Program Reviews

I was hesitant to enter HMI and take a gap semester. I didn’t realize how much one can learn from being out backpacking in the wilderness. Had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I met some amazing people that I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life. As someone who hasn't ever gone backpacking before this semester I felt comfortable because of the expertise of the instructors. They taught many important technical and non technical skills that took a complete rookie to being very comfortable in the backcountry. Definitely recommend.

Choosing to spend my gap semester with HMI was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I learned so much more about backpacking and life in the backcountry than I ever thought I would and went to the most amazing places! One of my favorite parts of the semester was our 5 day backpacking trip in the Paria slot canyon in Arizona. It was unlike anywhere I have ever been and so cool to walk through and camp in the same canyon for 40 miles. I would do the entire semester all over again if I could.

Went in with no wilderness experience and was completely satisfied. Allowed for in depth exploration of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. Great amount of support from staff and administration, incredibly motivated group of students. The environmental studies curriculum helps maintain an academic component to the experience while also allowing for an added layer to the places we visit. This is a great experience for experienced backpackers and newbies alike. Staff does a great job of catering to the needs of students! 10/10!

My time at HMI was absolutely wonderful. I had the opportunity to both sport climb and spend time backpacking in beautiful locations in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. Every trip we did encompassed so many essential aspects of the outdoor and gap year experience. Included in our gaining of outdoor skills was an environmental studies curriculum that allowed us to gain perspective on the land on which we recreated. Adding this curriculum made me feel much more responsible about how I used the land. The instructors throughout the course always provided support and guidance in every expedition.

The HMI gap program is a must if you’re an outdoorsy young adult who wants to explore the American west in a hands on way that goes hand in hand with an environmental studies curriculum. It’s an experience of a lifetime that I’ll always keep dear to my heart and has helped me develop a plan for my future. The inclusive community of HMI allows you to truly be yourself which fosters a positive community of students and instructors alike. If you’re seeking an adventure that gets your body and mind moving, this is the place to be.

This program is just an absolute blast. You meet some amazing people in an all rock climbing group and you can have zero experience coming into the he program. I had only climbed a few days in a gym before the program. I learned so many skills and feel comfortable leading climbs and multi pitching. Another amazing thing is this program teaches you trad placement and on the last day of the program I got to lead a trad climb. We get to do some backpacking and canyoneering. Also the leadership class is pretty good, I definitely learned a lot. I am super happy I choose this program.

I participated in the rock climbing and conservation in the American west gap semester and had a fantastic experience. We spent our time rock climbing, backpacking, and canyoneering throughout Colorado, Utah, and Arizona all while learning about environmental ethics and leadership. I learned more new climbing skills than I can count. I have climbed for a long time but mostly in a gym and now I feel like I have the skills that will let me explore so many different areas of the climbing world. I had an wonderful time and made some amazing friends.

I had a lot of fun on HMI gap. As a part of the climbing and conservation semester I got to do all the rock climbing I could ever want in one semester, as well as learning about environmentalism and lightweight backpacking. It was amazing to be in a small group of other driven gap year students and visit some of the best climbing locations in the world. As someone with very little previous climbing experience, I also found the program very welcoming and accepting. Finally, I felt very safe, as the program took all the Covid precautions I could think of, and provided excellent support to injured classmates.

I loved my time on Gap. Entering this program, i was very new to rock climbing. This curriculum was perfect for me, giving me a strong foundation in sport, trad, and multipitch climbing- skills such as belaying, placing gear, leading, and safety. The areas we visit are beautiful and the environmental curriculum allowed me to learn more about my own personal beliefs towards stewardship and recreation ethics. Great mentorship from the instructors and lots of fun fostered throughout the semester via silly games. this is a great experience for anyone who loves spending time outdoors and wants to learn more about it how they relate to and interact with the natural world.

This program was the perfect step for not feeling ready for another 4 years of school but still wanting to feel like you are spending your time productively. I learned so much about both my environmental ethic as well as rock climbing skills. I now feel more than comfortable going home and taking my friends and family top roping wherever and in a safe way. In addition I am very confident in my skills to go multi pitching and left the program having swung leads with other students. Finally we had a very solid intro to trad and I think I have a strong foundation to continue my trad progression.