This seven-day canoeing and white water rafting expedition is a prime opportunity for veterans to revisit leadership skills, challenge themselves and discover the lifelong benefits and perspective that only wilderness travel with Outward Bound can offer.
This expedition-style course, features a 100-mile paddle down the Delaware River. “Expedition-style” means that you will leave the Philadelphia base on the first day of your course and not return to it until the last day of the course. You will travel with all the food and equipment you need to conduct your expedition in your canoe: stoves, tents, food, etc. Your group might occasionally sleep at the same campsite twice, but generally you will be moving to a new campsite every night as you move along your river expedition route. This means no showers (perhaps some swimming), no cell phones, no television, nor any other modern luxuries to which you may be accustomed. You should come to your course prepared for, and excited about, devoting all of your time and energy to your expedition, your crew, and your Outward Bound experience.
River Navigation, Service, Whitewater Canoeing, Whitewater Rafting
Skills
Technical
Basic First Aid
Basic Paddle Strokes
Belaying a Climber
Campcraft
Food Preparation and Cooking
Knots
Map and Compass
Natural History
Navigation
River Reading
Safety and Risk Management
Self Care
Water Safety and Rescue
Interpersonal
Camaraderie
Character
Communication
Independence
Leadership
Positive Risk Taking
Responsibility
Sense of Social Connection
Service
UPCOMING COURSES
This course is not currently accepting enrollments. Please check back frequently, as this is subject to
change.
APPLY NOW This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
Sample Itinerary
DAY1
Course start
DAY2-3
Paddling the lower section of the Delaware Water Gap and introduction to canoeing basics.
DAY4-5
Transport to the upper section of the Delaware Water Gap and paddling (river rescues, river dynamics and navigating rapids)
DAY6
Transport to Lehigh River for white water rafting
DAY7
Course End Graduation Celebration and BBQ
Participation in the Outward Bound wilderness course has been the first opportunity for me since my return from Iraq to socialize with other vets. Doing so in this environment was a wonderful opportunity, and has been the best post-deployment experience; giving me a breather from the demands of my daily life; an opportunity to deal directly with the changes in my life related to my time in Iraq.
Outward Bound Veterans expeditions build on camaraderie and the challenge of the natural world as a pathway to healing. These expeditions encourage participants to connect with existing strengths and bond with fellow veterans in a safe, positive, mission-driven environment. As they harness the power of wartime experiences like carrying heavy packs, moving fatigued muscles and sleeping outside, these courses help build the self-confidence and sense of purpose veterans need to continue serving as leaders in their families, communities and the nation.
Build core skills: Veterans receive hands-on training on expedition and personal skills. As part of an inclusive, supportive crew, they gain communication skills, establish trust and validate experiences among other veterans.
Practice Outward Bound values: Instructors focus on Outward Bound core values like compassion, integrity, excellence, inclusion and diversity to help veterans reflect, share insights and live in the present moment.
Process and Reflect: Journaling, one-on-one and group discussions help veterans understand how Outward Bound experiences might translate to coping skills back home.
What participants learn: Veterans return home inspired, ready to tap into rediscovered strengths and eager to find new ways to contribute to society.
Please note: Outward Bound expeditions for Veterans are designed for individuals (who do not already know each other) to come together to form an inclusive crew, work together to overcome adversity, and use the environment they’re in to learn as a team. If you have a group of 3 or more Veterans who already know each other, we have a different experience for that: please contact our National Admissions Office at 866-467-7651 to talk about custom group programs or fill out Custom Programs Form.
Be prepared to canoe in the Delaware Water Gap where each section of the river is different and has its own personality. Students will begin the course by traveling on the upper portion of the Delaware Water Gap, known for it’s narrowing bends, swift water and technical rapids. Enjoy lots of wildlife and scenic views from Matamoras to Kittatinny Point stopping over at Minisink and Namanock islands for breaks. After honing paddling technique students will participate in a final challenge – rafting level 3 & 4 rapids on the Lehigh River. The crew will travel with all the food and equipment needed to conduct the expedition such as tents, stoves, maps, emergency equipment and much more. As students paddle down the river with their expedition crew, they’ll learn how to work together and discover the commitment and effort it takes to truly work as a team. Students will learn basic outdoor skills such as Leave-No-Trace Ethics, outdoor living, and backcountry travel. This process will hone communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills. During the expedition, students will learn to use technical equipment, tie knots, paddle and camp.
Students will engage in solo, a period of solitude, as a way to take a break from the physical nature of the expedition and experience a time and opportunity for self-awareness, reflection and application of learning. Students will experience a tone set and preparation for their solo and have opportunity to reflect on their current experience and personal growth as well as the application of their experience into their learning and social environments.
During this unique expedition, students will learn new skills for working as a team to manage a group travel and living arrangements. They will recognize the familiar skills and connections they have to fellow veterans and discover and articulate lifelong benefits of wilderness travel and the perspective it brings. Through the experience and practice of working together as a team, developing trust and applying progressively learned personal and group skills, students will recognize and recall sound principles for being a successful and efficient crew and the application to their home and work lives.
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area encompasses 67,000 acres of mountain ridge, forest and floodplain on both sides of the Delaware River in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. From the southern end of the park, you can view the S-shaped chasm of the Delaware Water Gap, where the river cuts a twisting path through 1,400-foot Kittatinny Ridge. Within the river watershed, you'll discover steep wooded-and-rock slopes, bountiful rhododendron, dark hallows, tinsel-like ravines and tumbling waterfalls.
Course Stories
The best post-deployment experience
Participation in the Outward Bound wilderness course has been the first opportunity for me since my return from Iraq to socialize with other vets. Doing so in this environment was a wonderful opportunity, and has been the best post-deployment experience; giving me a breather from the demands of my daily life; an opportunity to deal directly with the changes in my life related to my time in Iraq.