- India
Frequently asked questions
You can apply to NOLS India by clicking the "Apply Now" button.
NOLS India requires participants to be at least 18 years old.
The program runs for 2-4 weeks.
Yes, the program includes housing. Participants stay in tents or with a host family.
The program fee includes accommodation, activities, some equipment, and meals.
NOLS India is located in India.
About Program
Join us for an adventure in the Indian Himalaya, where you’ll discover new challenges and gain global perspective as you travel through soaring peaks. Backpack through alpine villages and practice your conversational Hindi with local community members. Develop mountaineering skills on high-altitude glaciers or navigate whitewater rapids while rafting on the Kali River. Learn one or more technical skills—backpacking, mountaineering, or whitewater rafting—in the highest mountain chain in the world. The Himalaya is inhabited as high as 10,000 feet and sometimes higher: NOLS India courses combine the physical challenges offered by mountain terrain with a window into the culture of Kumaon communities. Here, the traditional Indian greeting, namaste, is a word worth knowing and saying properly. Whether you’re attempting a peak ascent or traveling to a high-altitude glacier to practice mountaineering skills, you’ll encounter local community members along the way.
Program Highlights
- Earn transferrable US College Credit
- Courses available in the Fall and Spring
- Your engagement with communities in the Himalaya will frame and inform your wilderness experience
- Find your leadership style in the Himalaya
Video and Photos
Popular Programs
Embark on a journey away from the typical tourist spots and venture into the secluded corners of northwest India to discover more about leadership and yourself.
Leave the tourist destinations behind and head to the remote corners of northwest India to learn about leadership and yourself. Hike deep into the Himalaya and visit places where animal-powered farming is a way of life.
Immerse yourself in a unique landscape and culture while exploring the soaring mountains of the Himalaya.
Learn to lead on challenging terrain on this high-altitude mountaineering course. As you explore India’s remote Kumaon region, you’ll develop the skills you need to travel on ice, snow, and rock in an alpine environment.
Combine your passion for the outdoors with intercultural exchange in India’s Kumaon region. As you gain confidence in your outdoor skills, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the region’s ecology and traditional farming practices. Practice your conversational Hindi with local villagers and nomadic shepherds while hiking along historic trade routes between India and Tibet.
Community Questions
Location
India is well known for the rapid growth that they have been experiencing. The economic growth and substantial changes to the infrastructure have made it possible for many cities to grow as travel destinations. Exploring India is inexpensive but rich in culture with big ticket attractions like the Taj Mahal to the taken-for-granted geography of the mountains, deserts, and beaches.
