Pathfinder Rocky Mountains to Canyonlands
The Colorado Rockies and Utah’s Canyons will be your classroom as you take time to slow down and reflect on your path ahead.
Starting in the mountains, learn to rock climb and travel the backcountry on foot as you hike past alpine meadows and rocky summits. Starry skies and fields of wildflowers will be your classroom as you backpack, rock climb, and summit high mountain peaks. After developing new skills in leadership and backcountry travel, head for the desert to explore a vastly different environment.
In Utah’s Canyonlands, hike across vibrant red slickrock and scramble through hidden canyons. See ancient dwellings and rock art and learn about the rich human history of the region. Camp among the iconic arches and towers near Canyonlands National Park. By the end of your expedition, you and your crewmates will be the expedition leaders.
Your Instructors will serve as trainers and mentors. Through daily discussions, they will help you discover new things about yourself: how you deal with stress, your goals and values, and your potential as a leader. You’ll return home with the skills needed to pursue your passions and achieve your goals.
UPCOMING COURSES
Course # CCPO-2561
Age 18 - 25
Days 30
Cost $8,070
Dates 10/19/2025 - 11/17/2025
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST
Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY
This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL
When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED
As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
This course challenged me to climb mountains - physical mountains and mental mountains. I learned how to build fires and set up a whisper light stove, how to carry my home on my back and how to do sit ups in my sleeping bag when I’m cold. But more than those things, I learned how to carry people; how to be solid when others are struggling and how to let yourself cry when that’s something you need. I learned how to be comfortable being exactly who I am in a group of 20 strangers – 20 strangers who I am now eternally bonded to.
Most College Savings Plans, including the 529 College Savings Plan, may be used to attend an Outward Bound expedition, thanks to a partnership with Western Colorado University. Anyone can register – you do not have to be a current Western Colorado University student. Registration is easy! Click here to learn more.
Backpackers carry everything they need - food, shelter, clothing and gear – allowing them to go deep into nature where few people go. Students feel a sense of freedom from the stresses of modern life and technology. The simplicity of hiking gives students the opportunity to focus internally on their own thoughts. They also grow to be more present, connecting deeply with nature and their crewmates as they talk, sing and spend time together without distraction.
The course begins with lessons in basic packing and hiking techniques. Along the way, students learn Leave No Trace techniques, map and compass navigation, and outdoor cooking. As students explore remote regions of the Rocky Mountains, they get to sleep under the stars, feel the sunshine on their face, and watch the sun set over rugged mountain peaks. By the end of course, most crews will have the chance to attempt to summit a high mountain peak.
Rock climbing can be both mediative and thrilling, making it a highly rewarding sport mentally and physically. It’s a great opportunity to connect with others in the outdoors while also developing confidence in your body. Students will learn new body mechanics, balance, and climbing techniques. Instructors will help students set personal goals as they navigate the rock wall. They will get to experience the incredible feeling of accomplishing a route and pausing at the top to enjoy the views from above the trees. There are many ways to climb the same rock, allowing each climber to solve the puzzle in their own way. Students will learn how to tie knots, wear harnesses, use belay commands, set up top ropes and may have the opportunity to attempt multi-pitch climbs.
Canyoneering is like playing in the most exciting adventure course imaginable. Each obstacle occurs naturally – formed by thousands of years of wind and water eroding the vibrant layers of rock. A combination of scrambling, hiking, wading through water, and rappelling may be involved during course. As students travel deeper through narrow and winding canyons, sunlight bounces off the walls causing the rock to glow red and orange. Hidden waterfalls and pools can be found, offering an oasis for both students and wildlife. Instructors will teach students how to travel safely and efficiently over rocks and across desert ecosystems. Crews work together, problem-solving and supporting each other as they navigate this dynamic and continuously changing environment.
In order for profound learning to take place, there must be time to reflect on the experience. Solo is that opportunity, and can range anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours or more, depending on course length and type, as well as the competency and preparedness of the student group. Weather and time permitting, the Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. Many students use this reflection time to make decisions about their future, journal and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings unencumbered by the constant external stimulation of modern life. With all the food, skills and supplies they need, students are given a secluded spot to reflect alone and are monitored by staff throughout the. Students find that Solo provokes profound and powerful learning in a short period of time and often becomes one of the most memorable parts of an Outward Bound experience.
Rocky Mountains, Colorado
The Colorado Rockies is one of the most famous and iconic sections of the Rocky Mountains. Colorado is home to the greatest concentration of high peaks in the lower 48 states, with hundreds of mountains standing over 13,000 and 14,000 feet tall. The region is characterized by dense pine forests and rocky alpine ecosystems. Students will enjoy clear blue glacial lakes, fields of wildflowers, waterfalls, and striking rock formations. Most courses will also get the opportunity to attempt to summit a mountain peak. If they are observant, students can spot wildlife like elk, mountain goats, moose, marmots, pikas and eagles. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux, Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Pueblos Nations. These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux), Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Pueblos nations
Canyon Country, Utah
The most spectacular aspects of the Utah landscape are the hidden treasures found within its vast canyon networks, formed by millennia of wind and water. The canyons are composed of a spell-binding labyrinth of towering walls, arches, and slot canyons just waiting to be explored. On course, these vibrant formations are a geological playground for scrambling and teamwork. The desert ecosystem is characterized by aromatic plants like sagebrush and juniper and birds soaring high above canyon walls. The days can be hot in the summertime, but it always cools down in the evenings. These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Pueblos, Southern Paiute, Diné, and Hopi nations.
Course Stories
This course challenged me to climb mountains - physical mountains and mental mountains. I learned how to build fires and set up a whisper light stove, how to carry my home on my back and how to do sit ups in my sleeping bag when I’m cold. But more than those things, I learned how to carry people; how to be solid when others are struggling and how to let yourself cry when that’s something you need. I learned how to be comfortable being exactly who I am in a group of 20 strangers – 20 strangers who I am now eternally bonded to.
This has been the best experience of my life and I feel like I have grown in so many different ways... I have so much more confidence and trust in myself after everything we have done.
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Getting Started
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.