to our world. - NOLS

Welcome to the American Southwest: A horizon studded with saguaro cactus, hidden nooks lush with watercress, granite
strongholds glowing orange in the setting sun, the call of a Gambel’s quail, the smell of mesquite washed in a pounding
desert rain. Now put yourself in the picture. You will be climbing, hiking, canoeing, and caving in terrain as varied
as those skills. From our headquarters on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, we explore the amazing diversity of this
desert region, a land of mountain lion, javelina, and white-tailed deer. Birds such as the elegant trogon and white-eared
hummingbird fly the same skies as red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures. It’s a land that famed naturalist Aldo Leopold
called “near to being the cream of creation." Courses pass through areas also rich in human history, areas originally
inhabited by ancient cultures and areas with a more recent Spanish influence. With easy access, amazing contrasts, and
challenging technical skills, a course at NOLS Southwest is hard to beat.
SOUTHWEST
Josh Beckner
Ryan Hutchins-Cabibi
The Southwest is an ideal learning ground for outdoor educators to strengthen their
teaching and technical skills. Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Going lightweight allows students to push the limits of their gear and put more miles
under their feet. Galiuro Mountains, Arizona
SOUTHWEST OUTDOOR EDUCATOR:
BACKPACKING AND ROCK CLIMBING
Are you an active or aspiring outdoor educator? This is your
opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for
teaching and leading field-based wilderness education programs.
While in the desert, you’ll learn basic outdoor living skills such
as minimum-impact camping, first aid, and map reading. We’ll
also give you an inside track into the fundamentals of running
wilderness education courses with an overview of program supervision,
risk management, and NOLS administrative practices.
While building a foundation of program knowledge, the course
dives into a 19-day backpacking expedition in the pristine desert
landscape of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge followed by 10
days of rock climbing at Cochise Stronghold, a maze of granite
pinnacles in the Dragoon Mountains.
DETAILS
Age and Length: 18 & Over • Average age: 26 • Duration: 31 days
Eligibility: Qualified practicing or aspiring outdoor educators
Tuition: $4,215
Optional College Credit: 2 hours Outdoor Educator, 2 hours Leadership Techniques,
2 hours Environmental Ethics
Dates: page 106
Facing page: Consistently good weather and solid rock contribute to another amazing
climbing day in the Southwest. Cochise Stronghold, Arizona
SOUTHWEST LIGHTWEIGHT BACKPACKING
Leave your hiking boots and water bottles at home; trail shoes and
hydration bladders are all the rage these days. Partnering with Go-
Lite, we are proud to offer this cutting-edge course in the deserts
of the Southwest. Your adventure starts in the equipment room as
NOLS instructors inspect and weigh your lightweight gear and
pull together a specialized ration for your expedition, helping you
shave ounces for the lightest possible load without compromising
functionality. Then, for the next two weeks, you'll explore either
the Galiuro Mountains or the Gila Wilderness, some of the Southwest’s
most remote ranges, in a way you may never have thought
possible: with only 25 pounds on your back. The only thing we
won’t go light with on this course is our core curriculum. You’ll still
master the leadership and outdoor living skills that NOLS is built
upon while learning the specific skills of lightweight backpacking.
Expect to leave this course with the skills and background necessary
to plan and execute your own future lightweight adventures.
DETAILS
Age and Length: 18 & Over • Average age: 23 • Duration: 14 days
Tuition: $3,325
Optional College Credit: 2 hours Skills Practicum
Dates: page 106
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