Join a team of motivated peers ages 23 and up to explore the glaciers and high mountain peaks of Alaska’s Chugach Range. For two weeks, focus on developing the technical skills you need to travel on ice and snow. Learn the basics of mountaineering, from snow camping and avalanche safety to glacier travel and crevasse rescue. Build your confidence and form lasting friendships as you take on new challenges in a beautiful, remote environment.
Before you dive into advanced mountaineering techniques, you’ll develop the skills you need to live comfortably in the outdoors. From cooking on a camp stove to tying knots and assessing avalanche hazards, you’ll start with the essentials. Then, you’ll move on to more challenging topics, like traveling on a rope team and learning how to self-arrest on snow.
As you build your outdoor skills, you’ll also grow your leadership skills. Practice effective communication as you belay a teammate while ice climbing. Develop your risk management and decision-making skills as you lead a rope team across a glacier. Gain insight into your personal leadership style as you take on different roles to support the group. Return with leadership skills that will serve you well at home, at work, and in your community.
“I am a biologist by trade and took a NOLS mountaineering course to prepare me for precarious conditions during field research. I research how shifting climatic conditions are impacting Antarctic food webs, using penguins as an environmental indicator. This research is conducted along the Antarctic Peninsula (poleward of Tierra Del Fuego), an area that has variable conditions depending on the time of year, precise location, and local weather patterns. At NOLS, I gained confidence in my route finding abilities and ensure that I used proper, safe protocols while navigating any sort of questionable terrain. These skills will help me lead the research group, and train and guide junior researchers. The technical and leadership skills that were emphasized during my NOLS course will aid me in these endeavors.”