In the Spring of 2012, I traveled to northern India with NOLS. NOLS is an accredited leadership school that offers experiential learning at it's finest. It teaches fundamental outdoor skills and adventure leadership.



I began my NOLS semester with two weeks of white water rafting on the Kali Ganga, which forms the norther border between Nepal and India. During these two weeks I learned essential team work and leadership skills, as well as, how to guide an eight person raft. The rapids ranged from class 1 to class 3. 



Then I moved on to become Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) certified by the Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI). This was a 40-hour course of wilderness first aid. 



Following the completion of this certification, I spent two weeks living with a rural indian family in the foothills of the himalayas. I had an incredible cultural experience that gave me a unique perspective of the world.



Lastly, I spent 40 days trekking the great himalayan backcountry. We hiked some of the steepest terrain in the world with 45lb packs and in adverse conditions. I saw rain, snow, hail, and ice storms. I hiked to the foot of a glacier and through deep river valleys. Not only did I master essential backcountry skills, but I learned how to work as a team and how to be a leader when necessary.