High Mountain Institute

My time on this program has transformed me in the most incredible way. You gain outdoor skills, you challenge your perspectives on the environment, and you learn how to communicate better. I learned so much about myself through this program. The instructors very intentionally create a space we’re you can be yourself and grow without judgement. I highly recommend this program. You will meet the most incredible people and accomplish more than you ever thought possible. It is physically and emotionally challenging, but 100% worth it.

The experience I had with HMI was absolutely amazing. I have never been backpacking before and it was daunting to come down to Patagonia with no experience but I quickly learned everything from the staff and students. My group was so supportive and the community we built together was nothing like I’ve ever been in before. I can’t wait to take my learning home and apply it to backpacking by myself and others. I’ve grown so much from this gap trip and will miss my instructors and peers so much and will hopefully keep in touch for a long time.

HMI gap was such an amazing experience. I have met my new lifelong friends and people who I love dearly. Every place we went was such an impactful experience. I learned so many new skills, and the instructors taught us so much. I improved my trekking, outdoor living, and community building skills so much over the past few months. I would highly recommend. Be prepared for cold, snow, rain, sun, and all the inbetweens! Learning to be flexible, patient, and “tranqilo” is very important, but we became closer as a community when we were in uncomfortable and harsh weather environments.

This experience was exactly what I was looking for. It was the perfect combination of challenging and rewarding backpacking and formal educational experiences. I loved the intensity of the river expedition, getting to know local farmers in Futaleufu, practicing hard navigation off trail, and participating in field research near the solér glacier. I feel as if I made meaningful connections to the land and the people in a way that will stay with me as I begin college. I would definitely recommend this program to all gap year students invested in community and the outdoors. Thank you HMI!!

This program was amazing. We spent a lot of our time in the wilderness of the Andes mountains backpacking. If you do this program, you will becoming a master at backpacking. There is a lot of focus on building an intention community, something I loved and felt like HMI fostered really well. We had cultural experiences like doing a traditional Patagonian Asado and visiting gauchos in the countryside. We summited mountains and saw amazing views. We spent so much time outside, and each person developed a much deeper connection to nature. Overall, it was an amazing adventure and I would highly recommend.