“Everything about that expedition meant the world to me. I met my best friend, acquired a newfound appreciation for the environment and decided what I wanted to do with my future, just in that short timeframe.” – POBS Student
This multi-element leadership course is an opportunity for you to challenge yourself backpacking and canoeing through the picturesque Appalachian Mountains and Delaware River Water Gap (the longest free-flowing river in the Eastern United States). Live and travel where the river cuts a twisting path through 1,400-foot Kittatinny Ridge and supports the largest winter populations of bald and golden eagles in the East. Take on new and exciting challenges and feel the adrenaline rush as you learn what it means to be part of a crew. You’ll trust, communicate, motivate and suppor one another as you test personal limits, practice leadership and teamwork, build confidence and compassion, and meet personal and group goals. You will be positioned to inspire others and sharpen your leadership skills in the outdoor environment. Leave No Trace™ ethics, basic wilderness first aid and leadership development techniques are part of your training. No prior experience is necessary, but you should bring an open mind, be prepared to take your skills to the next level and push yourself beyond what you thought possible.
You should arrive physically and mentally prepared for an “Expedition-style” course, meaning you will leave the Philadelphia base on the first day of course to travel the backcountry by foot or canoe daily, and not return to base until the last day of the course. You and your group will be moving to a new campsite every night as you travel along your expedition route. This means no showers (perhaps some swimming), no cell phones, no television, nor any other modern luxuries to which you may be accustomed. You should come to your course prepared for, and excited about, devoting all of your time and energy to your expedition, your crew, and your Outward Bound experience!
COURSE # | DATES | DAYS | AGE | COST | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PPML-031 | 6.16.20 - 6.27.20 | 12 | 12 - 14 | $2,892 | APPLY NOW |
PPYL-041 | 7.5.20 - 7.18.20 | 14 | 14 - 16 | $3,674 | APPLY NOW |
PPTL-041 | 7.26.20 - 8.8.20 | 14 | 14 - 16 | $3,674 | APPLY NOW |
PPML-032 | 7.26.20 - 8.6.20 | 12 | 12 - 14 | $2,892 | APPLY NOW |
This course starts within the next week. Please call us at 866-467-7651 to assess the possibility of applying for this course!
Are you ready to take a journey that will change your life? You won’t look at day-to-day drama the same way after you’ve conquered a high mountain ridge, made a boat obey your command in windswept waves or slept under the stars watching bats swoop overhead. Joining an Outward Bound expedition changes you. Your crew, your Instructor, your route and your adventures will have a profound and lasting impact on you as you rise to meet exhilarating natural challenges in some of the country’s wildest places.
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.
Students will learn the necessary skills for wilderness travel: safety, appropriate packing and wilderness hygiene, cooking backcountry meals and group hiking, tarp sleeping systems, navigation and Leave No Trace principles to name a few. Students will be physically and emotionally challenged as they work as a team to accomplish goals and put learned skills to practice. The course will begin the moment students arrive at our Outward Bound base and continue through the expedition on the trails. Students will acquire technical skills and long-lasting life skills.
Students will learn technical paddling skills, river dynamics, navigation and rescue techniques as they explore the Delaware River Water Gap and its rapids, islands and wildlife. The crew will practice learned skills and develop technique as they navigate the river and its pools, eddies, and swift currents. As a crew they will work as a team to maneuver down the river, supporting one another and using the skills of backcountry living on the river.
Students will engage in Solo, a period of solitude, as a way to take a break from the physical nature of the expedition and experience a time and opportunity for self-awareness, reflection and application of learning. Instructors will set the tone and help students prepare for this unique opportunity to reflect on their current experience and personal growth as well as the application of their experience to their learning and social environments.
During this multi-element leadership intensive course, students will use the course area to develop and hone leadership and community-building skills. Students will demonstrate proficiency in technical backpacking and canoeing skills and demonstrate the self-awareness and emotional intelligence needed to become a compassionate leader who builds relationships and strong bonds with their crew. As they work together as a team, students develop trust, apply newly acquired personal and group skills, and recognize and demonstrate sound principles for being a successful and efficient crew.
Appalachian Trail/Delaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area encompasses 67,000 acres of mountain ridge, forest and floodplain on both sides of the Delaware River in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. From the southern end of the park, you can view the S-shaped chasm of the Delaware Water Gap, where the river cuts a twisting path through 1,400-foot Kittatinny Ridge. Within the river watershed, you'll discover steep wooded-and-rock slopes, bountiful rhododendron, dark hallows, tinsel-like ravines and tumbling waterfalls.
“Everything about that expedition meant the world to me. I met my best friend, acquired a newfound appreciation for the environment and decided what I wanted to do with my future, just in that short timeframe.” – POBS Student
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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.