The Expedition

The Northstar Cafe Leadership Expedition is a 9-day, field-based training. Wyoming’s Wind River Range is the setting for your course: rugged, glacier-carved mountains renowned for their sheer granite walls, and famous for their fly fishing and rock climbing. You’ll backpack in a wilderness surrounded by towering peaks, glistening alpine lakes, and perennial snow.

• Throughout the expedition, you will be provided with opportunities to lead and actively follow your peers.
• NOLS instructors will begin the course by developing or reviewing appropriate wilderness skills (e.g., cooking, selecting campsites, setting up tents, etc.).
• Instructors will first role model how to lead a hiking group, then participants will take on designated leadership roles within the group. These designated leaders are responsible for key tasks such as planning the day’s anticipated route, communicating with their peers, using the faculty as subject matter experts, and considering how the day’s goals and activities serve the larger goals of the expedition.
• NOLS expeditions generally split up into hiking groups consisting of one instructor and five students, reconvening as a large group each evening.