Southwest Alpine Backpacking, Canyoneering & Rafting for Adults
Through rapids and red rock canyons, experience the wonders of Utah’s canyon country.
Feel the exhilaration of rushing waves as you paddle through whitewater rapids in steep, red rock canyons. Camp along sandy shores and search for shooting stars. Spot ancient dwellings and rock art and pictographs tucked within the canyon walls. Scramble through hidden slot canyons and across vibrant slickrock near Canyonlands National Park. Then trade your river shoes for hiking boots to traverse over high passes in the southern region of the Rocky Mountains. Starry skies and alpine lakes will be your classroom as your Instructors teach you to load a backpack, cook on a camp stove, and navigate the backcountry. By the end of your expedition, you and your crewmates will be the expedition leaders. You’ll work together to attempt to summit a high mountain peak. At the end of it all, you’ll emerge a confident and resilient leader with the tools to be your best self in nature and at home.
UPCOMING COURSES
Course # CUCQ-2451
Age 18 - 25
Days 22
Cost $7,230
Dates 6/10/2024 - 7/1/2024
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
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.
I was surrounded by the best educators who have inspired me in so many ways and I want to follow in their footsteps in my own unique way. My group has taught me so much about myself and the world around me. I am excited for my future and to use the life skills Outward Bound has provided me.
Backpackers carry everything they need - food, shelter, clothing and gear – allowing them to go deep into nature where few people go. As Students explore remote regions of the La Sal Mountains, they get to unplug from technology, sleep under the stars and watch the sun set over rugged mountain peaks. Students will learn to thrive in the backcountry, developing advanced techniques in setting up camp, map and compass navigation, and route-finding. The alpine offers an optimal classroom to learn backpacking safety and risk mitigation. Students will return home with the skills and confidence to embark on backpacking adventures in the mountains and beyond.
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Canyoneering is like playing in the most exciting adventure course imaginable. Each obstacle occurs naturally – formed by thousands of years of wind and water eroding the vibrant layers of rock. A combination of scrambling, hiking, wading through water, and rappelling may be involved during course. As students travel deeper through narrow and winding canyons, sunlight bounces off the walls causing the rock to glow red and orange. Hidden waterfalls and pools can be found, offering an oasis for both students and wildlife. Instructors will teach students how to travel safely and efficiently over rocks and across desert ecosystems. Crews work together, problem-solving and supporting each other as they navigate this dynamic and continuously changing environment.
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While rafting, each day is spent practicing paddle strokes and learning to read the water – all while taking in the beauty of the canyon. Crewmates will become a team, coordinating their paddling and taking turns as boat captains. Between rapids are flat water sections where students can swim, relax and enjoy the view. Time in a raft is ideal for getting to know each other and appreciating the natural world. Afternoons can bring strong winds, leading to challenge and adventure as crews paddle hard to reach camping destinations. The canyon rims can rise hundreds of feet above the river, enclosing participants in a remote world of rushing water and delicate ecosystems. Most courses get the opportunity to take day hikes away from the river. These hikes provide stunning views and often the chance to see archaeological sites, petroglyphs, pictographs and remarkable geological formations.
La Sal Mountains, Utah
The La Sal Mountains rise dramatically out of the desert, towering 9,000 ft. above the surrounding canyonlands. These majestic mountains are known for their groves of aspen, rich amount of wildlife, high summits, and incredible views overlooking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Hidden lakes and fields of wildflowers dot the landscape. Students may also spot wildlife like elk, mountain goats, marmots and eagles. Most courses will also get the opportunity to attempt to summit a mountain peak. Peaks in the La Sals range from ten thousand to just under thirteen thousand feet and include the highest mountains in Southern Utah. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux, Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Pueblos Nations.
Canyon Country, Utah
The most spectacular aspects of the Utah landscape are the hidden treasures found within its vast canyon networks, formed by millennia of wind and water. The canyons are composed of a spell-binding labyrinth of towering walls, arches, and slot canyons just waiting to be explored. On course, these vibrant formations are a geological playground for scrambling and teamwork. Canyoneering courses venture into narrower, deeper chasms sometimes as narrow as two feet wide with walls rising several hundred feet on each side. The desert ecosystem is characterized by aromatic plants like sagebrush and juniper and birds soaring high above canyon walls. The days can be hot in the summertime, but it always cools down in the evenings. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux, Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Pueblos Nations.
The Green River, Utah
The Green River is one of the largest and grandest rivers in the Southwest. It is famous for its world-renowned whitewater rapids and towering red rock canyon walls. Whitewater river sections may give students the opportunity to navigate Class 2 or 3 rapids while slow water sections provide time for swimming and relaxing. Throughout the canyon, there are spectacular cultural wonders including ancient dwellings and pictographs. As crews descend deeper into the canyons, they will get to observe a variety of unique geologic formations and layers of pink, red, and orange rock. Sagebrush, cottonwood, juniper, and willow trees pepper the shores. Beaches provide an opportunity to stop for lunch or set up camp along sandy shores. Many of our longer rafting courses will travel through Canyonlands National Park, reaching the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers. This section of the Green River is the ancestral land of the Ute Nation.
Course Stories
I was surrounded by the best educators who have inspired me in so many ways and I want to follow in their footsteps in my own unique way. My group has taught me so much about myself and the world around me. I am excited for my future and to use the life skills Outward Bound has provided me.
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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.