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Photograph (above) taken by Brooke Warren

Program Overview

Location
F Colorado Rockies
Seasons
Summer
Start Location
Denver, CO
End Location
Denver, CO
Certifications
Wilderness First Aid
Program
Pathfinder
Length
30 Days
Price
$8,070
We offer Financial Aid.
Expeditions
Backpacking
Leadership Intensive
Rock Climbing
Service Intensive
Activities
Alpine Backpacking, Service, Rock Climbing, Base Camp

Skills

Technical
  • Basic First Aid
  • Campcraft
  • Food Preparation and Cooking
  • Knots
  • Map and Compass
  • Navigation
  • Safety and Risk Management
  • Self Care
  • Travel Techniques
Interpersonal
  • Character
  • Communication
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving
  • Responsibility
  • Self Awareness
  • Self Confidence
  • Service

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Pathfinder Colorado Rockies Alpine Backpacking & Rock Climbing

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The iconic peaks of the Colorado Rockies will be your guide as you take time to slow down and think about your future.

You’ll learn to navigate the backcountry on foot as you travel past alpine meadows, rocky summits, and mirrored alpine lakes. Starry skies and fields of wildflowers will be your classroom as you learn to cook outdoors and chart your daily path with your crewmates. Enjoy times of reflection as you watch the sun rise and set over the mountains each day. By the end of your expedition, you and your crewmates will be the expedition leaders. You’ll work together to attempt to summit a Rocky Mountain peak. No previous hiking or camping experience is necessary to embark on this journey.

Your Instructors will serve as trainers and mentors. Through daily discussions, they will help you discover new things about yourself: how you deal with stress, your goals and values, and your potential as a leader. You’ll return home with the skills needed to pursue your passions and achieve your goals.

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Program Overview

Location
F Colorado Rockies
Seasons
Summer
Start Location
Denver, CO
End Location
Denver, CO
Certifications
Wilderness First Aid
Program
Pathfinder
Length
30 Days
Price
$8,070
We offer Financial Aid.
See More Details
Expeditions
Backpacking
Leadership Intensive
Rock Climbing
Service Intensive
Activities
Alpine Backpacking, Service, Rock Climbing, Base Camp

Skills

Technical
  • Basic First Aid
  • Campcraft
  • Food Preparation and Cooking
  • Knots
  • Map and Compass
  • Navigation
  • Safety and Risk Management
  • Self Care
  • Travel Techniques
Interpersonal
  • Character
  • Communication
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving
  • Responsibility
  • Self Awareness
  • Self Confidence
  • Service

UPCOMING COURSES

Course # CCPE-2461

Age 18 - 25

Days 30

Cost $8,070

Dates 8/31/2024 - 9/29/2024

APPLY NOW

APPLY NOW

This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.

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Thank you for your interest in Outward Bound! 

This course starts within the next week. Please call us at 866-467-7651 to assess the possibility of applying for this course!

APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.

APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!

JOIN WAITLIST
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.

CALL TO APPLY
This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.

COURSE IS FULL
When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.

CLOSED
As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.

Sample Itinerary
DAY1-2
Course start: gear check, team-building activities, and course area familiarization
DAY3-4
Wilderness First Aid Course
DAY5-12
Learn to backpack in the mountains. Develop skills in map reading, trail navigation, camp craft, Leave No Trace, and more. Engage in lessons in self-awareness, leadership, goal setting, and decision-making
DAY13-20
Practice your skills in backcountry navigation and leadership. Learn to lead your group through technical terrain. Spend time alone (Solo) for introspection and to practice your camp craft skills.
DAY20-27
Final Expedition: test your new skills by attempting to summit a technical mountain peak
DAY28-29
Return to base for a challenge event, service projects, and course end celebrations
DAY30
Departure home

There is not a week that goes by that Max doesn't share a funny story, an uncomfortable situation or an incredible experience from Outward Bound. He is more confident in the outdoors and has a love of nature like never before. He's not afraid to try new things and meet people who are very different than he is.

— Rebecca
We Accept 529 College Savings Plans

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. 

Pathfinder Courses

Sometimes the noise of daily life makes it difficult to know what we really want, to set clear goals for ourselves, and to forge a path forward. Here’s your reset button. Our Pathfinder expeditions are designed to support students in increasing self-knowledge and awareness, improving goal-setting and decision-making processes, and developing perseverance and self-efficacy. As in the field, so in life: challenge yourself to dream big, then identify your steps to get there and start moving. We’ll put the map in your hands. You chart your path. 

  • 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.

Backpacking
A group of people wearing backpacks hike on a grassy strip of land between two small bodies of water. Their images are reflected in the body of water in the foreground.
Photo courtesy of Brian Litz
A group of people carrying backpacks and wearing safety gear hike along a rocky ridge with blue skies above.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Daun
A person jumps off a rock into a body of water.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Daun
A group of people wearing safety gear make their way up a rocky landscape.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Daun
A group of people wearing backpacks pose for a photo in green mountainous valley.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Daun
A person wearing safety gear stands atop a rocky summit in front of snow-capped mountains. Behind them, more people are making their way up to the summit.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Daun
A white mountain goat stands on a grassy incline.
Photo courtesy of Hannah Trim
A group of students pose for a photo in front of a small body of water that is surrounded by green grass.
Photo courtesy of Ian McConnell
A group of people wearing backpacks hike in a line in front of a body of water in a mountainous landscape.
Two people stand near a tarp shelter that is resting beside a body of water. I light dusting of snow is covering the landscape.

Backpackers carry everything they need - food, shelter, clothing and gear – allowing them to go deep into nature where few people go. Students feel a sense of freedom from the stresses of modern life and technology. The simplicity of hiking gives students the opportunity to focus internally on their own thoughts. They also grow to be more present, connecting deeply with nature and their crewmates as they talk, sing and spend time together without distraction.

The course begins with lessons in basic packing and hiking techniques. Along the way, students learn Leave No Trace techniques, map and compass navigation, and outdoor cooking. As students explore remote regions of the Rocky Mountains, they get to sleep under the stars, feel the sunshine on their face, and watch the sun set over rugged mountain peaks. By the end of course, most crews will have the chance to attempt to summit a high mountain peak.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is the ultimate opportunity to challenge oneself physically and mentally. Students will learn new body mechanics, balance and energy maintenance techniques. They will learn how to climb safely and unlock the incredible feeling of flowing up a route. There are many ways to climb the same rock, allowing each climber to solve the puzzle in their own way. Students will learn basic climbing techniques, helmet and harness use, climbing commands and belaying, placing gear, setting up top ropes and may have the opportunity to attempt multi-pitch ascents.

Wilderness First Aid

On this course, students have the opportunity to gain a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification which is considered a standard for many jobs in the Outdoor Industry. The course teaches the fundamentals of giving basic medical care in backcountry environments.

Service
One student uses a saw on a piece of wood while two others brace it.
Photo courtesy of Griff Jones
Two people smile at the camera while posing with a llama.
Photo courtesy of Griff Jones

Service is a pillar of the Outward Bound experience. On each course, Students learn to practice intentional service to themselves, to others and to the environment. This may look like practicing self-care or supporting a crewmate who is having a hard day. Participants also learn to Leave No Trace ethics, practicing service to the environment by preserving and respecting the fragile ecosystems they encounter. Students experience firsthand the social and emotional benefits of acts of service. They are encouraged to bring this ethic of care to their life back home.  

Solo

In order for profound learning to take place, there must be time to reflect on the experience. Solo is that opportunity, and can range anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours or more, depending on course length and type, as well as the competency and preparedness of the student group. Weather and time permitting, 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 external stimulation of modern life. 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. 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 an Outward Bound experience.

Outcomes

Our expeditions help students grow into the best version of themselves. We use challenge in the outdoors to allow students to discover their strengths and build authentic connections with their peers. Compassion for oneself and others is foundational to our educational approach. As students realize that they are stronger than they know, they develop confidence and resilience that will last a lifetime. Social and emotional learning outcomes include:

  • Belonging – students form deep connections founded upon respect, inclusion, and compassion
  • Reflection – students learn self-awareness and practice empathy towards others
  • Physical Engagement – students develop awareness and confidence in their bodies
  • Courage – students develop the confidence to speak up for themselves and persevere through challenges
Course Area
The sky appears in soft shades of pink, purple and orange as the sun sets or rises on a mountainous landscape
Photo courtesy of Brandon Daun
A vast mountainous landscape rests under a blue sky. There are snow in some parts of the scene.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Daun
Behind a grove of fall-colored trees, there is a snow-capped mountain.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Daun
A mountain goat grazes amid wild flowers and rocks
Pink wild flowers jut upwards in front of a mountain landscape

Rocky Mountains, Colorado

The Colorado Rockies is one of the most famous and iconic sections of the Rocky Mountains. Colorado is home to the greatest concentration of high peaks in the lower 48 states, with hundreds of mountains standing over 13,000 and 14,000 feet tall. The region is characterized by dense pine forests and rocky alpine ecosystems. Students will enjoy clear blue glacial lakes, fields of wildflowers, waterfalls, and striking rock formations. Most courses will also get the opportunity to attempt to summit a mountain peak. If they are observant, students can spot wildlife like elk, mountain goats, moose, marmots, pikas and eagles. These regions are within the ancestral lands of of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux), Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Pueblos nations.

Course Stories

An incredible experience from Outward Bound

There is not a week that goes by that Max doesn't share a funny story, an uncomfortable situation or an incredible experience from Outward Bound. He is more confident in the outdoors and has a love of nature like never before. He's not afraid to try new things and meet people who are very different than he is.

— Rebecca
I gained so much confidence in myself and leadership skills.

I was told that Outward Bound was a place that changes people before I came here. But I could never have imagined how much it would change me. OB creates a safe space for students to learn, grow, and have fun. I would not trade my experience for anything, even the challenging parts. Through Outward Bound I have learned to face challenge and turn it into a learning opportunity… This was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but through that challenge I gained so much confidence in myself and leadership skills.

— Sarah

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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. 

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