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High School

Blue Ridge – Backpack, Whitewater Canoe & Rock Climb

Step outside of your comfort zone and make new discoveries as you traverse the wild trails and roaring rivers of Western North Carolina.

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North Carolina

Two people are navigating a red canoe through whitewater rapids. The person in the front is paddling, while the person in the back is holding their paddle up. They are both wearing helmets and life jackets. The water is turbulent and foamy, and the background shows rocks and trees.
The image shows a group of people gathered on a rocky mountaintop at dusk or dawn. The sky is a gradient of blue, and the landscape features rolling hills and mountains covered in lush greenery. The group appears to be enjoying the scenic view and each other's company in a serene outdoor setting.
A person in a yellow raincoat and pants stands on a rocky outcrop, arms outstretched, with a scenic mountain view in the background. The sky is overcast, and trees surround the person. A red rope is visible, possibly indicating climbing or safety equipment. The person is wearing a head covering and appears to be enjoying the view and the moment.
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 simple, stylized drawing of a canoe in blue against a black background. The canoe is depicted with curved lines outlining its shape, and there are horizontal lines inside the canoe to suggest its structure or design. The style is reminiscent of a basic illustration or icon, with a focus on clear, recognizable shapes rather than detailed realism. Canoeing
  • 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
  • The image shows a stylized, pixelated scene of nature. Two tall, slender pine trees frame a view of distant mountains. A body of water, possibly a lake or river, is visible in the foreground, reflecting the scenery. The color palette is limited, with a dominant dark blue against a black background, giving the image a retro, digital aesthetic. River
  • airplane Course Start Location: Asheville, NC
  • airplane Course End Location: Asheville, NC

Students Can Earn

  • College Credit

Session Details

4 sessions are available for this course

Chat with the Customer Success Team
A young man stands in a lush, green forest, engrossed in reading a map. He is wearing a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, glasses, and a cap. A camera hangs around his neck. The surrounding foliage is dense, with various shades of green from the trees and bushes. The sky is visible in the background, peeking through the branches of the trees.

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!

Two young people are paddling a red canoe through some rapids. They are both wearing helmets and life jackets. The person in the front is paddling with a blue paddle, and the person in the back is also paddling. The water is choppy and white, and there are trees and rocks in the background.

What You'll Do

Spend your days backpacking lush forest trails, climbing rugged rock faces, and paddling whitewater rapids. Learn how to navigate using a map and compass, build outdoor skills, and master camp craft alongside your crew.

A group of hikers is standing on a rocky outcrop, taking in the view of a mountainous landscape. The sky is filled with clouds, and the sun is shining through, creating a dramatic effect. The hikers are wearing backpacks and hiking gear, and they appear to be enjoying their time in nature. The vegetation is lush and green, and the overall scene is one of peace and tranquility.

Where You'll Be

Venture into the ancient and misty Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. With your crew by your side, you’ll discover rushing rivers, hidden waterfalls, and forests brimming with wildlife in one of North America’s most biodiverse regions.

A group of about eight young people are gathered around a large rock, seemingly working together to move it. They are outdoors, surrounded by trees and greenery, suggesting they might be on a trail or in a natural area. Most of them are wearing gloves and casual clothing, and some are using straps to help lift or maneuver the rock. They appear to be collaborating on some kind of outdoor project or activity.

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

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!

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

Explore the Blue Ridge Mountains, where every day brings a new challenge and an opportunity to grow.

Each day, you will wake up to fresh mountain air and get ready to take on the day’s challenge, from backpacking to your next campsite, paddling whitewater rapids, to rock climbing. Through these activities, you will sharpen your navigation, paddling, belaying, and campcraft skills. As a crew, you’ll share leadership roles, meals, stories, and laughs. You will practice Leave No Trace ethics and give back to the land through hands-on service. By course end, you’ll leave with new friendships, leadership skills, and memories that will last a lifetime.

The image shows three women hiking with large backpacks. They are on a rocky terrain with a scenic view in the background. The woman in the front is laughing and wearing a blue shirt and khaki shorts. The other two women are also smiling, and they all appear to be enjoying their hike. The weather seems sunny and pleasant.
Two people wearing helmets and life jackets are paddling blue canoes on a river. The canoe in the foreground has the words "Pocket Canyon" written on its side. Lush green trees line the riverbank in the background. The water is calm, and the sky is overcast.
A group of people are rock climbing. One person is in the foreground, looking up at the camera while gripping the rock face. They are wearing a blue helmet and glasses. Three other people are visible further up the rock face, also wearing helmets. Ropes are strung across the rock, indicating climbing routes. The rock face is a mix of light and dark gray tones.
A person is sitting in a shallow pool of water directly under a cascading waterfall. The water rushes over their head and shoulders as they recline with their legs extended and feet pointing upwards. They are wearing dark clothing and shoes, and the surrounding environment appears to be a natural, rocky area with foliage.

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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.

22-Day Course

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Day 1 Course start, duffle shuffle, camp craft, and risk management
Day 2-5 Backpacking training expedition: learning navigation skills
Day 6-8 Rock Climbing: climbing, belaying, rappelling, and multi-pitch climbing
Day 9-11 Backpacking main expedition: advanced navigation and group decision-making
Day 12 Resupply and service project: trail building or work with community service organization
Day 13-15 Whitewater canoeing: paddle strokes, boat maneuvers, rapid scouting, and self-rescue
Day 16-18 Solo
Day 19-20 Backpacking final expedition: practicing leadership and independence
Day 21 Personal challenge event; clean and de-issue gear; graduation ceremony
Day 22 Course end and transportation to the airport
CB27 Pull Quotes
A group of nine young adults are standing together on a grassy hilltop, posing for a photo. They appear to be on a hiking trip, as some are wearing backpacks and hiking gear. The sky is partly cloudy, and there are mountains in the distance. The overall atmosphere is one of camaraderie and enjoyment of the outdoors.

I met people from all over the country with different backgrounds that all had something important to contribute. This group of people would otherwise never interact- but a shared challenge brought us together and we all have a very specific connection that cannot be matched.

Stella

My experience gave me new insight into myself, the outdoors, and most importantly, life. My course showed me exactly what I am capable of, it showed me that I AM a leader, and I AM strong, and that I CAN carry on. Outward Bound is the main reason I am here today, succeeding in college.

Cody

What is so striking about NCOBS is that you drop off your child who is nervous but excited about the experience, and you pick up someone who has a quiet confidence about themselves… Each of them gained a perspective about themselves that has helped them immensely as they go through the challenges of high school and beyond.

Outward Bound Parent

CB17 FAQs

FAQs

Is this like summer camp?

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Our courses are fast-paced and take place entirely outdoors in all types of weather. We unplug from devices. We have tons of fun. And we work hard, too. Come prepared to be part of the team and participate fully.

Where does course start and end?

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All Blue Ridge Mountains courses start and end at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL). A North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) representative will meet participants at baggage claim for check-in. Transportation is provided between Asheville Regional Airport and the course area at course start and end.

What are your essential eligibility criteria?

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Our Essential Eligibility Criteria shares what participants must be able to do during course. Full disclosure of all health and medication information is required during the admissions process.

Is this a course meant to address patterns of concerning behavior?

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No. This is a Classic Outward Bound course-it is not designed for struggling teens or “at-risk youth.” Please check out Outward Bound Intercept courses that do focus on repairing behaviors and challenging family relationships.

What do Instructors do to manage risk on course?

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In addition to ongoing training and mentoring that is always happening for field staff, Instructors have numerous conversations before, during, and after course about how to manage risks and make specific plans to keep students safe emotionally and physically. The goal is to offer students enough opportunities involving perceived risk, such as rock climbing, so that they are stretched to step outside their comfort zones. It is through those experiences that they have powerful learning experiences. We are also teaching students how to use what they learn so they too can prevent incidents and respond proactively to our greater teacher – nature – which can often be unpredictable!

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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