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Yosemite Backpacking for Adults

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LOCATION

E California

EXPEDITION TYPE

Backpacking

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Alpine Backpacking, Service

PRICE

$2,400

PROGRAM

Adult

AGES

30+

LENGTH

7 Days

START LOCATION

Fresno, CA

END LOCATION

Fresno, CA

SEASON(S)

Summer

SKILLS

TECHNICAL

Basic First Aid
Campcraft
Food Preparation and Cooking
Leave No Trace Methods & Ethics
Map and Compass
Navigation
Self Care

INTERPERSONAL

Camaraderie
Character
Communication
Empathy
Leadership
Positive Risk Taking
Resilience
Self Awareness
Self Confidence
Sense of Social Connection
Service

"The Outward Bound staff were incredibly supportive, ready to answer any questions, and address concerns with kindness and compassion. Course instructors were caring, knowledgeable and fun! They taught us to navigate the great outdoors, provided interesting nature lessons (I never knew that a Jeffrey Pine Tree smells just like vanilla!) and encouraged us to work as a team, embrace challenges and grow as individuals. As for my teammates, we were strangers. Now, we are forever bonded by our incredible experience, we will be friends for life.

"My Outward Bound adventure changed my life in unexpected ways. The experience of standing atop a large rock at the completion of a challenging hike, and saying, with arms raised and pure joy in my heart, “I DID IT!” helped me realize with perseverance, patience, faith in our abilities and a good belly laugh now and again, we can accomplish anything."

- Patricia Rosen

Explore the legendary Yosemite National Park wilderness with Outward Bound.

Backpack through old growth forests in the iconic Yosemite National park. Have a new adventure away from work, cell phones and schedules. This disconnection creates an opening for rediscovery and growth.

Yosemite National Park receives 4 million visitors every year, yet this course will take place in treasured areas away from the crowds in order to slow down the pace of life and welcome adventure in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

NOTE: This course requires that students submit proof of "Up-to-Date" COVID-19 Vaccination status as defined by the CDC. For questions regarding this policy please see this page or call us at 866-467-7651.

UPCOMING COURSES

What is this?

For detailed information on course availability statuses and what they mean, click here.

COURSE #	DATES	DAYS	AGE	COST
XMRB-222	8.21.22 - 8.27.22	7	30 and up	$ 2,400	Enrollment Closed

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!

Adult Courses

Do you ever want to unplug, step away from the daily grind to take on new challenges? Are you ready to conquer harder skills and remind your senses (or discover for the first time) what it’s like to crest a mountain peak, hear the echoes at the edge of a vast canyon or feel the rush of white water spray on your face? Take a break from your routine, radically change your surroundings and test your tenacity. Put some “firsts” in front of you and find moments of unexpected discovery along the way. Experience Outward Bound as an adult and prepare for an injection of adventure, awareness and adaptability that sticks with you long after you unpack your backpack.

Build skills, form connections: Meet like-minded peers and make connections as you work through priorities and adventures together, learn outdoor skills at the hands of expert Instructors, and earn every good night’s sleep.
Value strengths and strengthen values: Re-discover your inner strength, renew your natural leadership abilities and practice adapting to new environments. Tap in to your trust and compassion as you tackle obstacles with a support crew standing beside you.
Demonstrate mastery: As you awaken your wilderness skills and dig deep to rise to the physical and mental challenges, the bulk of the expedition’s leadership and decision-making responsibilities transfer from the Instructor to the crew. Work together to achieve team goals, solve problems and succeed both individually and together.
What you’ll learn: By allowing yourself to focus beyond daily responsibilities and obligations, you’ll master more difficult skills and open up new directions and opportunities you never thought possible. You’ll find clarity in the life changes you’re facing, you’ll uncover inspiration in the wilderness and you’ll renew your sense of adventure to take on the next challenge in front of you.

Return home with newly expanded wilderness acumen, an energized outlook, a rekindled allowance of empathy into situations and relationships and an eye toward the future.

Backpacking

This backpacking expedition will take participants high up into the less-traversed sections of this legendary park. Participants will learn the basics of backpacking, Leave No Trace camping and travel skills, outdoor cooking techniques, map and compass use, route finding and expedition living. They will spend time hiking in forested areas and in the alpine environment above tree line, often camping next to deep blue alpine lakes that offer the opportunity to swim and rinse off after a long day.

As our lives are a constant work in progress, this course is dedicated to a simpler life, if only for a short time, to facilitate a place for reflection. Participants will stretch their boundaries, work hard together, and achieve heights either for the first time or revisit a past passion for outdoor exploration.

Service

Service to others and to the environment are core values of Outward Bound and they are integrated into each course. Participants follow Leave No Trace ethics as part of their service to the environment. Students develop an ingrained appreciation of service, seeing the impact of their actions firsthand, by multiple small acts of service with and for their crewmates while leading and supporting each other throughout the journey.

Photo courtesy of Rikki Dunn

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. Participants have all necessary equipment, food and water. Solos range in length from 12 hours to 72 hours.

Photo courtesy of Micah Bowe

Outcomes

Outward Bound courses vary in length from four (4) to 85 days. On shorter courses, participants will receive an introduction to leadership skills, strength of character and a desire to serve while activities fill most of the time and the pace is quick. With longer courses, the same outcomes and benefits are achieved with the opportunity to reach a more profound level of mastery as there are more chances to develop technical skills, receive and implement feedback and further personal development. However many days the expedition lasts, the strength and impact of the experience lasts a lifetime.

Backpacking and wilderness navigation techniques are great practice for the essential skills and habits that help prepare for new challenges at work, home and in the community. Outward Bound expeditions encourage students:

to remain engaged and present, giving every challenge the best effort, even when the goal seems beyond reach.
to form a team and focus on the team effort.
to share responsibilities, communicate and lead. Leadership roles are shared within the group, and responsibilities rotate each day.
to find reserves of tenacity and compassion. Outward Bound courses are designed to expand and stretch your limits so that every expedition is a true accomplishment and a memorable journey.

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 including peaks rising 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. Please note that during years of high snow, the June course may be moved to an alternative and less snowy course area in the Sierras. Summer temperatures are in the 70s and 80s during the day and 30s to 50s in the evening. Outward Bound’s course area has some of the most famous, though often underutilized, alpine climbing and backpacking routes for participants 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.