Backpacking

This course provides an introductory experience in the art and craft of backpacking while exploring a rich national treasure. As no prior experience is necessary, instructors will teach the crew how to cook, set up of tarp shelters and on-trail navigation. Instructors facilitate activities and lessons focused on teamwork, communication and self-discovery. Each young person is capable of more than they know, and this course helps students realize their own potential and return to their day-to-day lives with increased confidence, work ethic and self-awareness.

Please note: Students carry both personal and group gear, which means packs can be heavy. Students should be physically able to hike with a 40-pound backpack to be successful on this course. If the applicant is under 5 feet tall and/or 85 pounds, please call Outward Bound prior to enrollment.

Service

Service to others and the environment is a core value of Outward Bound and is integrated into each course. Students follow Leave No Trace ethics and complete acts of service while leading and supporting fellow crew members. Designated service projects are coordinated with land managers like the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service to collaborate on land restoration projects. Students develop a value of service, see the impact of their actions, firsthand, and transfer this desire to serve their communities at home.

Solo

Outward Bound believes in order for profound learning to take place, there must be time to reflect on the experience. Within course, the solo is that opportunity. It is a chance to experience solitude in the wilderness without distraction while also taking a break from the physical rigors of course. Students are separated from their group for a period of time which depends on course length and Instructor assessment of group capability. Solo sites are chosen to provide solitude. On this course, the Solo time will not exceed 12 hours.

Outcomes

Our courses vary in length from 4 to 85 days. On shorter courses, students will receive an introduction to leadership skills, strength of character and a desire to serve. With longer courses, the same outcomes and benefits are achieved but reach a more profound level of mastery, as there are more opportunities develop technical skills, receive and implement feedback and further personal development.

Course Area

Yosemite National Park, located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, is famous for breathtaking views of waterfalls, massive granite domes and peaceful alpine meadows. Yosemite is home to some of the world’s most treasured landmarks. While this course steers clear of the crowded tourist attractions of the valley, dramatic alpine scenery can be seen in the horizon such as peaks that rise from the valley to elevations above 12,000 feet. 

The Sierra Nevada offers fairly stable and beautiful weather. Spring can bring snow and cold temperatures. As summer advances, temperatures tend to become more moderate. Summer temperatures are in the 70s to 80s during the day and 30s to 50s in the evening. This course area has some of the most famous, though often under-utilized, alpine climbing and backpacking routes for students to experience. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Northern Paiute, Western Mono/Monache, Me-Wuk (Central Sierra Miwok), and Me-Wuk (Southern Sierra Miwuk) nations.