NOLS Blog

Stories from the field

Advice, stories, and inspiration from the wilderness

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Case Study: Asthma During an Introductory Mountaineering Course

The Situation You are leading a five-day introductory mountaineering course in the Sierra Nevada in early October. The course includes basic climbing and scrambling at elevations between 8,000 and 11,000 feet. Emily is a participant who grew up in the mountains of Colorado but has lived on the East Coast for the last several years. She…

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Case Study: Asthma During an Introductory Mountaineering Course
Articles

Case Study: Asthma During an Introductory Mountaineering Course

The Situation You are leading a five-day introductory mountaineering course in the Sierra Nevada in early October. The course includes…
Anne McGowan October 2026 1 min read
Case Study: Chest Injury with Fall
Articles

Case Study: Chest Injury with Fall

The Setting You are on a climbing trip in Red Rocks, Nevada. You’ve spent the last week dialing in your…
Anne McGowan September 2026 1 min read
Backpacking the Vilcabamba Valley to Machu Picchu Alumni Trip: Inaugural Trip Reflection
Articles

Backpacking the Vilcabamba Valley to Machu Picchu Alumni Trip: Inaugural Trip Reflection

An Interview with Kellsie Forbes, NOLS Alumni Trips Manager Where did the idea to create an alumni trip to explore…
Anne McGowan August 2026 1 min read
Alumni Spotlight: How my NOLS Course Impacted My Career
Articles

Alumni Spotlight: How my NOLS Course Impacted My Career

Almost exactly 10 years after coming to Alaska for the first time to take a NOLS course, Asa Darnell finds…
Anne McGowan August 2026 1 min read
The Wilderness Risk Management Conference: a Conference and a Community
Articles

The Wilderness Risk Management Conference: a Conference and a Community

An interview with Elyse Rylander, Wilderness Risk Management Steering Committee Chair The 33rd annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC) will…
Anne McGowan August 2026 1 min read
Case Study: Bear Spray in the Face
Articles

Case Study: Bear Spray in the Face

The Setting You are almost done with a 3-day backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountain Range of Wyoming with…
Anne McGowan August 2026 1 min read
Case Study: Fishhooks
Articles

Case Study: Fishhooks

The Setting You’re on the first day of a twelve-day whitewater canoeing expedition down the Green River. Your group consists…
Anne McGowan July 2026 1 min read
When Everything Came Into Focus — Hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine O Circuit Alumni Trip
Articles

When Everything Came Into Focus — Hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine O Circuit Alumni Trip

I first learned about the O Circuit in 2025, a year before I actually did it. My wife and I…
Anne McGowan June 2026 1 min read
Case Study: Heat Illness on an Early-Season Wildland Fire Assignment
Articles

Case Study: Heat Illness on an Early-Season Wildland Fire Assignment

The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the Deschutes National Forest during the early…
Anne McGowan May 2026 1 min read

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