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High School

Colorado Rockies – Alpine Backpack & Rock Climb

From awe-inspiring rock walls to high mountain summits – find joy in life unplugged and elevated in the heart of the Colorado Rockies.

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Colorado Rockies

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
  • The image shows a simple, cartoon-style drawing of two mountains. The mountains are depicted with triangular shapes and jagged peaks, suggesting a rugged terrain. Dashed lines adorn the sides of the mountains, possibly representing snow or rocky textures. The drawing is done in a single color, giving it a minimalist and somewhat childlike appearance. The overall impression is one of a basic, almost iconic representation of mountains. Mountains
  • airplane Course Start Location: Denver
  • airplane Course End Location: Denver

Students Can Earn

  • College Credit

Session Details

8 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

Each day, you’ll hike through alpine forests, cook outdoors, and sleep under the stars. Along the way, you’ll stop to climb rock walls, enjoying views of the mountains from above the trees. You’ll learn to chart your path on the trails and the rock walls.

Where You'll Be

Fields of wildflowers, alpine lakes, endless sweeping mountain views, and if you’re lucky - mountain goats! Each day you’ll travel somewhere new, with endless opportunities to take-in the beauty of the Colorado Rockies.

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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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?”

Three Week Courses

You’ll develop valuable teamwork skills, sharing failures and wins while having epic adventures! You and your crew will establish a thoughtful community, bonding through hard-earned success. You’ll learn how to both lead and support your group. And you get to uncover the answer to big questions like: “Who am I; who are YOU; and how can we sustain a strong, connected crew?”

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!

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Life on Course

Every day will be a new adventure – climbing rock walls, hiking across mountain passes and learning to chart your path. You’ll cook and camp as a crew. As you build confidence in your new skills, you’ll take on more leadership. Near the end of your expedition, you and your crew will work together to take on a big challenge – like attempting to summit a mountain peak or reach the top of a rock climb. Among action-packed days will be time for slowing down to connect with nature, your crewmates, and yourself.

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Sample Itinerary

Spend your days climbing rock walls and mountain peaks to enjoy the views from high above the pines. At night bond with your crew as you watch the sunset.

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.

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Let's Go

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Course Start Start your journey by meeting your crew, repacking your gear, and getting familiar with the course area. Instructors will guide you through what to expect, what you will learn, and introduce skills to keep you comfortable in the backcountry.
Learning to Backpack Learn the essentials of backcountry travel as you navigate through beautiful mountain landscapes and set up camp in new locations each night; learning essential skills in camp craft, navigation, and hiking as a group. You’ll take on "Leader of the Day" roles, helping guide your crew through each day’s goals.
Rock Climbing Learn to rock climb. Enjoy mountain views from high above the trees and build confidence with every route. You’ll learn to belay and receive climbing tips from your Instructors.
Solo & Final Challenge Participate in a personalized final group challenge designed to test the skills you’ve developed in teamwork, leadership and outdoor adventure. You also might have the chance for a Solo experience, quiet time spent relaxing on your own, anywhere from a few hours to 48 hours, with Instructors nearby for support.
Course-end Celebrate your accomplishments during a final pin ceremony. Share what you’ve learned and experienced before heading home with new skills, friendships, and memories.
CB27 Pull Quotes

I am proud of being able to hike 12 miles with my crew the second to last day. I saw some beautiful views, fields of wildflowers, and a baby fox. I learned how to listen to other people as they talk instead of thinking of what to say.

COBS Alum

I feel like I didn’t just learn technical pieces of hiking and climbing, but about myself and my connections with others. While there might be times I wish to just sit and do nothing, I have learned that the times you grow the most are the times where you make the most difficult decisions. COBS taught me that every action has an impact on the group, whether noticeable or not.

COBS Alum

This experience has changed my life forever in so many ways… I’ve learned how to be a leader & how to stand up for myself! I’ve learned how strong I am & that I can do anything I put my mind to! Outward Bound was the best decision of my life!

COBS Alum

CB17 FAQs

FAQs

Do I need to have experience Rock Climbing?

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Nope! We’ll teach you everything you need to know, from how to wear your climbing harness to how to tie a belay knot. Our Instructors will also be able to provide some tips for navigating the rock wall.

Will I have my phone on course?

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This course is a totally phone-free adventure! Although some students are hesitant about this at first, many reflect on their experience as a well-needed break from screens and social media. No phones means more time to be present with nature and your crewmates too.

Can I get mail on course?

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Yes! You will have the opportunity to receive letters from friends and family during transfers, resupplies and at the end of the course. If you’re worried about getting homesick, letters are a great way to feel connected with your loved ones while you are away.

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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