool stuff
Learned how to make decent eggs

Cons

Spiders
I’m allergic to spiders
There’s a lot of spiders in the outdoors

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.

Pros

Diversity of activities
Visited remote, beautiful places
Enthusiastic Instructors

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.

Pros

Challenging
Builds communication skills
Builds outdoor skills

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?

Pros

Yummy food
Incredible instructors
Septuple rack of cams

Cons

Cool stuff is exhausting

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.

Pros

Community
Being outdoors
Personal growth

Cons

Can be hard to find alone time

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.

Pros

Good community building
Lots of hiking
Beautiful scenery

Cons

Fast paced

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.

Pros

environmental studies curriculum
The places you see
The People (instructors and peers)

Cons

requires people to be mentally and physically tough so it might not be for everyone

Sport wading through Long canyon of Bears Ears, Utah.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I'd always wanted to do some kind of wilderness expedition or trip - but it just never ended up happening when I was younger. When I realized I could take a gap year to go do something awesome in the backcountry I was pretty much hooked - HMI particularly appealed to me because of the environmental studies/conservation curriculum which appealed to my curious, academic side as well as my desire to go adventuring!

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I had to figure out travel to and from the program myself, and get gear. HMI was incredibly supportive before and during this semester, though: There was a comprehensive gear list to work off of, there were lots of staff who were incredibly receptive to the (many) questions I had going in, and during the semester the instructors of my semester were always open to questions and provided support when I needed it.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

First: bring a wildlife book or guide of some kind! And generally bring your curious spirit. There's SO MUCH you can learn just by asking questions out there and looking for the answers, and it's totally worth making the extra effort to understand the landscapes around you.
Second: you're going to spend a lot of time with a small group of people. Be open to them all during the whole semester. It feels great to be given a clean slate during the semester, and even better when you can reciprocate that for everyone.
Last, and perhaps most important: This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. Approach it every day with gratitude and wonder and an open heart.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The wilderness and conservation semester (HMI's heaviest backpacking semester) is essentially a series of 2-week-long expeditions. In the backcountry, most days mean waking up, cooking breakfast on the WhisperLite and packing a lunch, and then packing up camp to leave for a hike to the next campsite. When you get there, you set up camp, hang out and explore depending on the length of the hiking day, cook dinner, and then turn in for a night under the stars, usually exhausted and incredibly glad for the warmth of your sleeping bag. There are usually some layover days where we do day hikes or play group games sprinkled into the expeditions. Then, between expeditions, we stay in a hostel, clean our gear and get it ready for the next expedition, reconnect with family and friends, and rest up.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was quite nervous about spending so much time with so small a group, and also about the climbing portion of our semester.
I shouldn't have worried about the group - the community is facilitated well by instructors, and I think HMI attracts interesting, kind people so we really got along. There were obviously some moments of conflict, but we worked through them, and if I needed time alone I could usually take a moment when we got into camp to journal or nap or whatever I needed.
In terms of the climbing, I felt like I was incredibly good hands - the HMI staff are really qualified and competent and great teachers, so the climbing portion ended up being for me a real chance to conquer some fears.

What should I bring with me?

You should bring small games and things like that. Playing cards was a huge icebreaker for us, and playing party games like Salad Bowl and others was a lot of fun.
Bring plenty of bandanas - you'd be amazed at the multitude of uses they have!
Bring books related to the places you'll be in - I thought it was totally worth the extra weight to be able to read about the landscapes we trekked through.
Bring a packable daypack - the bigger the better! We use them for all kinds of things, and being able to fit more stuff in them is very helpful...

Maya Shyevitch

2019 Alum

Caitlin Durcan

2015 Alum

About High Mountain Institute

When nature & minds meet, extraordinary achievement follows. The High Mountain Institute was founded on the belief that meaningful learning happens at the intersection of intellectual challenge and wilderness experience. Our programs combine experiential, college preparatory academics with wilderness skills and a deep connection to the natural...

HMI Gap: Adventure, Conservation & Leadership in the Natural World

HMI Gap: Adventure, Conservation & Leadership in the Natural World