Sailing
Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA) phase
Mantiqueira trekking expedition
Itatiaia National Park climbing clinic
Rescue III International Whitewater Rescue Technician
Chapada canoeing, trekking and canyoneering
The group will get a basic introduction to the boat, briefings on emergency procedures and soon cast off lines to begin their adventure on the water. Students will leave the base and sail only with the food and equipment needed for the expedition: clothes, stoves, food and water, etc. Bathing occurs daily with a dip in the ocean; there are no conventional bathrooms, telephones, appliances, television or other modern luxuries. By living simply, students will remove many of the distractions of modern life and reconnect with the values and skills that truly enhance their life and their community. Our 30-foot sailboats are built with challenging expeditions in mind, and fitted with all the required US Coast Guard safety equipment. On these open boats with no cabins and no engines, students will live closely together using only wind and oars as propulsion. As they rotate responsibilities during this expedition, students will learn the art of sailing, navigating, rowing and living aboard a small open boat. At night, students sleep on deck under a tarp, taking turns at anchor watch under brilliant night skies.
A 36- to 48-hour solo provides an important break from the rigors of the sailing expedition. With sufficient food and equipment, students will spend time alone at an assigned campsite to rest and reflect. We choose solo sites to offer as much solitude as possible, within hearing distance of other group members. Students will not travel during this time. Instructors check on the group occasionally, but students are mostly alone for the duration of their solo.
The Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) course is an introduction to wilderness medicine that combines classroom time with hands-on practical sessions. Students will learn how to manage injuries/illnesses in the backcountry, setting them up for safe and self-reliant expeditions in the future.
After arriving in São Paulo the group will travel to Campos do Jordão to meet the staff and instructors of Outward Bound Brazil. Through meals, lessons and activities students will learn about the richness of Brazilian culture and history.
After planning and packing at base, the group will begin a multi-day backpacking expedition traveling both on- and off- trail, through the Mantiqueira wilderness, navigating our way towards the village of Campina. Traveling with all the food and gear the group will need, students are able to reach remote mountains and valleys several days travel from the nearest town or road. During this phase students will participate in trainings focused on advanced navigation skills, search and rescue, South American flora and fauna identification.
The trekking expedition ends with the group hiking into the village of Campina. Students will spend time with local families practicing Portuguese, sharing in family meals, and learning about Brazilian culture by living it.
Rock climbing sessions take place in Itatiaia National Park. Students will learn how to properly use harnesses, helmets, ropes, belay devices, slings, cams, and nuts. The group will start with the basics of tying in to the rope and safely belaying each other, and practice efficient movement over rock using techniques of friction, edging and crack climbing. As students build experience and skill they will develop more advanced climbing techniques and may get a chance to practice multi-pitch climbing.
The expedition begins with a river trip canoeing the Rio Paraña. Canoes offer students the chance to travel to pristine campsites and easily carry all the gear they need for a remote expedition. The group learns to navigate the river and paddle increasingly difficult rapids.
Along the way, students will learn the necessary skills to receive Rescue III International’s Whitewater Rescue Technician certification. This is the industry standard among whitewater river guides and fire departments. In this hands-on training, students practice the skills necessary to manage whitewater emergencies. During drills and scenarios, students work as a team to execute increasingly difficult rescues.
The canoe trip ends on the Rio das Almas with a visit to a remote Kalunga village, where students visit a farm and participate in service work.
Students will have the opportunity to work with members of the remote Kalunga village. While volunteering in this village, students will learn about the environmental and economic struggles of rural Brazil. The service project may include work on eco building projects using locally sourced materials, or rebuilding houses and farms for village families.
The group will trek across the plateaus, jungles and grasslands of the Chapada. Along their hiking route the group has the chance to descend two or three canyons. In order for the group to make it to the bottom of each canyon, students work together to rappel down waterfalls and swim through the clear pools cut deep into the steep sides of Chapada’s plateaus.
On your HIOBS program, you will learn four important Outward Bound Core Values:
Some of the most important lessons you take home are learning about yourself and your community while acquiring backcountry skills and having an adventure. As you will be traveling through wild places on your expedition, you’ll also learn to protect and appreciate the unique, unspoiled environments through which you travel.
Our Gap Year and Semester expeditions are designed to provide opportunities for students to develop wilderness skills, to practice and learn about teamwork, and to foster each individual's leadership abilities. These programs combine the rigor of a series of adventurous expeditions with the interpersonal challenges of living in a small community - which takes resiliency, character, and the determination to succeed through collaboration, compassion, and effort.
Amidst rugged natural landscapes, you are given the opportunity to learn to lead and to follow, to adjust plans to changing realities, give and receive honest feedback, and earn the confidence borne of hard-won achievement. Our Outward Bound instructors coach students to step outside their perceived limitations, to assess risks, and to work together on expedition to achieve more than they thought possible - and also to find ways to transfer these "a-ha" moments back to life at home, work and school.
In the wilderness, you can take the opportunity to unplug from your everyday life, practice these skills, and along the way build amazing new connections that will serve you wherever you go.
Students need to be physically fit and motivated to learn and work together. No previous wilderness experience is necessary—all travel and leadership skills are built and developed throughout the course, and each phase of the expedition builds on the previous one.
As part of our commitment to students participating in course-related foreign travel, Outward Bound has invested in global medical and security assistance through a group membership with On Call International.
Member services and related benefits that are included with your enrollment:
Not included under this membership:
As a member of our Outward Bound group you have access to pre-trip medical, security, and personal safety advice and services. Examples include up to date advice on: recommended vaccinations, food and water safety, and security risks.
While on course outside the US, should health issues arise, or in the unlikely event of serious injury, illness or a security crisis during your course, On Call International provides expertise and resources to help us select the best options to manage the situation. For example, if you lose your medication, need to see a doctor, get pick-pocketed and lose your passport, or have an incident resulting in illness or injury, you and your Outward Bound instructors would work with On Call International to determine the best course of action. The On Call International network of medical and professional service teams operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, all over the world.
Please note that Outward Bound’s International Travel Program and related services and benefits, only applies to Outward Bound (“school sponsored”) courses and activities, travel related to a sponsored course or activity, and travel (directly) between the international course or activity location and the US. This program will not apply to any international travel you might choose that is unrelated to the Outward Bound sponsored course or activity. If you plan to extend your plans beyond your Outward Bound experience, we recommend you purchase separate travel insurance for any international travel planned outside of your Outward Bound course and sponsored activities.
We are pleased to be able to provide this level of service and benefits to our students and their families participating in International Outward Bound courses. If, after reviewing this letter and the summary, you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your course advisor, or refer to the website of On Call International, and enter the Outward Bound group ID 100109CPPD19.
** Please be aware that most trip cancellation policies will provide fee-based services that will be redundant to those included with your On Call membership.