This course is designed for the youngest teens and pre-teens.  It is shorter but not too short, and takes place in a somewhat less remote setting than some of our other courses and is perfect for younger motivated teens ready for adventure. 

Youth Courses

We know that younger teens represent a unique group. For some students, Outward Bound is their first time away from home; others are veteran travelers who have attended Outward Bound before. We plan Youth Ventures courses to set students up for success no matter where they are starting on the spectrum of wilderness experience. The mental, social and physical challenges they will encounter are very real. Likewise, meeting these challenges is a very real accomplishment.   

Course Area

Wild wonderful West Virginia invites you to explore the remote regions of “The Mountain State.”  West Virginia is approximately 75% forest land and contains 2,029 miles of named trails.  The backpacking component of your course will be in Monongahela National Forest which contains over 700 miles of these trails.  This course area is rugged and seems to take you back to a time before modern civilization made its big mark on our land.  The river portion of the course will take place on the Potomac River. The Potomac River is a beautiful waterway meandering the border between Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.

During your course, you will have the opportunity to participate in solo (a period of rest and reflection alone in the woods), at least one service project and we typically end our courses with a Final Challenge Event—an individual final physical push. This might take the form of a run or a climbing activity, followed by an quick swim.