Group Education Program offered: Leadership Course, Orientation Course, Environmental Service Coures, Educator Course, Unity Project Activities: Backpacking, rock climbing, rappelling, ropes course, whitewater canoeing, whitewater rafting, initiatives and workshops Minium Age: 12 years old Time of Year: All year. Most group education courses occur mid-August to November and March to early June. Capacity: 29 groups of 12 students Minimum Course Length: Expeditioning - 4 days. Residential - 2 days Course Start Location: Morganton, Brevard, or Asheville North Carolina (Outward Bound does not provide travel to and from the course start location.)
Expeditioning in the North Carolina Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains are the birthplace of the North Carolina Outward Bound School and provide a remarkable setting to experience a Group Education Program. Expeditioning in the North Carolina Mountains can require backpacking through forests, climbing rocks and paddling whitewater rivers.
Backpack through the Appalachian Mountains and discover some of the finest terrain for outdoor adventure in the country. Learn how to fit all of your gear into a 6,000 cubic-inch backpack. Conduct an off-trail expedition into wilderness areas and national forests using a map and compass. Study the local wildlife such as deer, falcons and raccoons. Practice Leave No Trace minimum-impact outdoor techniques. Set up a tarp or sleep under the starry sky. Drink from cool mountain streams.
Rock climb at some of the most diverse and exciting rock sites in the East. Learn proper climbing techniques by boudering. Practice belaying techniques and learn to tie knots with craftsmanship. Build your skills during progressively challenging routes. Build trust and confidence in your crewmates as you belay each other. On longer courses your group may attempt an extended climb to a summit such as Table Rock or Cedar Rock Mountain. Celebrate your accomplishments at the summit, soaking up the view, eating a snack and scratching down some notes in your journal. When the day is over, rappel back down, descending into a sea of lush forest.
Whitewater paddling takes you down the French Broad River, descending through rapids called Buffalo Rock, Zig-Zag and Galloping Sluise. Or, the Chattooga -- a National Wild and Scenic River -- where you ride the merging waters that charge through The Narrows, Warwoman, Roller Coaster and Eye of the Needle. Develop teamwork making dynamic eddy-turns. Perfect your strokes while cruising past stands of towering white pine and wildly sculpted rock formations. Practice ferries, catching eddies and peeling out. Explore the fundamentals of risk management on the river. Learn how to use a throw rope. Gain an understanding of how to read the river and classify rapids.
Natural and Cultural History
The oldest mountain range in the United States, the Appalachian Mountains extend from Maine all the way to Georgia. In the Southern part of the chain, the weathered, densely forested slopes of the Blue Ridge mountains rise to long, narrow ridges and exposed balds. The Appalachians rose up after Africa and North America collided over 450 million, and eventually towered higher than the current Himalayas. Despite 200 million years of erosion, North Carolina remains home to the highest peaks east of the Mississippi.
Well-known for their lush hardwood forests, grassy balds, deep ravines and granite cliffs, the Blue Ridge mountains are home to remarkable biodiversity. Southern species live at the lower elevations while northern species can be found on the mountaintops. The rhododendron blooms and wildflowers create beautiful color splashes in spring. The fall colors are world famous as 100 different tree species create a patchwork quilt of reds, oranges and yellows.
Not to be outdone by the plants, many species of animals make their homes in the Blue Ridge mountains. Fifty-four different mammals, more than 50 salamanders and 40 reptiles can be found. One hundred fifty-nine species of birds are known to nest here with dozens of others passing through during fall and spring migrations.
The region has been inhabited for over 12000 years. When the first Europeans settlers arrived in the late 18th Century, the Blue Ridge Mountains were home to the Cherokee and Catawba Indians. The Indian communities were mostly subsistence farmers raising beans, corn, squash and melons, hunting and fishing, and living in longhouses. European diseases devastated the native populations, especially the Catawba.
During the 18th and 19th centuries European settlers continued to arrive, and many Scotch-Irish established homesteads in the mountains reminiscent of their homeland. In 1828 President Andrew Jackson ordered the Cherokee removed to Oklahoma. 4000 people perished en route and the tragic march became known as the "Trail of Tears". The Eastern Band of Cherokee that remains today was formed from a group that hid in the mountain's coves and caves to evade capture.
During the late 19th and early 20th century, the region was exploited by Northeastern industrialists for its coal, minerals, and lumber. While the lumber industry removed nearly all the old growth forests, it also planted the seed for the forestry movement that sought more sustainable management practices. Now most of the region is designated as National Forest with several areas protected as "Wilderness".
Backpack through the Appalachian Mountains and discover some of the finest terrain for outdoor adventure in the country. Learn how to fit all of your gear into a 6,000 cubic-inch backpack. Conduct an off-trail expedition into wilderness areas and national forests using a map and compass. Study the local wildlife such as deer, falcons and raccoons. Practice Leave No Trace minimum-impact outdoor techniques. Set up a tarp or sleep under the starry sky. Drink from cool mountain streams.
The oldest mountain range in the United States, the Appalachian Mountains extend from Maine all the way to Georgia. In the Southern part of the chain, the weathered, densely forested slopes of the Blue Ridge mountains rise to long, narrow ridges and exposed balds. The Appalachians rose up after Africa and North America collided over 450 million, and eventually towered higher than the current Himalayas. Despite 200 million years of erosion, North Carolina remains home to the highest peaks east of the Mississippi.
During the 18th and 19th centuries European settlers continued to arrive, and many Scotch-Irish established homesteads in the mountains reminiscent of their homeland. In 1828 President Andrew Jackson ordered the Cherokee removed to Oklahoma. 4000 people perished en route and the tragic march became known as the "Trail of Tears". The Eastern Band of Cherokee that remains today was formed from a group that hid in the mountain's coves and caves to evade capture.