Marc Lewis - 8/12/08
I spent three glorious weeks on a multi-expedition adventure with Outward Bound in the Alaskan Outback.
I was looking for variety in the outdoors, an opportunity to have multiple experiences, to test myself across several disciplines. I could not have asked for a more ideal experience than I found in my three weeks of mountaineering, glacier travel, and white-water rafting across south-central Alaska.
Like most of the people in my “crewl,” I had never done more than just car camping. Crampons, caribeners, and prusiks were words that had never-before entered my vocabulary. I went on this trip because I needed to be challenged, because I wanted a once-in-a-lifetime experience, because I was compelled to break out of my comfort zone. One of the reasons I selected Outward Bound was so that I could travel in remote wilderness areas that I could otherwise never explore on my own. My summer adventure more than satisfied each of these needs; it not only changed my relationship with the earth, it transformed my life.
Each of the people with whom I shared this adventure came to Alaska for different reasons. For some it was a gift before heading out to college, for another it was the end of a long-term relationship and desire to rediscover himself. Our life experiences were as vast as our age range – from a recent high school graduate in her late teens to a former submarine commander in his mid-sixties.
Regardless of each of our levels of skill – which certainly varied – every one of us was challenged in the Outback. Together we summitted peaks, climbed out of deep crevasses, traveled in rope teams across moving glaciers, and navigated through imposing rapids. Along the way, we learned to survive – and thrive – as a team. We created our own family and left with an impenetrable bond and a common experience uniquely our own.
I cannot wait for my next opportunity to enroll in a multi-expedition Outward Bound course. I do not yet know if it will be a combination of sea kayaking and rock climbing, or sailing and backpacking, but regardless of the elements, I eagerly anticipate my next foray into the unknown.
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