This five-day course is expedition-style featuring backpacking and rock-climbing in and around the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This course is designed for middle school students (ages 12 and 13) that are looking to improve their leadership skills, are interested in challenging themselves, and are open to discovering the lifelong benefits and perspective that only wilderness travel with Outward Bound can offer.

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area encompasses 67,000 acres of mountain ridge, forest and floodplain on both sides of the Delaware River in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. From the southern end of the park, you can view the S-shaped chasm of the Delaware Water Gap, where the river cuts a twisting path through 1,400-foot Kittatinny Ridge. Within the river watershed, you'll discover steep wooded-and-rock slopes, bountiful rhododendron, dark hallows, tinsel-like ravines and tumbling waterfalls.

Travel expedition-style with a pack on your back. "Expedition-style" means that you will leave our Philadelphia base camp on the first day of your course and not return to it until the end of the course. You will travel with all the food and equipment you need to conduct your expedition: stoves, tents, food, etc. Your crew might occasionally sleep at the same campsite twice, but generally you will be moving to a new campsite every night as you hike and paddle along your expedition route.

At some point on your expedition, you will spend a day rock climbing on one of the granite cliffs that can be found in the Delaware Water Gap. After a site introduction, you will learn how to use a climbing harness and helmet, how to belay, how to climb, and how to rappel or lower off a climb. Students will all belay each other, while instructors provide overall supervision of the site.

As with all Outward Bound courses, an element of service will be included. Often our crews work in partnership with the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Rangers to provide meaningful service in restoring and maintaining the natural terrain for all who wish to enjoy it.