The 2005 National Outdoor Leadership School Catalog
(NOLS) is out and you should get your hands on it. NOLS is one of the finest
outdoor institutions in the world, offering classes on everything from paddling to ice climbing to sailing to
wilderness first aid. These are ballsy courses, not for the (literally) faint of heart. I know several people who have
taken NOLS courses who say it changed their lives.
You will work, you will sweat and you will likely experience some significant degree of pain. But these classes will
make you respect nature and you will gain a better understanding of yourself (and how bad you can
smell unbathed). Consider a semester in Patagonia making your way on foot, by kayak, by rope across the
williwaw-scoured countryside (williwaws are the harsh and sudden winds down in Patagonia).