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High Mountain Institute

Why choose High Mountain Institute?

The High Mountain Institute's (HMI) programs lie at the intersection of where nature and minds meet. With courses traveling through Patagonia and the American West, students embark on an incredible three-month journey to some of the world's wildest places. With options to choose a rock climbing or wilderness travel focus, students explore these rugged landscapes, investigate pressing environmental issues, and gain real-world experience doing service in the conservation field. By living and traveling with a small group of peers and instructors, students develop lifelong friendships, walk away with valuable leadership skills, and a broadened perspective on the world. They return with a greater sense of purpose and better prepared to succeed in college and beyond.

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Website
www.hminet.org
Founded
1997

Scholarships

High Mountain Institute Award

If you’re looking at one of the four High Mountain Institute programs to Patagonia, consider applying for financial aid. Your application must include tax forms from the last two years and will be awarded based on SSS (school and student services calculator) used by National Association of Independent Schools, which HMI is apart of. In addition to tuition and other travel costs, High Mountain Institute also provides discounted gear rentals to financial aid recipients.

Value
$1,000 - $15,000

Diversity & Inclusion

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.

Reviews

Default avatar
Arthur
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Review of HMI

I was a bit apprehensive about spending 80 days sleeping outside but it was an amazing experience. I learned a lot of practical skills in rock climbing in a very safe environment. By the end students were running whole climbing days without instructors. Also learning to interact with complete strangers and then ending being really close with lots of students and instructors was very fun even through the up’s and downs. Also the places you go during the trip are incredible, from dropping a technical canyon in the desert to hiking in the high platues of Patagonia it was incredible.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Fried Milky Way
Pros
  • Small community
  • Learn different types of climbing in lots of different places
  • Good support infrastructure
Cons
  • Quite a long trip
Default avatar
Caleb
4/5
No, I don't recommend this program

HMI F-Rock

HMIs Fall Rock Semester provides amazing resources to teach you how to rock climb, spend time outside, and build a community. The rock climbing curriculum is extensive. It starts with the very basics allowing those with no experience to participate. Over the course of the semester it builds up to more advanced skills. Some examples are multi pitch climbing, trad climbing, and lead climbing. HMI teaches you how to effectively live outside. You learn about ration shopping, cooking, sleeping systems, and gear management. The small community that HMI provides teaches you how to build a strong community. You get to know each person on the program and how to best work together.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
I think my most nerve-racking moment was while multi pitch climbing. Climbing a few hundred feet off the ground is a scary and amazing experience. I over came my fear through the support of the instructors and my peers. Confidence in the things I had learned also helped.
Pros
  • Provides great rock climbing experience
  • Travel to some beautiful locations
  • Make some great friends
Cons
  • Can be intense at times
Default avatar
Livija
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

HMI Fall Trek

Before HMI, I had no backpacking experience. However, you don’t need experience to have a great time with HMI. Throughout this semester, I have gained so much knowledge and confidence in backpacking by hiking through such amazing places like the canyons of utah and Chile Patagonia. What is unique about HMI is the emphasis they put towards building intentional and inclusive communities. The instructors are very passionate about what they do and go above and beyond for their students. Participating in an HMI gap program is an unforgettable experience.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Getting out of your comfort zone is the bets way to grow. Embrace trying new things!
Pros
  • Lifelong friends
  • Gaining leadership skills
  • Patagonia
Default avatar
Santiago
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Back to Chile

I was born in Chile, but moved when I was 6. It was an incredibly fulfilling experience to come back to the place where I was born and reconnect, as well as turn 18 while sitting outside of my tent alone in the Patagonian hills during our 21 hour Solo Expedition. This course took us far into the backcountry of Patagonia National Park, letting us experience a completely new ecosystem and terrain. It felt like making the trek to Mordor. The extreme Patagonian weather reared it's ugly head at times, but even while huddling beneath a rock ontop of a ridge trying to hide from the wind and rain, we couldn't help smiling and laughing at how awesome this experience was. We also found that it would be calm at serine most of the time, especially when we camped in giant patches of short green grass that looked like it was taken from a golf course. It was such an incredible opportunity to explore this crazy landscape while also growing closer to my peers.

What was your funniest moment?
The funniest moment was definitely seeing wild Guanacos in high speed chases and fights in the hills around our campsite. They would chase each other, headbutting the sides of the Guanaco infront of them. After a fight, we would often see one posing stoicly on a distant ridge, often during sunset and sunrise. It would have looked awesome if it wasn't for their goofy proportions.
Pros
  • Learning to be comfortable with physical and social discomfort in the outdoors
  • Got to experience a foreign yet familiar landscape that I had not visited since my early childhood
  • Got to experience a more intentional way of living.
Cons
  • Being cold and wet was not a terribly rare occurrence.
  • The wind was often times unbearable in many places, forcing you to retreat back to the safety of valleys or forests, halting your day.
  • Being that far from anywhere means you need to take extra care in things you do as to not get hurt as evacuation would be extremely difficult.
Default avatar
Annie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

HMI Gap- Fall Trek

I’m so glad I participated in this program! HMI fostered such an incredible community. My semester was a really fun and supportive environment to be a part of. The expeditions were amazing- we walked through the canyons network in Utah and the massive river valleys and sprawling hills in Patagonia, often without seeing a soul. I had so many really really cool experiences. I learned so much about backpacking, leadership, and myself throughout the semester. The staff were also incredible and offered great advice, support, and friendship throughout the program!

Programs

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Alumni Interviews

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

Emma Barker

Emma is from Burlington, Vermont and is a graduate of Burlington High School. She loves running, playing violin, singing, and any kind of outdoor adventure.

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.

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...

Professional Associations

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