COURSE OVERVIEW

Course Number

NPGL-2581

Date

January 22, 2025 - April 03, 2025

leadership semester - Spring

Students will embark on the adventure of a lifetime on this 72-day, multi-region, international semester course as they summit peaks in Patagonia, journey by river through the canopied forests and barrier islands of Florida, and complete their expedition by climbing rock faces in the lush, rolling, mountains of Western North Carolina.

Activities

FINAL CHALLENGE EVENT

At the end of your course, you will participate in a personal challenge event. This is a great time to see how much your physical fitness and endurance have improved since you began your course. This event will be a running activity. It is not a race. Your instructors set a certain route for your crew and you complete the route at a level that will challenge you the most.

WILDERNESS FIRST AID AND CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION CERTIFICATION (WFA+CPR)

North Carolina Outward Bound proudly partners with Landmark Learning www.landmarklearning.edu to provide this certification course. Landmark Learning is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Continuing Education and Training (ACC&T), a US Department of Education nationally recognized accrediting agency.

The Wilderness First Aid (WFA + CPR) course will help you prepare for the unexpected. This fast paced, hands-on training will introduce you to caring for people who become ill or injured far from definitive medical care. Classroom lectures and demonstrations are combined with realistic scenarios where mock patients will challenge you to integrate your learning. At the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge, skills and ability to make sound decisions in emergency situations.

After successful completion of the WFA and CPR certification, and after you complete your wilderness course, you may apply for academic credit for this certification through Landmark Learning.

SERVICE

Service will be a continuous theme throughout your course. The ethic of service is practiced through Leave No Trace camping techniques, reaching out with compassion to your fellow crewmates and working together as a team to overcome the challenges of Outward Bound.

On your course, the ethic of service is practiced in greater depth and often includes a service project. Projects range from campsite restoration and maintaining hiking trails in the wilderness to supporting the surrounding communities by assisting families in need, sharing outdoor activities with disadvantaged children or helping in local wildlife restoration centers. Service projects typically last 6-8 hours. Alert your instructor AT COURSE START if you need written verification or documentation of service project hours.

SOLO

Solo typically occurs more than halfway through your course and may last between 24-72 hours. Your instructors will assign each participant an individual campsite within a designated area. Your instructors will teach you procedures to follow during solo and monitor you during this experience. You will know the location of your instructors’ campsite should you need to contact them; otherwise it is essential that you remain in your designated area. If your course has an overnight solo you will have your clothing, food and water.  In addition, you will have Outward Bound issued gear: including rain gear, shelter, sleeping bag, compass and whistle. You will not be physically active during solo, as solo is a time for rest, recharge and reflection. Solo is also a good time to write in the journals we provide. If you have questions or concerns, please discuss with your Student Services Representative or your instructors.  

PHASE I: PATAGONIA 

Activities during this phase will include the following:

  • Alpine Expedition: Expect elevation shifts between 2,500 and 8,000 feet as you traverse through Nahuel Huapi National Park, the oldest and largest National Park in Argentina.
Skills: map and compass navigation, expedition planning, Leave NoTrace minimum - impact techniques, first-aid, emergency procedures and weather forecasting.
  • Mountaineering: Experience and develop snow and glacier travel skills on the flanks of the majestic Mt. Tronador.

Skills: ice climbing, glacier travel, glissading, self-rescue techniques and  advanced rope management.

Service: in-depth cultural exchange projects with local families in the region

PHASE II: FLORIDA 

Activities during this phase will include the following:

  • Expedition Canoeing: The Ten Thousand Islands face directly on to the Gulf of Mexico, which creates a perfect area to study weather patterns and various paddling challenges.

Skills: Paddling strokes, chart reading and navigation, equipment maintenance, currents and tides, Leave No Trace techniques and expedition planning.

PHASE III: NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS 

Activities during this phase will include the following:

  • Backpacking: Discover some of the finest terrain for outdoor adventure in the country as you backpack through beautiful valleys and across ancient ridgelines to the 6,000-foot summits of the Appalachian Mountains. These mountains once rivaled the Himalayas in stature.

Skills: map and compass navigation, expedition planning, Leave NoTrace minimum - impact techniques, first-aid, emergency procedures and weather forecasting.

  • Rock climbing: Weather permitting, you may spend up to five days climbing. Start out bouldering then progress to more challenging climbs. Each day that you climb you learn and practice new climbing techniques.

Skills: climbing safety practices, bouldering, belaying, multi-pitch climbing, rappelling, care and use of equipment and knot-tying.

  • Whitewater Canoeing: Weather permitting, you may spend up to five days canoeing on the French Broad or Tuckaseegee Rivers. Occasionally we may also use the Chattooga, New and Nantahala Rivers. You will be using tandem (two person) canoes. It will be necessary for you and your crewmates to perform a rapid swim assessment; as well as a flip and swim (or canoe capsize) assessment in the river. This activity is closely monitored by your instructors and river specialists. It is critical for us to determine your whitewater paddling comfort as you and your crew maneuver challenging rapids. Even if you are a non-swimmer or weak swimmer, you will still participate in this safety assessment. All students will be wearing safety helmets and personal floatation devices (PFDs) during the assessment. Helmets and personal floatation devices (PFDs) are required apparel anytime students are on the water.

Skills: Basic water safety and rescue techniques; identification and use of paddling equipment; how to work with your paddling partner to successfully negotiate class II and III rapids; advanced skills including flat water and whitewater paddling strokes and maneuvers.

  • Crew-Led expedition:Put your new skills to the test as you and your cremates plan and lead your own expedition.