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Advice, stories, and inspiration from the wilderness

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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 climbing, swapping beta with new friends at the crag and soaking up the desert sun. Today, you decide to take a break from long routes and focus on bouldering.  You’re chalking up, eyeing a new…

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All Alumni Expeditions Gap Year Gear Leadership Wilderness Medicine
Best Backpacking Trips for Teens: Wilderness Adventures That Build Character
Backpacking

Best Backpacking Trips for Teens: Wilderness Adventures That Build Character

Something happens when a teenager shoulders a pack, leaves cell service behind, and walks into the wilderness. Something that organized…
NOLS January 2026 1 min read
Leadership Programs for High School Students: What Parents Need to Know
Expeditions

Leadership Programs for High School Students: What Parents Need to Know

Your teenager stands at a pivotal moment. The skills they develop now—how they handle challenges, work with others, and step…
NOLS January 2026 1 min read
The Poley-Poley: A Chronicle in the Himalayas
Articles

The Poley-Poley: A Chronicle in the Himalayas

It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop. —Confucius The air was thick.…
Anne McGowan January 2026 1 min read
Case Study: Injury on the Grand Canyon
Articles

Case Study: Injury on the Grand Canyon

The Setting  You’re on day 12 of a 21-day Grand Canyon expedition, enjoying a well deserved stretch of flat water,…
Anne McGowan December 2025 1 min read
NOLS Releases Newest Edition of Leadership Educator Notebook, an Instructor’s Toolbox
Articles

NOLS Releases Newest Edition of Leadership Educator Notebook, an Instructor’s Toolbox

NOLS is pleased to introduce the newest edition of the Leadership Educator Notebook, a collection of the educational tools NOLS…
Anne McGowan December 2025 1 min read
Knee Injury While Cross-Country Skiing 
Articles

Knee Injury While Cross-Country Skiing 

The Setting You are cross-country skiing with four of your friends on a beautiful December day. The sun is shining,…
Anne McGowan December 2025 1 min read
Epistaxis on a Llama Packing Trip
Articles

Epistaxis on a Llama Packing Trip

The Setting It’s day two of a guided family llama packing trip deep in the Andes of South America. The…
Anne McGowan November 2025 1 min read
Medicine in Orbit
Articles

Medicine in Orbit

Space, some say, is the final frontier. For N. Stuart Harris, M.D., M.F.A., Massachusetts General Hospital Emergency Department physician and…
Anne McGowan November 2025 1 min read
6 Reasons Why You Should Take A WEMT Course (And Tips for How to Prepare)
Articles

6 Reasons Why You Should Take A WEMT Course (And Tips for How to Prepare)

Here are the top six reasons why one NOLS Wilderness Medicine grad recommends taking a Wilderness EMT course.
NOLS October 2025 1 min read

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