I recently completed a 22-day course of backpacking, rock climbing and paddling in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was the most incredible and challenging experience of my life thus far. Everything was amazing: my crewmates, my Instructors, the location and the activities. I became incredibly close with my 11 crewmates and Instructors. My Instructors showed me exactly how comfortable and confident I am in the wilderness and on a rock face, which was incredibly empowering. I am so much more confident and strong, both physically and mentally, after my course.
Students will be backpacking in Pisgah National Forest where they will learn to travel through the backcountry, navigate varied terrain with a map and compass and how to do these activities responsibly using Leave No Trace principles. Equally important will be time spent learning conflict resolution skills, communication styles, how to lead and how to be a team player. After the crew has practiced these skills, their Instructors will step back and let the group work together to lead their own way through the wilderness where they will be rewarded with stunning, misty mountain vistas.
After a few days of exploring and building crew camaraderie, students will learn to maneuver Class I-Class III level whitewater rapids. Paddling through sculpted rock channels in tandem (two-person) canoes offers the perfect opportunity to foster further collaboration and communication skills between crewmates. Students will execute synchronized strokes, dynamic eddy turns, peel-outs, and ferries on either the French Broad, Tuckaseegee, Chattooga, New, or Nantahala Rivers. Some of the topics crews cover during this portion of the course include identification and use of equipment, basic water safety and rescue techniques, and how to work with paddling partners to successfully negotiate Class l- Class III rapids and flatwater and whitewater paddling strokes.
With a focus on safety, climbing instruction will start by teaching the basics, such as working with ropes and learning to tie knots. As students progress, they will learn how to climb up or rappel down a rock face. They may even have the opportunity to work through a high ropes obstacle course together. These uniquely structured activities provide opportunities not only for self-reliance, but also for communication and collaboration as participants confront and work through their fears.
A little more than halfway through course, students will participate in a reflection period called Solo. During this time, Instructors assign students their own individual spaces within a designated area. These sites are both secluded and within hearing distance of other group members and Instructors for safety. Students will be given all the necessary gear, food, water and skills to enjoy this time alone. Solo is a great opportunity for students to relax, recharge and reflect on their course after having long days of strenuous group activities. They also know the location of their Instructors should they need to contact them for any reason. Instructors will be monitoring students closely during this experience.
Outside of learning technical outdoor skills, longer courses also allow enough time to conduct a service project. Whether maintaining trails, partnering with nonprofits or helping at local farms and gardens, stewardship has long been a part of the mission and values of an Outward Bound program. These projects help students discover the true meaning of giving back to their community, the value of compassion and their ability to lead.
Blue Ridge Mountains, NC
The Blue Ridge Mountains, or Southern Appalachians, is one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. While the mountains themselves formed over 250 million years ago, some of the rocks that underlie the region are over a billion years old.
The long geologic and evolutionary history of the Southern Appalachians has created one of the most biologically diverse regions in the modern world; some even say it is “rainforest-like.” This region is home to beautiful rushing rivers, hundreds of waterfalls and some of the highest peaks in the Eastern United States—including Mt. Mitchell (elevation 6,684 feet), the highest point east of the Mississippi River. The area’s diverse landscapes have been featured in many motion pictures including The Hunger Games and The Last of the Mohicans.
Outward Bound students can expect to share the wilderness with over 700 different kinds of trees, more than 50 types of mammals, 150 different types of birds and over 50 species of amphibians. The huge numbers of tree and plant life is actually what gives these mountains their namesake. Trees put the ‘blue’ in the Blue Ridge Mountains from the organic chemicals they release into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the distinctive color of these mountains.
Temperatures in this area range between 50 and 85 degrees in the summer, 30 to 65 degrees in the spring and fall and 10 to 50 degrees in the winter. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Cherokee.
Course Stories
I recently completed a 22-day course of backpacking, rock climbing and paddling in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was the most incredible and challenging experience of my life thus far. Everything was amazing: my crewmates, my Instructors, the location and the activities. I became incredibly close with my 11 crewmates and Instructors. My Instructors showed me exactly how comfortable and confident I am in the wilderness and on a rock face, which was incredibly empowering. I am so much more confident and strong, both physically and mentally, after my course.
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