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High School

Appalachian Trail to Dolly Sods – Backpack & Rock Climb

On this classic extended wilderness expedition you’ll travel deep into picturesque environments and learn how to navigate and camp the backcountry.

Savings Plan

Use a 529 College Savings Plan.

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Maryland/West Virginia

A person wearing a helmet is rock climbing on a steep rock face. They are using ropes and gear for safety. The background shows a scenic view with a blue sky, some clouds, and a distant landscape with trees and possibly a body of water. The climber is focused and determined as they ascend the rock.
Two young women are carefully crossing a shallow stream by stepping on rocks. They are both wearing large backpacks and hiking attire, suggesting they are on a backpacking trip. The surrounding environment is a lush green forest, with trees lining the stream. The sunlight filters through the leaves, creating a dappled effect on the water and rocks.
CB20 Course Overview

About This Course

Activity

  • The image shows a blue outline of a hiking backpack against a black background. The backpack is fully packed, with a sleeping bag or similar item strapped to the top. It has multiple compartments and straps, suggesting it's designed for carrying a substantial amount of gear. The style is simple and graphic, resembling an icon or a line drawing. Backpacking
  • The image shows a stylized, blue drawing of a foot and ankle, possibly representing a ballet dancer's foot in a pointe shoe. The foot is positioned vertically, with the toes pointing downwards. The drawing has a simple, almost cartoonish style, with thick lines outlining the shape of the foot and shoe. The background is black, which makes the blue drawing stand out. The image could be used to represent dance, movement, or elegance. Rock Climbing

Setting & Location

  • The image shows a simple, hand-drawn style illustration of three evergreen trees, possibly pine or fir trees. They are depicted in a solid blue color against a white background. The trees are stylized with jagged edges to represent the needles and branches, giving them a whimsical and slightly abstract appearance. The trunks are simple vertical lines. Forest
  • airplane Course Start Location: Baltimore
  • airplane Course End Location: Baltimore

Students Can Earn

  • College Credit

Session Details

2 sessions are available for this course

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What You’ll Learn

Forge an epic adventure! On Outward Bound courses for high schoolers, you’ll make new friends and face exciting new challenges together while building communication and leadership skills that help your group soar to new heights!

What You'll Do

You'll learn how to hike effectively and efficiently, as well as how to set up and manage trail campsites each night. You'll also have an opportunity to take a break from hiking and spend an afternoon rock climbing.

The image shows a scenic view of a mountainous landscape. In the foreground, there are jagged rock formations and evergreen trees, suggesting a high-altitude or rocky environment. The background reveals a vast expanse of forested hills under a sky with scattered clouds, possibly at sunset or sunrise, given the soft lighting. The overall impression is one of natural beauty and tranquility.

Where You'll Be

The Appalachian Trail forms a meandering route through classic Mid-Atlantic deciduous forests with rocky lookouts. The 17,371 acre Dolly Sods Wilderness contains bog and heath eco-types, more common in southern Canada.

Why It Matters

High school is hard work – take a break and do something memorable! You’ll explore new places, make friends, and learn skills that will expand your belief in what’s possible. We are crew, not passengers which means you’ll share responsibility for your crew’s success through teamwork, communication, and leadership. Let’s go!

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CB11 Scrolling Bullets

Classic Courses for High School

What if you had space to feel more connected to yourself, to others, and to the challenging world around you?

Educational Approach

Two Week Courses

You and your crew will participate in unique activities, forging skills to thrive! Sounding your own voice – and considering others’ – you’ll have time to try new ways of working together in a supportive environment. Connecting in moments of harmony and productive struggle, you and your crew will get to ask yourselves big questions like: “Who am I; who are YOU; and how can we best get along?”

Us. But Better.

You and your crew will learn how to support each other’s success, boldly tackling challenges and persevering together through epic adventures! Our skilled instructors protect the time and space students need to both recognize your strengths and consider the strengths of others.

Connection and Care

Focusing on building a connected group where each student’s unique personality is valued, you and your crew will practice the communication skills you need to feel safe, cared for, and pay forward that care for each other as you go adventuring!

Shared Success

You’ll start to learn how to be thoughtful about your own actions, your words, and the impact of both on other people. You will practice holding all of this at once while you just how magical facing challenges and succeeding as a team can be!

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Life on Course

Experience 12 exhilarating days surrounded by rugged natural beauty and strangers who quickly become friends.

You’ll start your diverse and challenging trek on the historic Appalachian Trail, sharing important roles among your crew such as cook, navigator and leader of the day. Your time on the AT includes a day of rock climbing and lessons in trail navigation before heading to the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia, where your crew’s backcountry and leadership skills will be tested by wild grassland and mountainous terrain, dramatically carved by wind and water.

A group of young hikers poses near an Appalachian Trail sign. They are wearing backpacks and hiking gear, smiling and pointing at the sign. The sign indicates the trail stretches from Maine to Georgia. The group appears to be excited and ready for their hiking adventure in a wooded area.
A group of hikers are trekking through a muddy, grassy field. They are equipped with backpacks and hiking poles, navigating a waterlogged path. The sky is overcast, and the landscape features a mix of open fields and distant trees. The hikers appear to be focused on traversing the challenging terrain.
A group of eight young people wearing helmets and harnesses are standing in a wooded area. They appear to be preparing for or have just finished a climbing or outdoor adventure activity. The group is diverse, and they are all looking towards the camera. The setting suggests a summer camp or outdoor education program.
The image shows three young people in a natural setting, possibly a forest or park. Two of them are prominently featured in the foreground, with one wearing sunglasses and a black t-shirt, and the other sitting on a rock near a stream. The third person is partially visible in the background. The environment includes lush greenery and a flowing stream, suggesting an outdoor adventure or leisurely activity.

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CB39 Table Feature

Sample Itinerary

Here’s an example of what your course itinerary might look like. The actual plan will depend on permits, weather, group skills, and instructor evaluation.

Swipe on table below to view more.

12-Day Course

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Day 1 Meet your crew in Baltimore, pack expedition equipment, drive to Appalachian Trail
Day 2 Backpacking, introductory lessons in travel, navigation, camp craft
Day 3 Rock climbing 101, belaying, climbing technique
Day 4-5 Backpacking
Day 6 Resupply, drive to Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia
Day 7 Solo
Day 8-10 Backpacking final challenge
Day 11 Return to base, clean and de-issue gear, service project
Day 12 Graduation, depart from base camp
CB27 Pull Quotes

Outward Bound may be one of the most influential experiences of my life. It really helped me learn valuable lessons that I can apply to daily life.

Sophia D.

Outward Bound helped me learn that you need to be challenged in order to grow, and I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to learn that.

Evelyn L.

Coming here to experience what I’ve experienced and meet who I’ve met was by far one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Damarcus F.

CB17 FAQs

FAQs

What will be happening on the expedition?

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In addition to the physical activities of an outdoor overnight expedition, outward bound’s educational framework uses challenge and adventure to allow students to learn through experience. A supportive environment of peers and instructors make it easier to try new things, speak your mind, listen, and to be heard – all elements of today’s most successful leaders. We value and teach compassion, integrity, excellence in craft, inclusion, and diversity. Each student will return having practiced the skills of a leader and they will be more aware of their personal strengths and abilities

Where do students sleep?

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Students on expedition will not be in cabins or permanent buildings, but will sleep outdoors in tents or tent like structures. Sleep groups will be determined by students’ gender. Crews will be moving to multiple camping locations during the duration of their expedition.

Will students have their cellphones while on course?

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When students depart from our Baltimore basecamp, their phones will be left in a secure area on base and returned to them on the last day of the course.

Is it safe?

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Outward Bound courses take place outdoors and include activities that present risks that can be managed but not eliminated. Running our courses safely is central to our educational goals and our safety record is excellent. Our instructors not only identify and reduce risks but also teach students to assess and address hazards with preparation and care, rather than fear and avoidance. Students and their families participate in our safety systems by familiarizing students with the course description prior to the course and by filling out our application and medical forms completely. We regularly review our safety training systems with our peers and other industry experts and continually seek to create or adopt the most effective practices. Every course is equipped with the ability to get help in an emergency. For more information, visit our Safety & Risk Management page.

What should I do if there is an emergency?

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Please understand that you will not be able to speak with your child while they are on course. You will be provided with an emergency phone number for questions, concerns, or if there is a family emergency during the expedition. This phone is available strictly for true emergencies, and is monitored 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

THERE'S A BREAKTHROUGH OUT HERE. THERE'S A BREAKTHROUGH OUT HERE. THERE'S A BREAKTHROUGH OUT HERE. THERE'S A BREAKTHROUGH OUT HERE.
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