Patagonia to Florida & Blue Ridge Mountains Leadership Semester
Embark for the adventure of a lifetime on this 72-day, multi-region, international semester course.
Summit peaks in Patagonia; journey by river through the canopied forests and barrier islands of Florida; and complete the expedition by climbing rock faces and paddling whitewater in the lush, rolling, mountains and valleys of Western North Carolina. This semester course offers the chance to challenge yourself, practice leadership skills and foster a strong sense of personal development.
While living and traveling in the classroom of the great outdoors, gain a clear sense of your abilities, build strong bonds with your group, and walk away with a greater understanding of the wilderness, the world, and yourself. This course is comprised of three phases: Patagonia, Everglades National Park/Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although semester programs are not traditional academic programs, many colleges recognize the value of gap year courses and grant college credit for them. This course also offers Wilderness First Aid certification and a service project component.
NOTE: Outward Bound strongly recommends that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 and up to date as defined by the CDC prior to arriving to their course start. For all open enrollment courses beginning on or after April 15, 2023, Outward Bound will no longer require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For questions regarding this policy please see this page or call us at 866-467-7651.
UPCOMING COURSES
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For detailed information on course availability statuses and what they mean, click here.
Course # NPGL-381
Age 18 and up
Days 72
Cost $14,700
Dates 1.17.23 - 3.29.23
Course # NPGL-2481
Age 18 and up
Days 72
Cost $14,700
Dates 1.18.24 - 3.29.24
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Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
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This course has given me an idea of who I want to become in life. At the beginning of the expedition I was struggling with pushing myself to do challenging things when I did not believe I had the ability. Now I am confident in my ability to push myself to do great things and reach my potential.
Most College Savings Plans, including the 529 College Savings Plan, may be used to attend an Outward Bound expedition, thanks to a partnership with Western Colorado University. Anyone can register – you do not have to be a current Western Colorado University student. Registration is easy! Click here to learn more.
Develop outdoor skills. Enhance your leadership and communication abilities. Strive to increase your knowledge of the environment – all while learning wilderness travel techniques in a variety of stunning environments. The ultimate goal of our Gap Year expeditions is to help you develop the confidence, knowledge, and integrity essential for effective leadership. Whether you are learning how to safely tie in on belay, deciding as a group how to navigate through new terrain, or setting up a minimum-impact campsite for the evening, you’ll be honing and practicing skills for life.
- Build skills, form connections: Amidst rugged natural landscapes, learn to lead and to follow; to give and receive feedback; and to trust in your own capabilities as you expand your technical and personal knowledge base. Find connections with your crewmates based on support and respect (and fun too!), and in the thick of challenges, discover there is more in you than you know.
- Value strengths and strengthen values: Uncover your unique character strengths, exercise your independence as you gain life experience and learn how to let compassion in to everyday life by pushing your own limits and supporting your crew as you tackle obstacles together, big and small.
- Demonstrate mastery: As you gain confidence in new skills and a better understanding of the natural world around you, take on more decision-making responsibilities. Work together to achieve team goals, solve problems and succeed both as independent individuals and as a group.
- What you’ll learn: Examine your personal values and discover more about your true self. Hone your technical abilities as you become a master at ropes courses or swiftwater rescue techniques and Wilderness First Aid. Numerous certificates are available depending on the course, and up to 18 credit hours can be earned along the way.
Exploring new environments and building new connections will put your tenacity to the test. You’ll return with broader understanding of the natural world around you, deeper appreciation for small kindnesses and greater confidence in yourself and others that will serve you well long after you return.
Outward Bound is accredited with the American Gap Association and is the longest running program in this elite group dedicated to providing safe, meaningful and high-caliber educational experiences to students.
During the first phase of this Semester expedition, students get the opportunity to visit one of the least populated and pristine regions in the world. In Nahuel Huapi National Park, students learn the techniques of alpine trekking and perfect their technical skills as they prepare to summit an Andean peak (weather permitting). Patagonia's unique flora and fauna, snow-covered volcanic peaks, ice slopes and unique terrain have attracted many scientific expeditions, including those of Charles Darwin. After extended backcountry living in this unique environment, students will realize and appreciate the connection between teamwork and individual success.
While in Patagonia, students are encouraged to live in the moment and immerse themselves in the culture. Outside of trying new foods and meeting locals, students will practice giving back by completing a service project. This project could include fence building, painting homes, harvesting fruit and building structures with local farmers. Participants can receive service project hours for this course and simply need to alert their Instructors prior to the course start.
After spending the first part of the journey traveling with heavy packs, students welcome the chance to carry their gear for the second phase of the course in a canoe. Students can expect to spend a good deal of time each day in canoes as they go from campsite to campsite, moving through the unique ecosystem of the Everglades National Park and the Ten Thousand Islands off the Gulf Coast. These canoes are tandem, which means the crew works together in teams of two. Depending on the weather, the level of difficulty varies day to day, but crews learn marine expedition risk assessment and management, marine route planning and navigation, paddle strokes, canoe-based rescues, equipment use and how to work with a paddling partner.
During the last phase, students will backpack through the plunging valleys and ancient 6,000-foot summits of the Appalachian Range in Western North Carolina. By working together to backpack through temperate rainforests, climb in and around the Linville Gorge and paddle some of the best whitewater in the southeast, students step outside their comfort zones and learn to communicate with and trust their new crewmates.
The rock climbing portion of this phase focuses on safety, as students begin with the basics; tying knots, safety systems, belaying, and climbing techniques. Depending on group dynamics and weather, the goal is to achieve top-rope climbs and progress to a multi-pitch route led by a climbing specialist. There is also the chance to experience a rappel and the high ropes course.
Participants will also spend up to four days paddling Class I-Class III whitewater through sculpted rock channels in tandem (two-person) canoes. Crews learn how to identify and use paddling equipment, basic water safety, and rescue techniques, paddling strokes and how to work with their partner to successfully paddle flat water and negotiate numerous rapids and drops.
Participants will have the opportunity to prepare for the unexpected by earning a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification during the mountains phase of the course. This fast-paced, hands-on training is designed to teach skills to care for those who become ill or injured far from definitive medical care. Offered through a partnership with Landmark Learning, an accredited organization, this certification will include classroom lectures and demonstrations, combined with realistic scenarios where mock patients will challenge participants to use what they've learned. After successfully completing the WFA and CPR components, students are eligible to apply for academic credit for this certification.
Patagonia, South America
In southern South America lies a land untouched, growing wild and rugged. As one of the least populated regions in the world, Patagonia is a semi-arid plateau that covers over 250,000 square miles mainly in Argentina. This remote wilderness boasts dramatic landscapes and is famed for its adventures and adventurers. From its isolated mountain valleys and snow-clad volcanic peaks to its glaciers and waterfalls, Patagonia has few equals in lands of exploration. Students visit the city of Bariloche (population 108,205), which is situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake and is surrounded by the Nahuel Huapi National Park. Established in 1934 to preserve local flora and fauna, it is the oldest national park in Argentina and the largest in the region with an area of nearly 2 million acres. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Mapuche and Tehuelche nations.
The Everglades and Ten Thousand Islands
The Florida Everglades are the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states. The aquatic preserve is home to an array of wild creatures and exotic plant life. More than 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 reptile species live within it. Because of this, it is one of only three locations in the world to show up on the following lists, an International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Importance, and a World Heritage Site.
This course area is in a subtropical region, with a 12-month growing season. The Florida peninsula is believed to be the last part of the continental United States to rise from the ocean, making it the youngest region geologically and only Alaska can claim a longer shoreline. The Everglades are mild and pleasant from December through April, with low humidity and clear skies. Temperatures reach average highs of 88 degrees and lows of 54 degrees. Strong cold fronts may occasionally create near-freezing conditions, but such events are rare in this subtropical climate. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Calusa, Miccosukee, and Seminole nations.
Blue Ridge Mountains, NC
The Southern Appalachians, including the Blue Ridge Mountains, are some of the oldest mountains in the world. While the mountains themselves formed over 250 million years ago, some of the rocks that underlie the region are over a billion years old.
The long geologic and evolutionary history of the Southern Appalachians has created one of the most biologically diverse regions in the temperate world. It is home to beautiful rushing rivers, hundreds of waterfalls and some of the highest peaks in the Eastern United States—including Mt. Mitchell (elevation 6,684 feet), the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Outward Bound students can expect to share the wilderness with over 700 different kinds of trees, more than 50 types of mammals, 150 different types of birds and over 50 species of amphibians.
This course area is situated within a million acres of national forests, federally-protected wilderness areas, and other public lands. Its diverse landscapes have been featured in many motion pictures, including The Hunger Games and The Last of the Mohicans.
Temperatures in this area range from 50 - 85 degrees in the summer, 30 - 65 degrees in the spring and fall, and 10 - 50 degrees in the winter. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Cherokee.
Course Stories
This course has given me an idea of who I want to become in life. At the beginning of the expedition I was struggling with pushing myself to do challenging things when I did not believe I had the ability. Now I am confident in my ability to push myself to do great things and reach my potential.
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Getting Started
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.