http://www.nols.edu?gad=CKrs4YoFEghtiHqpsIHyTBjS-L3-AyDqmv0y

National Outdoor Leadership School - Index

National Outdoor Leadership School - Nols - Index

SKILLS
Far left: Never paddled whitewater before? Your NOLS instructors will teach you everything you need to know. Left: Gear selection and placement are key skills you'll acquire on a
rock climbing course. Top right: Backcountry cooking at NOLS is a delicious art. Bottom right: Practical, hands-on learning is what develops solid technical skills.
NOLS IS THE SKILLS SCHOOL.
NOLS skills by Brian Eustis, Baja Sea Kayaking '97, expedition whitewater kayaker, including the first descent of the Yalong Jiang River
and a source-to-sea descent of the Mekong River
LEARNING TECHNICAL SKILLS
The initial push that changed the orbit of my life occurred on a
beach in Mexico two weeks into my NOLS course. We had spent
the day surfing waves and having a fantastic time. I came to the
beach with a huge grin and my instructor said, "Hey, you look
like you're having a lot of fun. You should give whitewater kayaking
a try.? I look at that moment as the beginning of everything
that has made me who I am today. Of course, at the time it was
just another great afternoon in Baja learning technical skills with
my new NOLS friends.
EXPERIENCE LEADS TO MASTERY
My Baja Sea Kayaking course was full of firsts. My first trip to Mexico,
my first time in a kayak and my first time spending an uninterrupted
three weeks in the wilderness. Together, each of these "firsts?
played a role in shaping my last ten years of exploration. It wasn't
until I was traveling in Vietnam many years later that I realized all
Pascal Beauvais
my decisions after my NOLS course were based on a new set of values,
experiences and desires that had first became apparent while in
Mexico. Since then, those values have translated into expeditions
and adventures from Tibet and Vietnam to Panama and Peru.
SKILLS FOR A LIFETIME OF OUTDOOR PURSUITS
After my NOLS course, I decided to get a summer job as a raft
guide, specifically so I could live near a river and learn how to kayak.
After graduating from college, I passed on a job offer in finance so
I could spend one year kayaking before I got a "real job.? It was a
slow change, but the one year led to two and two to three. Job opportunities
changed from the field of finance and Wall Street to
video kayaking, safety boating and documentary filmmaking.
NOLS provided me with the original confidence and knowledge
to feel scared yet comfortable making the decisions that have allowed
me to travel the world with my kayak.
www.nols.edu ? (800) 710 - NOLS ? admissions@nols.edu 11
Tracy Baynes
TC Rammelkamp