NOLS Pro Expedition and Film

NOLS Professional Training specializes in custom courses for groups and organizations seeking the leadership, teamwork and outdoor skills that have distinguished NOLS for over 40 years. Although a current custom course in Prince William Sound is no exception, it reinforces the progress that NOLS has made to facilitate growth in a way that few other courses could. 12 students from the National College of Physical Education and Sports in Taiwan have joined three NOLS instructors and one film crew for a sea kayaking expedition that will lead them through some of Alaska’s most beautiful landscapes, including Blackstone Bay. The course group includes a student who climbed Denali last summer, a student who bicycled around the world, and a student that did an 80-day traverse of Taiwan. That these particular students are skilled outdoorsmen and women who attend a premier experiential education institution in Taiwan speaks not only to the scope of NOLS Pro, but also to the high regard in which it’s held. After 10 days in the field, the students will return to Taiwan with the skills to lead their own sea kayaking courses, and the stories, lessons and pictures to inspire successors. Check the NOLS website for upcoming course anecdotes and adventures caught on tape by the Taiwanese film crew.   

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Primal Quest 2006

Meteorologists predict a high temperature of 85°F this week in Berlin. Faced with the threat of dehydration, the athletes and spectators of the 2006 World Cup tournament rely on sports drinks and professional trainers to quench thirsts and treat injuries, respectively. Imagine the damage to a disgruntled fan’s vocal cords after a long, hot day of heckling. Consider the danger of running through the streets beneath the guise of paint that, though patriotic, is impervious to sweat. The players endure comparable difficulties. On the field, one might sprain an ankle or twist a knee. Off the field, one might be taunted and chased by hoarse, overheated sports fanatics.   

While soccer enthusiasts bake in Germany, outdoor adventure buffs in the United States face a decidedly different set of challenges. On Sunday, June 25 the 10-day, 500-mile Primal Quest Adventure Race kicks off near Moab, Utah. Meteorologists predict temperatures to exceed 100°F as athletes compete in eight different disciplines.

The potential for injury is as high as the altitude, so Primal Quest relies on NOLS, with whom it has an educational partnership, for safety and guidance. WMI’s Jake Schepps, Jason Buchovecky, Iris Saxer and Darran Wells will spend four days prior to the race leading volunteers through first aid seminars and briefing participants on environmental hazards. They will then assist medical teams at race checkpoints in treating everything from blisters to dislocations. No one knows and teaches wilderness risk management better than WMI staff members. They plan to equip athletes and volunteers with the tools to address the problems you can’t avoid and anticipate the dangers you can.

Of the avoidable dangers, harm to the environment is one of the most critical. Though not necessarily as visible as mobs of roving soccer fans, waste and garbage can irrevocably impact the delicate desert landscape. Thankfully, the on-site WMI crew is certified to lead NOLS courses and, therefore, prepared to reinforce Leave No Trace principles. All 500 miles of the course are in good hands.

To listen to a podcast featuring Schepps, visit www.gofarpodcast.com. To learn more about the partnership between NOLS and Primal Quest, or to stay updated on the race, visit www.ecoprimalquest.com. The omnipresent NOLS bus, which has temporarily joined the Moab media circus, has released no reports of excitable spectators, but the extremes of Primal Quest have the potential to incite abnormal behavior.  Stay tuned.      

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FORTUNE: TEAM-O-NOMICS

Link: FORTUNE: TEAM-O-NOMICS.

What do NOLS, Abraham Lincoln, Tony Soprano and Cirque du Soleil have in common? All are included in a feature in the recent issue of Fortune Magazine entitled "Team-o-Nomics". The NOLS piece discusses NOLS work with NASA to improve teamwork on space flights. Check it out!

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NOLS Friday: Festivities for a Cause

It's Friday in Lander. Not only is it a beautiful day, it's also a chance for NOLS staff and the community to turn out for some fun that supports a great cause— the Relay for Life program that funds cancer research. Today's fund raising shenanigans included burgers, 'dogs, raffled prizes and a dunk tank.

Even "Brad" (pictured at left), fresh back from Namibia and well disguised, put in an appearance on the tank's hot seat.

Here's a shot of Molly (of the Lander Nature Conservancy office) braving the tank's frigid waters. Her bold taunts and disco hand motions (click the pic...) only enraged the crowd and focused their dead-eye pitching.

Have a great weekend and stay dry.

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