Ropes Course, Service, Winter Camping, Rock Climbing, Backcountry Snowshoeing
PRICE
$7,395
PROGRAM
Pathfinder
AGES
18-25
LENGTH
30 Days
START LOCATION
Duluth, MN
END LOCATION
Duluth, MN
i
SEASON(S)
Winter
SKILLS
TECHNICAL
Basic First Aid
Campcraft
Cold Weather Safety
Food Preparation and Cooking
Knots
Leave No Trace Methods & Ethics
Map and Compass
Navigation
Outdoor Emergencies
Snow Travel
INTERPERSONAL
Character
Conflict Resolution
Independence
Leadership
Positive Risk Taking
Problem Solving
Responsibility
Self Awareness
Self Confidence
Service
SHARE
Course Stories
“I entered this course with the hope that I would grow and learn but had very little idea how. I hoped that I would gain confidence and courage, I hoped that I’d find my way. But this course was hard. I was uncomfortable. And that was the greatest gift Outward Bound could have given me. There is little room for growth within your comfort zone and miles and miles and miles of growth out there, in the wilderness. And out there you also find lessons about concepts you never even thought of. I could probably write a book on the things I’ve learned during these 30 days!" – Danielle, Voyageur Outward Bound School Pathfinder Alum
“On my pathfinder journey, I learned many things about myself. I learned that I can do anything I set my mind to & I can push myself further than I ever believed possible. I am the master of my own destiny and how I act and portray myself greatly affects the outcome. I appreciate the chance I got to spent 30 days and 30 nights with eight other people searching for answers to questions we didn’t even know we had.” – Josh, Voyageur Outward Bound School Pathfinder Alum
“On this experience I learned a lot about myself as well as how to live and work with a group of people. All of us came from different backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses. We learned how to use those strengths to benefit the group. We learned how to manage and support others through their struggles. Although Outward Bound is challenging, you will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment like no other when you finish. And you definitely see the parallels of the simple tasks in the back country to the complex situations life throws at you in the front country.” – Julia, Voyageur Outward Bound School Pathfinder Alum
Discover your strengths and the skills that will shape your future as you travel and learn in the Minnesota wilderness on this 30-day dog sledding and cross-country skiing expedition.
This extraordinary adventure is your chance to gain leadership skills, define your values, be of service and—most importantly—discover what you are capable of. Travel over frozen lakes and rivers; learn how to manage teams of sled dogs; cross-country ski; navigate with a map and compass; check ice conditions; cook over an open fire and stay comfortable in extreme winter temperatures. Enjoy the satisfaction and camaraderie that comes from being part of a small team with a dedicated purpose as you enjoy hearty meals under the brilliant night sky. At the end of the course, participate in a facilitated family conversation where your family can gain insight into your experience and discuss how your newfound knowledge will transfer back to your daily life. No prior winter travel knowledge or experience is necessary.
NOTE: For the health and safety of students and staff in the COVID-19 pandemic, students may be required to travel to course start by private transportation. Please work directly with your Course Advisor for your course for the most up-to-date and regionally-focused travel options. All students and staff must provide a current negative COVID-19 viral test result before arrival to course and/or consent to having a COVID-19 test administered at course start. Outward Bound requires students and staff to follow COVID-19 protocols for 14 days prior to course start and while traveling including physical distancing, wearing a mask in public, and frequent and thorough handwashing. For complete “Health and Safety Practices for Outward Bound Expeditions,” click here.
This course starts within the next week. Please call us at 866-467-7651 to assess the possibility of applying for this course!
Pathfinder Expeditions
Sometimes you don’t know where you want to go in life until you spend a few weeks in the middle of nowhere. Pathfinder expeditions give you time and space to understand what’s important to you and the skills to get there. Over the next 30 days, you’ll rise to meet natural challenges, becoming accustomed to setting goals, making decisions, and recovering from set-backs, all of which help clarify bigger choices that await you in life beyond your course.
Build skills, form connections: Learn and practice wilderness, teamwork, adaptability and leadership skills. Participants will have the opportunity to chart a path and pursue it with their own motivation as extra fuel.
Value strengths and strengthen values: Resiliency to recover from set-backs is a treasured and useful skill that will play a part in any Pathfinder expedition. Participants will explore answers to their most pressing questions about what they value, where their strengths lie and what direction their lives will take next.
Demonstrate mastery: As students gain confidence in new skills, they will take on more leadership and decision-making responsibilities and gain a deeper understanding of who they are as individuals. The entire crew will work together and individually to achieve goals, solve problems and succeed.
What you’ll learn: After spending 30 days in the wilderness, you’ll have mastered multiple outdoor skills and you’ll know what it takes to traverse mountain passes, climb the steepest cliffs and successfully navigate the challenges of the natural world around you. You’ll discover more about your true self and what you want to achieve, how you overcome setbacks and, most importantly, how to move forward to reach important milestones.
Return home after broadening your horizons, learning how to adapt to new environments and trying untested possibilities, with an action plan for the future. With newfound leadership potential, self-awareness, and problem-solving skills, you’ll be ready for your next big step.
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of William Durland
Photo courtesy
of Adam Benway
Photo courtesy
of Emily Sketch Haines
Photo courtesy
of Rachael Pace
Photo courtesy
of William Durland
Dog Sledding
Together with a team of expert Instructors and lovable sled dogs, students experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with nature, working animals and each other in this thrilling, challenging and utterly stunning wilderness environment. Using map and compass, students learn to navigate a route over frozen lakes, rivers and the overland portage trails between them. Students develop skills in dog mushing, cross-country skiing, ice reading, winter camping and sled dog care. Group members take turns mushing the dogsleds and skiing or snowshoeing throughout the course. Everyone cares for the dogs on a daily basis. Take part in a beautiful winter choreography as skiers serve as advance “scouts”—navigating, checking for safe ice conditions and tracking out a trail while mushers work with the dogs to help guide the loaded dog sleds to follow. The group comes together to maneuver the dogsleds over obstacles and steep terrain and make and enjoy camp at the end of the day.
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Cross Country Skiing
Students learn to rely on their own locomotion as they use skis to kick and glide across the frozen landscape. Adequate training will be given to teach the skiers to break trail, set the tracks for the dog sleds to follow and check the ice to allow for safe travel. The exhilaration that comes from the freedom of being able to efficiently move across a frozen lake or snow covered trail will make students understand why this is one of the oldest sport activities in the world. Skiers will occasionally help the mushers move the sleds over difficult terrain but otherwise travel separately from the dog sleds, carrying their own basic supplies for the day in backpacks or towing a small personal sled known as a “pulk”.
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Photo courtesy
of Larry Mishkar
Winter Living and Camp Set Up
Students learn what it takes to construct a winter camp and live comfortably in the depths of a Minnesota winter. Instructors teach students techniques for harvesting water from beneath the ice, dressing properly for freezing temperatures, felling trees for firewood, cooking over an open fire and setting up shelters and cozy winter sleeping systems. A hearty dinner and enriching conversation with fellow group members around an outdoor fire or the wood stove in a large, canvas wall tent rounds out each day. Students often enjoy clear evening stargazing before drifting off into a well-deserved sleep. Students learn that not only can they survive, but truly thrive, in an extreme and remote winter environment.
Service
Service is a cornerstone of every Outward Bound experience. From the seemingly small daily acts of service to the environment to the regular tasks of being part of an expeditionary team, participants have ample opportunities to experience the value of giving back to the larger community. On the expedition, participants are encouraged to practice environmental stewardship in the form of Leave No Trace ethics - leaving campsites and trails in better condition than they found them. Participants also practice regular acts of service for their team including the hard-working sled dogs by preparing and serving meals, securing drinking water, breaking trail and giving the dogs plenty of affection.
Solo
The Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. Many students use this reflection time to make decisions about their future, journal and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings unencumbered by the constant stimulation of modern life. The duration of Solo depends on the course length and type, as well as the competency and preparedness of the student group. With all the food, skills and supplies they need, students are given a secluded spot to reflect alone, and are monitored by staff throughout the experience to maintain safety. Students find that Solo provokes profound and powerful learning in a short period of time and often becomes one of the most memorable parts of their Outward Bound course.
Outcomes
A 30-day Pathfinder course provides the opportunity to chart a path, the motivation to begin the journey and the skills required to achieve personal and professional goals. While adventuring in the backcountry and tackling physical, mental and emotional challenges, students will:
Develop more confidence and tenacity
Gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their strengths and values, and how to move forward in alignment with those values
Increase self-knowledge and awareness, as evidenced by a clearer sense of identity and an increase in sense of potential
Develop grit and self-efficacy, as evidenced by increased perseverance and confidence to complete tasks and reach for goals
Improve decision-making skills through the day-to-day running of an expedition
Depart with written goals for the future along with increased resiliency to handle what challenges may come as they pursue their newly defined direction
Photo courtesy
of Brian Minor
Photo courtesy
of Lisa Pugh
Course Area
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota Established in 1978, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is a labyrinth of lakes and rock that has been specifically protected as a true American wilderness. No roads, power lines or motorized craft may enter its borders. Therefore, the Boundary Waters wilderness has changed little since its unveiling when the glaciers melted 10,000 years ago.
Over one million acres in size, the BWCAW extends 150 miles along the Minnesota/Canadian border. With over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, nearly 2,200 designated campsites and more than 1,000 lakes and streams, the BWCAW is a truly amazing place to experience the wilderness. It contains portage-linked lakes and streams, interspersed with islands, forests and crags. It has no piped water, prepared shelters or signs to point the way. Within these borders students can canoe, portage and camp in the spirit of the French-Canadian Voyageurs of 200 years ago. Paddling routes offer outstanding opportunities for solitude, remoteness, teamwork, adventure and challenge.
In the winter, the Boundary Waters transforms into an even more severe and remote wilderness. While more difficult, winter enthusiasts travel over frozen lakes and rivers by dogsled, cross-country ski and snowshoe. Winter in the Boundary Waters is mesmerizing, peaceful and exhilarating. It is a place of spectacular extremes, trackless snow, bracing cold air, glowing warm embers and powerful silence. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) nations.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
DAY 1
Course start, meet group, organize gear and camp under the stars
DAY 2-4
Intro to winter camping/cross country ski training trip
DAY 5-7
Dog sled intro, food and gear packing
DAY 8-17
Travel day: Dog sled, ski, camp in the Boundary Waters
DAY 18-20
Solo
DAY 21-24
Final Challenge: Independently dog sled, ski, camp in the Boundary Waters
DAY 25-26
Arrive at base camp, sauna, gear clean
DAY 27-28
Service project: around Outward Bound base camp or within the local community
DAY 29
Family phone conference, course-end ceremonies
DAY 30
Depart for the airport and travel home
Course Stories
“I entered this course with the hope that I would grow and learn but had very little idea how. I hoped that I would gain confidence and courage, I hoped that I’d find my way. But this course was hard. I was uncomfortable. And that was the greatest gift Outward Bound could have given me. There is little room for growth within your comfort zone and miles and miles and miles of growth out there, in the wilderness. And out there you also find lessons about concepts you never even thought of. I could probably write a book on the things I’ve learned during these 30 days!" – Danielle, Voyageur Outward Bound School Pathfinder Alum
“On my pathfinder journey, I learned many things about myself. I learned that I can do anything I set my mind to & I can push myself further than I ever believed possible. I am the master of my own destiny and how I act and portray myself greatly affects the outcome. I appreciate the chance I got to spent 30 days and 30 nights with eight other people searching for answers to questions we didn’t even know we had.” – Josh, Voyageur Outward Bound School Pathfinder Alum
“On this experience I learned a lot about myself as well as how to live and work with a group of people. All of us came from different backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses. We learned how to use those strengths to benefit the group. We learned how to manage and support others through their struggles. Although Outward Bound is challenging, you will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment like no other when you finish. And you definitely see the parallels of the simple tasks in the back country to the complex situations life throws at you in the front country.” – Julia, Voyageur Outward Bound School Pathfinder Alum
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.