Kids & Family

San Anselmo Teen Completes 80-Day Wilderness Expedition

According to instructors, Engert and her coursemates "travelled a total of 42 unforgettable miles over a variety of terrains including on trail, off trail, bushwhacking, scree, boulders, snow, glaciers, and tussocks."

The following was submitted for publication by The National Outdoor Leadership School:

Elana Engert, 19, of San Anselmo, California recently completed an 80-day wilderness expedition in New Zealand with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).

On Sept. 12, 2013, Elana Engert and nine other NOLS students embarked on a thrilling 80-day wilderness expedition that spanned the enchanting natural landscapes of New Zealand, free of modern conveniences like cell phones, video games and electricity. A NOLS education demands focus as well as resilience and enthusiasm about leadership education, environmental sustainability and gaining outdoor technical skills.

            

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The students arrived at NOLS New Zealand, located in the beautiful Aniseed Valley on the south island, where they spent the first two days receiving a thorough orientation about the course and getting geared up before heading out for their 80-day NOLS expedition.

            

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The NOLS Fall Semester in New Zealand was divided into three sections: mountaineering, sea kayaking and hiking with each section accompanied by two instructors who are experts in the field. The duration of each section was roughly 25 days long, and Engert and her nine coursemates began their expedition mountaineering in the Arrowsmith Range of the Southern Alps.

            

The ten excited novice students and two seasoned instructors kicked off their educational expedition with 22 days of mountaineering in New Zealand’s snowcapped Southern Alps. Once the group set off into the backcountry wilderness, instructors began the daily process of teaching outstanding mountaineering curriculum in an effort to better equip students for the unforgiving and jagged terrain of the Southern Alps. Engert and her coursemates also received rigorous training in NOLS leadership development and environmental studies in order to effectively balance the demands and strains of nature while in a group setting.

According to instructors, Engert and her coursemates “travelled a total of 42 unforgettable miles over a variety of terrains including on trail, off trail, bushwhacking, scree, boulders, snow, glaciers, and tussocks.” 

Whilst keeping a close eye on weather patterns, the students were able to apply their leadership curriculum on a daily basis while using newly gained topographic map skills to guide group travel through the mountain range. Despite challenging weather, the students were able to gain exposure to glacier and steep snow travel during the mountaineering section of their course and learn invaluable outdoor technical skills in the process.  

Classes pertaining to weather, navigation and group dynamics were held on a daily basis, both in the morning and in the evening, and were student-led discourses after the first week of guidance. During their mountaineering expedition, Engert and her coursemates kept a strong focus on their abilities to use an ice axe for self-belaying and self-arrest, care for climbing ropes and knot tying, as well as learning how to use avalanche beacons, to name a few of many learned skills. Practicing safe river-crossing techniques and moving efficiently over steep snow and rock terrain were also important components of the mountaineering section. 

The students were re-rationed food via helicopter twice during the 22-day mountaineering section of their NOLS course and ate quite well using whisperlite gas stoves to cook their nutritious meals. According to instructors, “students experienced a wide range of weather from warm sunny days to whiteout conditions to snow, rain, hail and heavy winds”. Highlights of the mountaineering section included, “multiple group summits and multiple alpine starts to their days” according to instructors.

Upon finishing the mountaineering section, Engert and her coursemates promptly started on the much warmer sea kayaking section of their course in the awe-inspiring Pelorus Sound, a large but narrow ocean channel which runs parallel to the coastline, dotted with lush green islands. 

The students paddled an impressive 58 nautical miles during the kayaking section of their NOLS course, the equivalent to which is approximately 67 miles. 

The daily schedule entailed kayaking during the day and camping on a new secluded shore each night in time to review curriculum and cook dinner. On an average morning, students cooked breakfast, packed up camp, debriefed about the navigational route and were paddling on the water before sunrise. 

Getting an early start on the day gave Engert and her coursemates the unique chance to observe nature each morning peacefully while they paddled. As part of their backcountry curriculum, the students were taught to read topographic maps and use navigation instruments on their prearranged kayaking route. Each student was expected to lead on navigation multiple days throughout the section. 

Exploring the New Zealand coastline by kayak also enabled the students to learn an immense amount about the local topography, ecosystems and marine life, including dolphins, sea lions and rare bird species. Layover days were spent exploring the coastline terrain and sitting down for backcountry classroom sessions where instructors focused on outdoors skills, leadership, and environmental studies related to the region and relevant weather patterns.

After successfully completing the mountaineering and kayaking sections of their NOLS semester, Engert and her coursemates then moved on to the backpacking section of their course. During this section, the students and instructors covered approximately 117 high-altitude miles of forests and meadows in New Zealand’s Kahurangi National Park, a magical alpine landscape of jagged peaks, tropical green forests and stunning glacial lakes.


The students finished their 80-day expedition strong with an exciting “independent student group expedition” (ISGE) where they traveled and camped without instructors for five days and four nights. Like all NOLS students, Engert and her coursemates had the option to earn college credits for their course; 75 percent of college-age NOLS students choose to do so and they all graduated from the course competent, confident leaders and outdoorspeople.

For more information on this program, visit www.nols.edu.

 


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