Durham Resident Completes 89-day Wilderness Expedition

Lander, Wyo.- Travis Newell, 22, of Durham, Conn, recently completed an 89-day wilderness expedition traveling in the Rocky Mountains with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).

The first section of the Semester in the Rockies was rock climbing. It took place in the Needles of South Dakota and Devils Tower of Wyoming. During this section students developed camping skills that allowed them to live comfortably in the outdoors. All students learned basic rock climbing fundamentals, with some students practicing advanced techniques such as lead climbing. 
With exceptional fall weather, Newell and his coursemates were able to climb 14 out of 18 days. Emphasis was put on self-leadership, peer leadership, and active followership. One of the biggest highlights of this first section was multi-pitch climbing and summiting Devils Tower.

Next, Newell and his coursemates transitioned into an 18-day hiking section in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. The section began with foundational skills such as efficient wilderness travel, route finding using a topographic map, campsite selection and shelter set up.

Other topics covered included risk management, the Leave No Trace principals, land management and gear repair. Three students presented environmental studies lessons. Students also had the opportunity to be leader of the day, where they got to focus on their signature leadership style. Weather consisted of mostly sunny blue-sky days with almost no precipitation. Highlights of the section included catching fish and summiting Wind River Peak.

Newell and his coursemates next moved to the canyon lands of Utah for 28 days. His group met up with two other semester groups and split into three equal parts, as to abide by land usage restrictions and group size limits. All groups covered over 150 miles and moved through the Escalante area in southeastern Utah. The canyons were vast and rugged. Newell and his coursemates managed steep terrain, and used webbing to raise and lower packs. They also traveled through very narrow slot canyons, sometimes swimming through pools of water at the bottom.

The curriculum emphasized student-delivered natural history classes and nuggets, honing travel skills, and a 48-hour solo. The expedition ended with a six-night, seven-day independent student-led expedition. The final section of the semester was winter camping and skiing. Thirteen days were spent exploring the winter environment of the southern Absaroka Mountains.

Newell and his coursemates strapped on skis and hauled sleds with personal and group gear 13 miles. Focus was given to thriving in a cold environment, building and living in snow shelters, and ecology. Students were able to enjoy skiing in 50 cm of fresh powder, and ended the course with three straight days of sunshine. Highlights of this final section included climbing Breccia Peak and enjoying views of the Tetons and the Winds. Newell and his coursemates capped off the semester with their own version of the Olympic winter games.

About NOLS - The National Outdoor Leadership School Founded in 1965 by legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, NOLS is the leader in wilderness education, providing awe-inspiring, transformative experiences to 16,000 students each year. These students, ages 14 to over 80, learn in the wildest and most remote classrooms worldwide—from the Amazon rain forest, to rugged peaks in the Himalaya, to Alaskan glaciers and Arctic tundra. Graduates are active leaders with lifelong environmental ethics and outdoor skills. NOLS also offers customized courses through NOLS Professional Training, and the NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute is the leading teacher of wilderness medicine worldwide. For more information, call (800) 710-NOLS (6657) or visit www.nols.edu.

Submitted by the National Outdoor Leadership School