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High School

Chesapeake Bay to Appalachian Trail - Sea Kayak, Backpack & Rock Climb

You’ll explore land, sea and air as you traverse the Appalachian woods, paddle Chesapeake Bay waterways, and climb a towering natural rock wall.

Savings Plan

Use a 529 College Savings Plan.

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Maryland/West Virginia

The image shows a group of people hiking in a forest. The focus is on a young woman with a large backpack, leaning against a tree. She is wearing a red headband, an orange t-shirt, and a patterned skirt. Other hikers with large backpacks are partially visible, suggesting a group activity in a natural setting.
A group of people are standing in shallow water, holding paddles. They appear to be preparing for or just finishing a kayaking or canoeing activity. The water is calm, and the sky is partly cloudy. There's land visible in the background, suggesting they are near a shore.
A woman wearing a white helmet is rock climbing on a steep rock face. She is secured with a rope. The rock face is textured and rugged. In the background, there is a forest with tall trees and a path. Other people are watching the climber. The scene is outdoors, likely on a sunny day.
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 blue drawing of a kayak and a paddle on a black background. The kayak is depicted with visible seating and a rounded shape. The paddle is positioned diagonally below the kayak, suggesting a sense of readiness for paddling. The drawing style is simple, resembling a sketch, with clear lines defining the shapes of the kayak and paddle. Kayaking
  • 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 dark background with blue, pixelated shapes clustered in the lower-left and upper-left areas. These shapes might represent landmasses or abstract forms, with some resembling islands or coastlines. The pixelated style gives the image a retro or digital aesthetic, and the contrast between the blue and black creates a stark visual effect. Coastal
  • 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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Three young individuals are geared up for rock climbing, standing in front of a rocky cliff face. They are all wearing helmets and harnesses, with climbing ropes visible. The person on the left wears a NASA t-shirt, while the person in the middle has tattoos on their arm. The person on the right is wearing a black jacket and blue shorts. Ferns grow at the base of the rocks, suggesting a natural climbing environment.

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!

A person is kayaking on a sunny day in a bright yellow kayak. They are holding an orange paddle and wearing a hat and life vest. The water is calm, and there is green vegetation on the shoreline. The sky is blue with some clouds. Another person is visible in the distance, also on the water.

What You'll Do

Paddle throughout the Chesapeake Bay, learning marine navigation and kayaking techniques, camping each night along the shoreline. You'll develop further skills in five days of backpacking , while a day of rock climbing provides further opportunity for challenge and teambuilding.

The image shows several kayaks resting on a grassy bank next to a calm body of water. The kayaks are various colors, including yellow, orange, and blue. In the background, there's a line of trees and a colorful sky, suggesting it might be dusk or dawn. The scene evokes a sense of tranquility and outdoor recreation.

Where You'll Be

Explore the country's largest estuary - where 64,000 square miles of rivers, creeks, and streams merge with the Atlantic Ocean. You'll leave the Bay for the historic Appalachian Trail, which winds through deciduous forests and rocky lookouts.

A group of six young hikers poses for a photo on a trail. They are wearing backpacks and hiking gear, and some are sticking their tongues out playfully. The hikers appear to be enjoying their time outdoors, surrounded by trees and greenery. The photo captures a moment of camaraderie and fun during their hiking adventure.

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!

CB31 Media Gallery

Life on Course

Grow as an individual and as a leader on this 12-day sea kayaking, backpacking, and rock-climbing expedition.

Explore the Chesapeake Bay and traverse the Appalachian Trail – with every step, work as a group to overcome expedition challenges, develop a greater belief in yourself and your crew and learn why teamwork is often more important than everything else combined. As you move through stunning natural landscapes and encounter physical, mental and emotional obstacles, you’ll discover the importance of perseverance – and identify and refine the leadership skills you already possess.

A young woman wearing a white climbing helmet and sunglasses is holding a purple rope. She is positioned in front of a rocky cliff face with some greenery at the base. She is wearing a long-sleeved grey shirt and has climbing gear around her waist. The lighting suggests it's daytime, and she appears to be preparing for or engaged in a climbing activity.
A group of people are gathered around several kayaks on a wooded shore. The kayaks are various colors, including yellow, green, and red, and are loaded with gear. The people appear to be preparing for or returning from a kayaking trip. The ground is covered with leaves and pine needles, and trees surround the area.

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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 Course start, introductory lessons in sea kayaking and water safety, begin paddling
Day 2-4 Kayaking, lessons in advanced paddling technique, expedition strategy and camp craft
Day 5 Kayaking final challenge
Day 6 Resupply, introductory lesson in backpacking, begin hiking
Day 7 Introduction to rock climbing and belay technique, solo
Day 8-10 Backpacking, lessons in map/compass travel, final challenge
Day 11 Return to base, clean and de-issue gear, service project
Day 12 Graduation, depart from base camp
CB27 Pull Quotes

This expedition taught me to take life one step at a time, to stay focused on the task at hand, and not to stress or worry.

Henry X.

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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