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Program Overview

Location
Southwest
Start Location
Grand Junction, CO
End Location
Grand Junction, CO
Program
High School
Length
22 Days
Expeditions
Backpacking
Canyoneering
Rafting
Activities
Alpine Backpacking, Canyon Backpacking, River Navigation, Service, Whitewater Rafting, Canyoneering, Rafting

Skills

Technical
  • Basic Paddle Strokes
  • Belaying a Climber
  • Campcraft
  • Food Preparation and Cooking
  • Knots
  • Map and Compass
  • Natural History
  • Navigation
  • Rappelling
  • River Reading
  • Self Care
  • Sheltering Strategies
  • Travel Techniques
  • Water Safety and Rescue
Interpersonal
  • Character
  • Communication
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Empathy
  • Independence
  • Leadership
  • Positive Risk Taking
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience
  • Responsibility
  • Self Awareness
  • Self Confidence
  • Service

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Southwest Alpine Backpacking, Canyoneering & Rafting

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This 22-day alpine backpacking, canyoneering and rafting course is ideal for individuals ready for a classic river trip and the adventure and challenge of canyoneering in Utah’s dramatic landscapes.

Work with your crew to become a team and maneuver your raft through Class II and III rapids. Build your muscles and skills paddling flat-water sections between the rapids. You’ll learn how to coordinate your positioning and spacing and time your strokes to help and protect each other as you go. In the mountains and the canyons, traverse over high passes, descend into lush, vegetated valleys and attempt several summits, learning to rely on and help each other at every step of the way. You’ll leave with an increased sense of self, leadership and backcountry knowledge.

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. 

Program Overview

Location
Southwest
Start Location
Grand Junction, CO
End Location
Grand Junction, CO
Program
High School
Length
22 Days
See More Details
Expeditions
Backpacking
Canyoneering
Rafting
Activities
Alpine Backpacking, Canyon Backpacking, River Navigation, Service, Whitewater Rafting, Canyoneering, Rafting

Skills

Technical
  • Basic Paddle Strokes
  • Belaying a Climber
  • Campcraft
  • Food Preparation and Cooking
  • Knots
  • Map and Compass
  • Natural History
  • Navigation
  • Rappelling
  • River Reading
  • Self Care
  • Sheltering Strategies
  • Travel Techniques
  • Water Safety and Rescue
Interpersonal
  • Character
  • Communication
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Empathy
  • Independence
  • Leadership
  • Positive Risk Taking
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience
  • Responsibility
  • Self Awareness
  • Self Confidence
  • Service

UPCOMING COURSES

This course is closed for the season.

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
Course start
DAY2-9
Alpine backpacking, peak attempts, possible rock climbing, hiking, Solo, resupply, canyon day
DAY10-15
Canyon backpacking, possible rappelling
DAY16-21
Launch on Cataract Canyon, whitewater rafting, hiking
DAY22
Final Challenge Event and course end

I have met some intriguing and intellectual individuals from all around the country who have pushed me to think differently about ongoing issues. We slept under the star-laden skies, paddled our hearts out on the Colorado River and worked as a team to accomplish this course.

— Benjamin Outward Bound alumnus
Classic Courses

It’s time to make your own adventure. Outward Bound’s Classic expeditions for middle and high school students are built with you in mind. Make new friends, sleep under the stars, and learn skills like backcountry navigation and how to cook a delicious meal no matter where you are. You’ve got this! Whether you’re in a raft or on a mountainside, you’ll learn what you’re made of – and you’ll see first-hand how far teamwork can take you. Join us for an unforgettable challenge and discover a whole new way to get outside.  

  • Build skills, form connections: Learn and practice wilderness, teamwork and leadership skills. 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, develop your leadership abilities and learn how to let compassion in to everyday life by pushing your own limits and working alongside your peers.
  • Demonstrate mastery: As you gain confidence in new skills, take on more decision-making responsibilities. Work together to achieve team goals, solve problems and succeed both as individuals and as a group.

  • What you’ll learn: Your connections matter – working together to navigate challenges will quickly turn your crewmates into friends. Together, you’ll find opportunities to carry more weight (literally and figuratively) and make impactful decisions with accompanying consequences. It’s all about confidence, communication, and independence. 

After you come home, many of the character, leadership and service traits you uncovered on your expedition stay with you, helping you navigate your daily life with more resilience and success.

Backpacking
Four people wearing backpacks smile for a photo on an overlook high above a desert landscape.
Photo courtesy of Cara Befort
A group of people hike along a trail in a desert landscape. In the distance, it appears to be raining.
Photo courtesy of Cara Befort
a group of people examine a map that is spread out on the ground
Photo courtesy of Cara Befort
A group of students pose for a photo on an overlook above a winding river
Photo courtesy of Ashley Perry
A group of students wearing backpacks pose for a photo in a green meadow
Photo courtesy of Scout Sorcic
Two lanterns illuminate a group of outward bound students resting at dusk
Photo courtesy of Scout Sorcic
a group of students examine a map that is spread out on the ground
Photo courtesy of Scout Sorcic
A group of students wearing backpacks smile for a photo in a green meadow
Photo courtesy of Dave Erbe
A group of students hold another up who is laying across them.
Photo courtesy of Hunter Stafford
a person wearing a headlamp looks up, illuminating the green trees and night sky before them.

The course begins with lessons in basic travel and camping techniques. Along the way, students learn Leave No Trace¨ techniques, map and compass navigation, camp craft and get a feel for the human and natural history of the area. Students backpack in the canyons and out across the mesas, camp on vast expanses of desert slickrock and stop along the way to explore amazing ruins and interesting geology. Most importantly, students get to spend time in an incredible area of the desert, sleep under the stars, feel the sunshine on their face and watch the sunset over this simple but magical landscape.

Canyoneering

With their crew, students will journey through the intriguing and difficult-to-explore canyon country, taking in the infinite shapes of the arches, towers, buttes, amphitheaters, overhangs, and domes. While doing this, students will carry a 45 to 60 pound backpack which will have all that's needed to thrive in the wilderness. Sometimes students will shed their backpacks for smaller daypacks to navigate into narrow slots or explore thousand-year-old cliff dwellings and rock art. Crews camp on expansive rock slabs, stopping along the way to explore microclimates and canyon ecosystems. All the while, students continue learning how to use maps and compasses, to cook meal, negotiate slickrock obstacles, find water, and live comfortably in the immense canyons. The days can be long and hard, but the canyons reward students with their jaw-dropping beauty. Students will spend time in an incredible area where life becomes more in tune with the essentials of traveling through a landscape of rock, sand, sky.

Rafting
A group of people navigate a raft on a river sided by tall canyon walls
Photo courtesy of Cara Befort
A group of people navigate a raft on a river sided by tall canyon walls
Photo courtesy of Cara Befort
A group of people wearing helmets listen to an instructor as they provide instructions while pointing out to the river.
Photo courtesy of Cara Befort
A group of people stand on a cliff, overlooking a river winding through a desert landscape.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Perry
Two people stand on a rock overlooking a river below. There are tall canyon walls on either side of the river.
Photo courtesy of Dave Erbe
A group of students sit on the ground while listening to an instructor provide information. Below them, a river winds through canyon walls.
Photo courtesy of Dave Erbe
A group of people wearing safety gear navigate a raft.
Photo courtesy of Dave Erbe
A group of people hike away from a river in a desert landscape
Photo courtesy of Dave Erbe
two people wearing safety gear stand on a rock overlooking a river surrounded by tall canyon walls.
Photo courtesy of Dave Erbe

Each day on the river is spent learning to recognize and navigate various obstacles and hazards in the river, and how to anticipate the forces of the current from far enough upstream. Students work to become a team, coordinating spacing and paddle strokes. Each student will have an opportunity to be the captain of their raft and practice new skills as they maneuver through adrenaline-filled rapids and flat-water sections.

In places, the canyon rims rise thousands of feet above, enclosing participants in a remote world of rushing water, delicate ecosystems and unbelievable beauty. Most courses get the opportunity to take day hikes away from the river and up to the canyon rim. These hikes provide amazing views, a change of pace and often the chance to see Native American ruins, petroglyphs, pictographs and strange but beautiful geological formations.

Final Expedition

The course ends with a Final Expedition, during which the crew heads back into the field to put all of their newly acquired skills into practice. Depending on the team’s ability levels, instructors step back during this section and allow the crew to take over decision-making responsibilities for navigation, time schedules, communication and general leadership.

Outcomes

This 22-day course, like all Outward Bound expeditions, is focused on building character and leadership skills. Short courses are a great option for students looking for an introduction to the outdoors or for those who need a quick recharge.

On longer courses, Instructors progressively hand over more of the decision making and leadership of the expedition to the crew, allowing each person to test the new technical and interpersonal skills they’ve learned. Through the dynamics of an evolving group setting, students have more freedom to investigate who they are and how they want to develop personally. All along the way, students experience a wide variety of some of the most beautiful wilderness in the US and the world.

Service
A person pushes a wheelbarrow full of rocks during a service project with outward bound.
Photo courtesy of Matt Nuñez

Participants follow Leave No Trace ethics as service to the environment and do acts of service while leading and supporting fellow participants. Students develop a value of service, seeing the impact of their actions firsthand and transfer this desire to serve their communities back home. Past projects have included working on a goat farm, building trails, cleaning trash and debris from natural spaces, working with a local community garden, and removing invasive species.

Solo

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

With all the food, skills and supplies they need, participants are given a secluded spot to reflect alone and are monitored by Instructors at regular intervals, as safety is always a top priority. 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 experience.

Course Area

La Sal Mountains, Utah

The La Sal Mountains rise dramatically out of the desert, towering 9,000 feet above the surrounding canyonlands and the sporting mecca of Moab. The La Sals are known for their groves of aspen, rich amount of wildlife, high summits and incredible views overlooking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks and the Four Corners area. Hidden lakes dot the landscape. Peaks in the La Sals range from 10,000 feet to just under 13,000 feet. These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) nation.

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 canyonlands of Southern Utah are still as stunning, mysterious and wild as they were for the ancestral Puebloan and Fremont Native Americans who roamed these lands over 800 years ago, and whose ruins and rock art still abound in the canyons. The canyons are composed of a spell-binding labyrinth of alcoves, fins, pinnacles, buttes, towering walls, ledges and arches just waiting to be explored on canyon backpacking courses. Canyoneering courses also venture into narrower, deeper chasms two feet wide with walls several hundred feet on each side. These sandstone slot canyons are a geological playground for scrambling, teamwork and rappelling. These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) and Pueblos nations.

San Juan River, Utah

The San Juan River flows 83 miles through the deeply-incised sandstone slick rock country of the Colorado Plateau in many tight bends. The San Juan is world-renowned for archaeological sites of the Fremont and Anasazi cultures, featuring both petroglyphs and spacious cliff dwellings accessible on side hikes from the river. The San Juan River is also well known for its exquisite natural scenery as you’ll soon find out once you are deep within the towering canyon walls. These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Diné, Pueblos, and Hopi nations.

Course Stories

Slept under the star-laden skies

I have met some intriguing and intellectual individuals from all around the country who have pushed me to think differently about ongoing issues. We slept under the star-laden skies, paddled our hearts out on the Colorado River and worked as a team to accomplish this course.

— Benjamin Outward Bound alumnus

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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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