Backpacking

This backpacking expedition will take students into the heart of the Sierra Nevada where students will learn Leave No Trace camping and travel skills, outdoor cooking techniques, map and compass use, route finding and how to set up shelters in the backcountry. Students will spend time hiking on and off-trail, both in forested areas and in the alpine environment above tree line, often camping next to alpine lakes where students can swim after a day of hiking.

In addition to technical skills, Instructors will teach and facilitate the interpersonal skills needed for students to function effectively as a team, accomplish goals and tackle new challenges. Challenges on course are designed to compel students to draw upon inner resources and develop trust in one another. An example of a challenge is a peak attempt.  With lighter packs, participants will start before sunrise to summit a mountain and be rewarded with 360 degree views and an incredible sense of accomplishment.

As skills and experience increase, Instructors will turn over more responsibility to the crew. Students will eventually make navigation decisions, plan routes and set up camp on their own.

Solo

Outward Bound believes, in order for profound learning to take place, there must be time to reflect on the experience. During course, the Solo is that opportunity. It is a chance to experience solitude in the wilderness without distraction while also taking a break from the physical rigors of course. Students are separated from their group for a period of time which depends on course length and Instructor assessment of group capability. Solo sites are chosen to provide solitude. Students have all necessary equipment, food and water. The maximum time for Solo on this course is 72 hours.

Outcomes

Outward Bound courses vary in length from four (4) to 85 days. On shorter courses, participants will receive an introduction to leadership skills, strength of character and a desire to serve while activities fill most of the time and the pace is quick. With longer courses, the same outcomes and benefits are achieved with the opportunity to reach a more profound level of mastery as there are more chances to develop technical skills, receive and implement feedback and further personal development. However many days the expedition lasts, the strength and impact of the experience lasts a lifetime.

Backpacking, rock climbing and wilderness navigation techniques are great practice for the essential skills and habits that help prepare for new challenges at school, work, home and in the community. Outward Bound expeditions encourage students:

• to remain engaged and present, giving every challenge the best effort, even when the goal seems beyond reach.
• to form a team and focus on the team effort.
• to share responsibilities, communicate and lead. Leadership roles are shared within the group, and responsibilities rotate each day.
• to find reserves of tenacity and compassion. Outward Bound courses are designed to expand and stretch your limits so that every expedition is a true accomplishment and a memorable journey.

Course Area

The Sierra Nevada range is California’s backyard and wonderland of wilderness, waterfalls, lakes and peaks. It’s an enormous range – spanning more than 400 miles from north to south and 70 miles east to west. Courses take place in the southern and western parts of the Sierra: Ansel Adams Wilderness, Yosemite National Park and Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park.

Summer in the Sierra is mostly sunny, with occasional rain and cold evenings. Snowfall is unlikely, though June courses may traverse atop lingering winter and spring snow. Summer temperatures tend towards the 70s and 80s during the day, dipping into the 30s to 50s in the evening and overnight. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Northern Paiute, Western Mono/Monache, Me-Wuk (Central Sierra Miwok), Eastern Mono/Monache, and Tübatulabal nations.