Juan Queirolo
Discover Leadership and Wilderness Skills in the Heart of the Rockies
Join us for an unforgettable summer experience in one of North America's most iconic wilderness settings: the Rocky Mountains. This immersive course combines outdoor skills training with leadership development, helping you build the confidence, resilience, and decision-making skills necessary for both the backcountry and everyday life. Whether you’re backpacking across rugged terrain, scaling towering cliffs, or navigating pristine rivers, this course will push you to explore new limits and deepen your connection to the natural world.
Photo credit: Alex Dymond
Experience Personal Growth and Leadership Development
The Summer Semester in the Rockies is designed for those seeking more than just a wilderness adventure—it’s a personal transformation. In this course, you’ll challenge yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally and emerge with a stronger sense of self-reliance, teamwork, and leadership. You’ll gain practical outdoor skills while learning to navigate uncertainty, make tough decisions, and lead by example.
This course is not only about mastering technical skills; it’s about discovering your potential and gaining the confidence to take on challenges in the wild and your life. By the end of the semester, you'll be equipped with the skills to handle the unpredictable, build meaningful connections with others, and become a confident leader in any environment.
Trek, Climb, and Paddle Through One of the World’s Most Beautiful Wildernesses
The Rocky Mountains offer one of North America's most diverse and awe-inspiring landscapes. Over the course of the semester, you’ll explore vast alpine meadows, towering cliffs, pristine rivers, and dense forests. Your journey will take you through rugged terrain, where you'll hone your backpacking, rock climbing, and river travel skills while learning to navigate and thrive in dynamic wilderness environments.
Key Activities Include:
Backpacking: Trek across the Rockies’ iconic terrain, from alpine meadows to steep mountain passes, learn to read topographic maps, plan routes, and practice Leave No Trace principles.
Rock Climbing: Scale some of the region’s most impressive cliffs while building your technical climbing skills and gaining the confidence to face challenging physical and mental obstacles.
River Travel: Master whitewater paddling, river rescue techniques, and environmental stewardship as you navigate wild rivers. Experience the thrill of moving water and learn how to stay safe on dynamic riverscapes.
Throughout the course, you’ll deepen your understanding of wilderness ethics, develop your leadership capacity, and forge lasting memories with your expedition team.
Build a Wide Range of Wilderness and Leadership Skills
This course will equip you with a comprehensive skill set that goes beyond outdoor expertise, empowering you to lead with confidence in any situation.
Key Skills You’ll Master:
Backpacking Techniques: Learn to navigate challenging landscapes, cook nutritious meals in the backcountry, and set up efficient campsites using Leave No Trace principles.
Rock Climbing & Technical Skills: Master climbing techniques, rope systems, and safety protocols, gaining technical knowledge and mental toughness to succeed in high-risk environments.
River Navigation & Rescue: Develop skills in whitewater paddling, river navigation, and emergency rescue techniques to ensure safety and efficiency in dynamic river environments.
Leadership & Decision-Making: Learn how to lead a team through challenges, balancing group dynamics, risk management, and environmental considerations while making informed, confident decisions.
Risk Management & Safety: Understand how to assess and mitigate risks in the wilderness, ensuring a safe and successful experience for yourself and your team.
A Comprehensive, Action-Packed Journey
Throughout your time in the Rockies, your days will be filled with a mix of adventure, skill-building, and leadership development.
Photo credit: Austin Danicic
68-Day Adventure Expedition: Backpacking, Rock Climbing, and Whitewater Canoeing
Backpacking: Spend significant time on multi-day backpacking treks through varied landscapes, from rugged mountain ranges to dense forests. Skills include route planning, navigation, weight management, outdoor survival techniques, and wilderness first aid. Experience the endurance required for long-distance hikes while appreciating the solitude and beauty of the backcountry.
Rock Climbing: Develop technical climbing skills on natural rock faces, learning proper knot tying, belaying techniques, and safety protocols. Participants will tackle different types of climbing with an emphasis on building strength, stamina, and problem-solving abilities. The expedition will provide exposure to different climbing environments, from vertical cliffs to overhangs, all while ensuring safety and confidence on the rock.
Whitewater Canoeing: Navigate through fast-moving rivers and challenging rapids in whitewater canoes. You'll refine paddling techniques, reading river currents, and mastering canoe control under dynamic conditions. Through a series of river journeys, participants will enhance teamwork, quick decision-making, and resilience when facing the challenges of river navigation.
Push your limits in these three diverse and exciting outdoor disciplines!
Overcome Challenges, Build Resilience, and Grow as a Leader
This course will challenge you in ways that will stretch both your physical and mental limits. Expect to face unpredictable weather, demanding physical conditions, and moments of uncertainty, which will help you build the resilience and adaptability necessary for leadership in any environment.
What You’ll Overcome:
Tough Physical Conditions: Long days on the trail, tough climbs, and navigating dynamic river environments will push your limits. You’ll develop physical strength, mental endurance, and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
Group Dynamics: Working closely with a team in challenging environments will test your patience, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. You’ll learn how to lead and support your teammates and navigate group dynamics with empathy and strength.
Adaptability & Problem-Solving: Patagonia’s unpredictable weather and varied terrain will teach you how to adapt quickly and make sound decisions in the face of uncertainty.
Photo credit: Isabel Adler
A Challenge for Aspiring Leaders and Adventurers
This course is designed for individuals passionate about the outdoors, eager to develop leadership skills, and ready to tackle physical and mental challenges. Whether you’re an aspiring outdoor professional, a current adventurer, or someone seeking personal growth, the Summer Semester in the Rockies will give you the tools to succeed in the backcountry—and in life.
Prerequisites: This course is open to individuals with moderate fitness levels. Previous outdoor experience is helpful but not required.
Become Part of the NOLS Global Network
By completing this course, you’ll become part of a global network of NOLS alumni—leaders in outdoor education, business, conservation, and beyond. You’ll stay connected with a community of like-minded adventurers who share your passion for personal growth, wilderness exploration, and leadership.
Are you ready to challenge yourself and embark on the adventure of a lifetime? Enroll today and take the first step toward transforming how you see the world—and yourself.
“Not only did NOLS teach me to place trust and faith in myself it also taught me to work with other people...and place my trust and faith in them as well. I learned values of teamwork that I had never opened myself up to before. I was beginning to develop myself into the person I came here to become.”
