Tag archives for NOLS
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We had our first “White Christmas” this year. We live in the mountains and there is often snow on the ground in December, but since I can remember we’ve never had it actually snow on Christmas Eve. And this wasn’t just snow. It went from absolute dry ground and sunshine on Christmas Eve—we even went…
By Casey Dean No matter where your hiking boots take you, you can enjoy the foods of the world over a Whisperlite Stove. This version of the Indian dish saag paneer replaces the paneer with tofu, but a white cheese instead of tofu would be a great option as well. The Mexican cheese, queso fresco, is a great…
After a summer of training hard in Washington’s Cascade Range, British Columbia’s Waddington Range, and Alaska’s Chugach Range, the Expedition Denali team is poised to embark on their journey to Denali in June 2013. This film clip will give you a brief window into their training this past summer and their thoughts on the upcoming…
Five lessons of outdoor expedition leadership that will make you a better indoor leader The Google team was stumped and their indecision continued to build. Should they hike the longer, easier way to the left and get drenched in a stream crossing? Or take a direct dry path which would involve some bush-whacking and then…
By Casey Dean, NOLS Backcountry travel requires planning: route planning, anticipating weather, organizing gear with travel-mates, and much more. Meal planning doesn’t often get much attention, what with the relatively tasty and ridiculously convenient freeze-dried meals (and beer?) at our fingertips. Nonetheless, backcountry cooking is a wonderful way to spend an evening in the most…
Oh, I only wish I were talking about myself. But alas, I’m referring to something just a tad prettier and more fragrant. Flowers. A year ago, I was bundled up in a down jacket and there was a foot of snow on the ground in town (and much more in the mountains). This weekend I’m…
The Latest #OnEverest: Our Climbers on Instagram, Twitter, More (Update #2)
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on April 9, 2012 
[View the story "The Latest #OnEverest - Update #2" on Storify] The Latest #OnEverest – Update #2 Storified by Mary Anne Potts · Wed, Apr 11 2012 17:12:05 Check back each week for a look at what’s been happening #OnEverest. @coryrichards on assignment photographing the #fullmoon rising over the #Khumbu glacier. #OnEverest @thenorthface @bookofsamuel imageNational…
NOLS Rocky Mountain River Base Manager and senior field instructor Phil Henderson sent us a lovely little e-mail from his approach to Everest Base Camp as part of a North Face and National Geographic-sponsored expedition to summit Everest. Before you read his note, let’s set the stage. As one of few African Americans in the…
Everest 2012: NOLS Guide Phil Henderson on How to Get Along, Ripping Books, and Diversity in the Outdoors
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on April 2, 2012 
“Even the fittest people can succumb to altitude,” says Phil Henderson, the 18-year National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) vet who is the leader of our Southeast Ridge Everest team. His crew includes some of the world’s top rock climbers—Sam Elias, Emily Harrington—who have never tried alpine climbing. And then there’s ski mountaineers Hilaree O’Neill and…
By Contributing Writer Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, Faculty member and Diversity & Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) On June 7, 1913, Alaska Native Walter Harper was the first person to summit Denali, the highest peak in North America. And though the face of our nation has evolved from mostly white to a mosaic…
Outdoor Advice + Tips: Identifying Injuries After a Fall (Videos)
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on February 14, 2012 I don’t like to imagine myself leaning over my boyfriend asking him what day it is, what his middle name is, and if he recalls what happened in the minutes prior. None of us does. But best way to face the possibility that at some point in our adventures a companion will get hurt is…
Whenever you travel into the backcountry, do you ask yourself: “Eat like a king but break my back with the weight; or eat like a squirrel and travel light and fast?” Well, you can stop asking yourself that question. Backcountry travel doesn’t involve a Hobson’s choice. Time and time again, our field instructors prove that…
Outdoor Skills + Advice: Six Steps to Steer Clear of Lightning Strikes
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on July 25, 2011 By Contributing Writer Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, faculty member and Diversity & Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and NOLS Research Intern Kate Herden Aaah, summer! The sweet smell of wildflowers, rain-soaked earth, and . . . ozone? Yes, the stormy months have arrived and in this year of apocalyptic flooding, best prepare yourself…
Outdoor Skills + Advice: Bug Bites Begone! – Which Bug Repellent to Use?
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on July 5, 2011 By Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, faculty member and Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Photograph by NOLS/Juan Queirolo It’s finally spring in the Rockies, and I’m about to head out on a five-week expedition into the Wind River Range, where I'll find high alpine meadows carpeted with wildflowers and clear lakes teeming…
