SEMESTER IN THE Yukon AN ACTION-PACKED LEARNING ADVENTURE, this semester begins and ends in Whitehorse, Yukon Terri<strong>to</strong>ry, Canada, and is one of <strong>our</strong> most unique wilderness leadership programs. It takes place entirely in Canada’s North Country, where remote, wild land stands unparalleled. For 76 days y<strong>our</strong> expedition will explore the wilds of the Yukon with a backpack, canoe, and rope team, seeing few people along the way. In fact, with a ratio of six caribou and one moose <strong>to</strong> every Yukon resident and a grizzly bear <strong>to</strong> every Yukon family of f<strong>our</strong>, you’re more likely <strong>to</strong> share this vast wilderness with animals than with humans. Along y<strong>our</strong> route, you will fish, cross unnamed rivers, summit unnamed peaks, and explore the same areas as turn-of-the-century gold seekers. After this semester, you’ll be a comfortable traveler in the backcountry with unmatched technical expeditionary skills in backpacking and whitewater canoeing, as well as glacier, snow, and ice mountaineering. Roo Riley The cross-bow draw is a difficult stroke that y<strong>our</strong> <strong>NOLS</strong> instruc<strong>to</strong>rs will be sure <strong>to</strong> help you master. Hess River Facing page: Get y<strong>our</strong> feet wet with <strong>NOLS</strong>: Fording rivers is sometimes the only way <strong>to</strong> get from point A <strong>to</strong> point B. Tributary of the Chilkat River Leader-of-the-day opportunities allow students <strong>to</strong> think independently and implement the skills they have learned. Coast Mountains BACKPACKING From <strong>our</strong> base in Whitehorse, you’ll embark on the first phase of y<strong>our</strong> adventure: a backpacking section through the river valleys, alpine tundra, and boreal forests of the Yukon Terri<strong>to</strong>ry. You’ll move up remote mountain valleys, planning routes and choosing campsites. You’ll learn camping and travel skills pertaining <strong>to</strong> bear country—and a metric <strong>to</strong>nne about being comfortable outdoors—while traveling through alpine meadows and tundra and bushwhacking through trees and over passes in all kinds of weather. MOUNTAINEERING What you learn about mountain weather, leadership, and route finding on the backpacking section will prepare you <strong>to</strong> face the high glaciers on the mountaineering section. The Yukon’s mountains are an ideal classroom for learning technical mountaineering skills such as negotiating rocky mountain passes, icefalls, and glaciers. You’ll climb stunning peaks while learning rope-team, crampon, and other techniques <strong>to</strong> move over snow, ice, and rock terrain. WHITEWATER CANOEING The Yukon provides some of the best whitewater expeditioning in the <strong>world</strong>. For over three weeks, you’ll learn all the skills necessary <strong>to</strong> effectively paddle a variety rivers, including assessing, running, lining, and portaging rapids; river rescue techniques; and river management and navigation. As y<strong>our</strong> technical maneuvers improve, you’ll be polishing y<strong>our</strong> backcountry and leadership skills while you explore and live under the midnight sun. DETAILS SUMMER Age and Length: 16 & Over • Average age: 22 • Duration: 76 days Tuition: $10,270 Optional College Credit: 4 h<strong>our</strong>s Biology, 2 h<strong>our</strong>s Environmental Ethics, 2 h<strong>our</strong>s Leadership Techniques, 6 h<strong>our</strong>s Skills Practicum, 2 h<strong>our</strong>s Risk Management Dates: page 107 Pascal Beauvais 66 www.nols.edu • (800) 710-<strong>NOLS</strong> • admissions@nols.edu
YUKON Pascal Beauvais 67