YLI - an article by Shyam Menon (A freelance journalist and NOLS alumni) Think back to what attracted you to the outdoors – the vast spaces, the outdoors people you met, the books you read or the TV program you saw. Ask yourself what exactly engaged you. Most likely the pull was a combination of the outdoors and self-supported human being. It is an equation that teaches a lot. When you do things yourself you realize what you are. When you do that in a safe learning environment with committed instructors, you get an opportunity to address your shortcomings and improve. You get a shot at what more you can be. That’s what NOLS gives you. At NOLS you don’t compete. You learn. NOLS is the world’s premier outdoor school. Its full name in the US is National Outdoor Leadership School. Its India branch located in Ranikhet is called Nanda Devi Outdoor Leadership School. Either way – NOLS! The school operates in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. The Young Leader India (YLI) Course offered by NOLS is a 14-day backpacking course for students aged 15-17 years. It is primarily meant for Indians and those from neighbouring countries. The course treks approximately 80 km over a period of 12 days in the Kumaon Himalaya. This is a self-contained expedition where instructors and participants carry their tents, rations, fuel and cook their own meals. There is one re-supply of rations and fuel delivered in the field. Students are divided into tent groups and each tent group cooks their own food. Porter support is minimal and restricted to re-supply site. This trait of self-supported expedition for experiential education is characteristically NOLS. We don’t confuse the outdoors with spectacle. For us, it is wilderness; the world as it originally was with few people in the frame. That’s why self-supported expeditions matter. Initially, classes will include basic camping (staying warm and dry), cooking, map reading and hiking / travel techniques. This prepares students for independent expedition, of course overseen by instructors. As participants get comfortable with this, the topics addressed will grow to include the natural and human history of the area, Leave no Trace (minimum impact camping and travelling), risk assessment, judgment and decision-making, leadership and group dynamics. There will be classes on wilderness first-aid and group discussions on environmental issues that are relevant to the area you travel in. Participants should be prepared for hard travel days. Your backpack will weigh at least 15-18 kilos. Being physically fit helps. On hiking days, the route may involve between 5-8 hours of hiking. Non-hiking days are busy with classes, learning the finer aspects of cooking, baking, and catching up on rest. Cooking and baking? – You may wonder what that has to do with being in the outdoors. Think back to self sustained expedition. There is nothing more important for sustenance than food. If you can’t make your own food and sustain comfortable stay at altitude, how will you attempt your chosen objective? At NOLS, we start from the basics. What makes the YLI special is the combination of NOLS curriculum, self-supported expedition and the typical NOLS instructor, who is not only used to extended trips in the outdoors but is a good teacher capable of engaging in interesting conversations and discussions. The YLI of 2011 for instance was led by two women NOLS instructors, one of them an accomplished mountaineer and the first Indian woman to ski to the South Pole, the other, a seasoned hiker and ultra marathon runner. Our instructors don’t just represent what they can do, they are good people to speak to and who can have a conversation with you. As with all other NOLS courses, in the YLI too, instructors get to know their students well and function as mentors guiding them through both challenges of environment and challenges to self, thrown up by self-supported travel in the outdoors. Because the typical NOLS instructor likes being in the outdoors and values his / her time there, a NOLS course is more oriented towards those wishing to be in the outdoors or at the very least experimenting with different environments for self discovery. Our instructors like fun. However it is unlikely that they would appreciate wasting time as on a picnic. Each of them is in the outdoors because that – and not anywhere else – is where he / she would rather be. The outdoors is a conscious choice for them and they like to see that time well used, spending it with students wishing to discover themselves. Given NOLS’ operations in diverse wilderness settings worldwide, our instructors can be from anywhere. They have years of experience in the outdoors and have been put through NOLS’ instructor training programs, which are an industry benchmark. All our instructors are trained in wilderness first aid, a subject in which, NOLS – through its sister outfit NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute - is again the industry benchmark. In case of an illness or injury in the field that merits medical attention a student will be escorted back to the base. Equally, a student may be returned to base for behavioral reasons of not upholding a positive learning environment. We want students to come to NOLS for the experience of being in the outdoors. On successful completion of the course, participants will receive a written evaluation and a NOLS diploma. Day 1 of the course is at Ranikhet at the NOLS base, where you will get equipment, pack food for your expedition and make other preparations. On day 2, you will leave by jeep for the trailhead. On day 13, the course will return to Ranikhet in time for dinner. Day 14 involves cleaning up gear, evaluations and graduation. We will take everyone down to Kathgodam railway station in time for the train back to Delhi. So think back to what attracted you to the outdoors and the ethic of self-support or independence you saw therein. NOLS is where you go to experience it. Join up for YLI! Heres the web-link from our website for the next YLI course: nols.edu/courses/locations/india/young_leader_course.shtml
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 08:32:44 +0000
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