NOLS Rocky Mountain

I have a lot to say about my semester course with NOLS. The first major aspect that truly made my course a valuable experience is the skills that I was able to learn. The course advertised hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, canyoneering, and wilderness first aid. In my hiking section, I learned how to move through the backcountry carrying everything I needed on my back. My coursemates and I learned how to make good meals on a camp stove, how to make a good campsite, how to use maps to navigate through the wilderness, and so much more. Our instructors helped our fresh group learn how to work as a cohesive team and how to navigate conflict. We also focused on risk management, and how to keep ourselves safe. This first section was amazing. I feel like I learned so much from the instructors and from my coursemates.

In my river section, my group started to face new challenges. Conflict arose frequently between members, but our instructors gave us the tools to resolve and manage issues. They didn't come in and solve my group's problems but rather guided us through the process. This was a common theme with many of the leadership and interpersonal skills that NOLS teaches. My group and I would learn tools and have real opportunities to put those skills to use. It was an amazing way to learn.

As my course continued into the rock climbing section, I was amazed at the thought and care that went into risk management. Our instructors had built a foundation of good judgment and decision-making in the hiking section, and as our environments and activities changed, those foundations were still vital to the success of the semester.

The wilderness first responder course was one of my favorite sections. I learned how to handle emergency situations, both in and out of the backcountry, as well as how to manage various injuries and illnesses when supplies are short and the time to get to a hospital is long. This section left me feeling prepared to handle any sticky situations I might run into in the future.

All in all, my NOLS experience has helped me in so many ways. I have learned many outdoor skills and I will continue to use them as I begin a career in outdoor education. I learned how to manage conflict in a group, how to lead, and how to follow. The leadership skills are arguably more valuable than the outdoor skills, as they apply to every situation, not just wilderness travel. I have gained a group of amazing friends from my course. We had conflicts and problems throughout our time together, but working through the issues made our connection so much more meaningful in the end. If you want a real experience that will push you to a self you've never imagined, take a NOLS course NOW!

I’m going to spend a lot of time as a parent writing and reviewing the Nols program Nols accepted my daughter and did an orientation in Wyoming for a horseback trip. These are co -ed teen trips. It must happen with all team groups frequently that boys and girls at times make connections and become infatuated with each other other. My daughter and a boy and developed a crush. Nols had no skills to deal with the situation and my daughter and the boy both said they were ridiculed about their crush by the counselors and the other seven girls in the group as there was only 10 kids ,eight girls and two boys. My daughter and the boy opted to leave the camp, which I was never even told that leaving was an option in these programs. We had to pay to extricate our daughter from the Wyoming wilderness because they claimed they were a safety risk I never expected to be charged $9000 in full and then no one ever called. No one ever gave me an explanation. No one will ever call me back to talk about what happened with the counselors. This is not a professional program. This is a sales program.

This course was so much fun and absolutely the best thing I could have chosen to start my gap year. I made so many friends and the course really built my self-confidence for the rest of the year.

Everyone I met, both students and instructors, were so supportive and inspiring. I learned a huge number of both technical and interpersonal skills. I would recommend this course to absolutely anyone. I had never slept in a tent before or really done anything like it, but everyone was so supportive and encouraging, and as long as you are determined to work hard you can absolutely do it!

I have 1 million good things to say about NOLS - if you're wondering about what to do on your gap year this is my no1 suggestion!

My son did the 30 day mountaineering course outside of Lander Wyoming in July of 2023. He was hoping to receive serious training in climbing and mountaineering. He was massively disappointed in the trip for a variety of reasons.
1. Poor screening of participants: one of the girls struggled with the hiking, and had to be evacuated by the group. She was clearly not prepared and had no concept of the demands. The evac had serious implications on the course routing, and severely impacted the climbing curriculum for the rest of the group. A problem that could have easily been solved by some early screening activities.
2. While weather (and evacs) negatively impacted the trip, NOLS apparently uses caloric restriction as a tool… not exactly sure what the intent of that is, but my 145 lb 6 foot tall son lost 14 pounds on the trip and was constantly hungry… obviously difficult to feed a bunch of teenagers, but a third food drop should have been organized. Not healthy for a growing teenager to lose 10% body weight.
3. My sons goal was to focus on mountaineering skills. He received a lot of lectures on how land ownership is inherently wrong, toxic masculinity, and pronouns. It seems like NOLS has gravitated more to politics and not just climbing. Ironically there was no hesitation to let my son carry a 72 pound pack (above weight normalized load expectations) but then complained about toxic masculinity. Politics aside, disappointing that the content was not purely hiking/climbing oriented.
4. Pricing: The course changed price by something like $600 several months after we signed up… seemed somewhat disingenuous. Then we got a $10 bill for damage to a group tent rental due to wind damage. Silly nickel and diming.
Our son left NOLS, went to Switzerland and paid a guide $3500 for a week of climbing… Matterhorn, Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Learned 10x the mountaineering skills for half the price. For a $6k course this NOLS course offers little value. If you’re into hiking and casual camping and talk about politics, probably a good course. If you are looking for true backcountry skills, NOLS is not the place to go.

If you are reading this, GO FOR IT! When I arrived in Lander, WY for the Spring Semester in the Rockies (SSR) course, I’d never even owned a backpack before—I was straight out of NYC, lived my entire life in NYC, and the only wilderness I knew, was Central Park. With the guidance and extreme patience and knowledge of the instructors, I learned to be completely comfortable, and even enjoy, living in the wilderness. Most of all, I learned to appreciate the power of the natural world, and become a steward. This experience set the path for the rest of my life. I went on to graduate college the next semester, and straight into (what would become) career as a civil servant in the national parks. Before taking this course, I didn’t know we had national parks. I always look back fondly on the memories and experiences I had with NOLS.

When I first registered for my semester in the rockies I only expected to be receiving a furthering in my education, just a fun way to continue my college education. Upon arrival I quickly realized that this experience was going to be so much more than basic education. This course was going to enlighten me on how to interact and live with the world around me in a way that I had never thought of before. That is exactly what NOLS did.

Winter camping was rigorous and taxing ;however, It was rewarding to know that you were living efficiently in an environment that most people will never encounter in their entire existence. It is difficult to put into words the beauty of waking up every morning warm and cozy in an igloo with the bold Grand Teton Mountains quite literally at your doorstep.

Rock climbing took me through a technical journey of skills and knowledge that I will continue to use in my personal life. The teaching was thorough and complete leaving me with the feeling that I could accomplish all that was taught on my own. Everyday was an unique adventure as you scrambled hundreds of feet up beautiful red sandstone rock outside Las Vegas, Nevada. This section demanded trust and smooth teamwork which quickly helped to unite the group of men around me. I feel that The NOLS rock climbing section has advanced my climbing career in ways that I could of never imagined.

In addition to my two favorite sections of the semester there were also a river, canyon, and wilderness first responder course. These courses were just as rewarding and full of adventure and helped to create a well rounded experience. I also thoroughly enjoyed building a strong group dynamic with my fellow course mates. You soon create some of your closest friends just a few weeks into the course and learn how to interact appropriately with these friends even under stressful circumstances

From this experience I have grown personally, learned many technical skills, made new friends and most importantly have seen how to be a leader and make wise decisions in any situation.

My NOLS experience was just what I needed at the time. I had just transferred colleges and needed to make up some lost credits. NOLS offered me those credits and I was able to fit in a semester during the summer break.

My course consisted of Backpacking (85 miles over the span of a month) Rock Climbing (Vedauwoo, Devil's Tower, and the Needles) and Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking (on the Green River).

I went into my semester with an open mind. I had dabbled in each of the sections prior to my course, but never before immersed myself so fully in a skill. I left each section with a confidence in the hard skills as well as a better understanding of how I function in a group setting.

There were 15 students on my semester from all over the country between the ages of 17 and 21. We learned how to work as a team over those three months and 10 years later I'm still in contact with a few of them.

I enjoyed learning from the instructors as they taught various classes in the middle of a field, in the middle of a mountain range, far from any typical classroom setting.

Nothing gets under my skin more than people referring to NOLS as a "life changing" experience. It's not. Please don't place that much pressure on three months of your life. Please be a more stable person that a course doesn't completely change who you are. However, I do think it's fair to say that NOLS gave me a new perspective. While I was going through it, I didn't feel like I was changing or getting a mind-blowing perspective. Years later now, I'm happy I did it because I learned a lot about group dynamics and I learned that I could do such a physically and emotionally challenging thing. It makes problems at work pale in comparison.
I also learned leadership skills because I had both good an terrible instructors. I still want to be more like the good instructors and I still kind-of want to punch the bad instructors.