Darran Wells
 Position
at NOLS: NOLS Professional Training Coordinator
NOLS Course: Mountain Instructor Course, 1999
While others celebrated the Millennium, Darran Wells spent his New Year’s
Day earning his place on Team Vignette, an adventure racing team that
placed 26th in the 2000 Borneo Eco-Challenge. “They wanted to know
that the people who showed up were serious about it,” says the
Texas native who has loved going fast in remote places since his dad
introduced him to mountain biking.
Expedition behavior, leadership, communication, first aid and navigation:
these have been Well’s tools both with NOLS and adventure racing.
Wells has been serious enough to compete in 14 races over four years,
including three more Eco-Challenges and Global Extreme, a TV series where
the finalists were sponsored to climb Everest. In addition to the physical
challenges, he enjoys the team aspects of adventure racing: “It
forces you to depend on others, and that’s when NOLS leadership
skills translate. You need to be self-aware.”
As a NOLS Instructor, Wells has taught mountaineering, caving, canyoneering,
rock climbing and whitewater canoeing. With NOLS Professional Training,
he can teach any of these skills on courses that he custom-designs for
groups. And while he’s put his adventure racing career on hold,
he knows that he can always go back. For now, he enjoys teaching folks
leadership. “The most exciting part of my job is the amazing variety
of people I get to work with who all come from such different fields,
from the military to outdoor schools to astronauts.”
After graduating from the University of Houston with a double major
in philosophy and English and completing two tours with the Peace Corps
in Central Africa, he thought he would become a nonfiction travel writer.
Ten years later, Wells’ first book will be published this summer;
but instead of a travelogue, NOLS Wilderness Navigation will help adventurers
navigate through the backcountry.
In the Fall of 2005, Darran is beginning a Masters of Arts program in Adventure Education Administration and Partnerships at Prescott College. He plans to balance studying
with continuing full-time work for NOLS Professional Training.
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