Your course advisor will be in touch with you within one business day. If you have immediate questions about your enrollment, call 720-381-6589.
Welcome to the Colorado Outward Bound School! This is a place of challenge, learning, and community and we’re so glad you’re joining our crew. As you’re getting ready for your course experience, we wanted to share with you a bit more about what to expect. A COBS course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to face new challenges in a supportive environment; to find success through mistakes; and to navigate through adversity with compassion for self and others. The breathtaking mountains, rivers, and canyons of Colorado and Utah are our classroom. And the life lessons are as limitless as the views.
As in all of life’s adventures, elements outside of our control may require adjustments to the details and we often adapt our itineraries to meet dynamic environments, but one thing’s for sure: we’re going to connect with new people, try new things, and explore some amazing places together. Here at COBS, we believe there is more in you than you know and we’ll use the inherent beauty and challenge of the natural world to test our comfort zones and to discover opportunities to work hard, learn, and reflect. And the memories you’ll take home will last a lifetime. Read on and we’ll see you soon!
Course Code: CCGL-382
Start Date: 9/9/23
End Date: 11/19/23
Embark on a 72-day journey through the mountains, canyons, deserts and rivers of one of the most beautiful and geologically stunning landscapes in the world on this leadership and outdoor skills focused Semester course.
Develop outdoor skills. Enhance your leadership and communication abilities. Strive to increase your knowledge of the environment – all while learning wilderness travel techniques in a variety of natural environments. The ultimate goal of the Semester is to develop the confidence, knowledge and integrity essential for effective leadership. Whether you are learning how to safely tie in on belay, deciding as a group how to navigate through new terrain, or setting up a minimum-impact campsite for the evening, you’ll be reinforcing, honing and practicing skills for life.
Alpine Backpacking
Alpine Backpacking will develop a foundational outdoor skillset for students allowing comfortable living during course. Traveling mostly above treeline, students will carry everything they need - food, shelter, clothing and gear – allowing them to go deep into the wilderness where few people go. Backpacking provides a sense of freedom, allowing students to eat when hungry, set up camp when tired, and exercise complete control over what is accomplished each day. The simplicity of backpacking gives students the opportunity to focus both internally on their own thoughts, as well as externally to connect deeply with others as they talk, sing, play games and spend time together without distraction. With the Colorado Rockies as a backdrop, students are introduced to backpacking with lessons in basic travel and camping techniques. As this section progresses, students learn Leave No Trace techniques, map and compass navigation, camp craft, and obtain an understanding of the area’s human and natural history.
Photo: Dave Erbe |📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
Mountaineering
A rugged and exciting form of backcountry travel, mountaineering sections allow students opportunities for challenge and adventure, success and failure, and learning a progression of skills to acheive higher summits via more technical routes. Students will practice mountaineering snow techniques like kicking steps, glissading and self-arresting. Fixed line travel and roped belays will be used to ascend a mix of terrain. Snow and rock conditions can be expected, as the high country of the Rockies can be unpredictable. Mountaineering sections also have the opportunity to access backcountry rock climbing sites, where students can hone their climbing, belaying, and rappelling techniques. These sections will be challenging and the rewards are well worth the effort.
📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
Non-Technical Canyoneering
With your crew, you will journey through the intriguing and difficult-to-explore canyon country, taking in the infinite shapes of the arches, towers, buttes, amphitheaters, overhangs, and domes. While doing this, you will be carrying a 45 to 60 pound backpack which will have all you need to thrive in the wilderness. Sometimes students will shed their backpacks for smaller daypacks to navigate into narrow slots or explore thousand-year-old cliff dwellings and rock art. Crews camp on expansive rock slabs, stopping along the way to explore microclimates and canyon ecosystems. All the while, you continue learning how to use maps and compasses, to cook meals for yourself and your crewmates, negotiate slickrock obstacles, find water, and live comfortably in the immense canyons. The days can be long and hard, but the canyons reward you with their jaw-dropping beauty. You will spend time in an incredible area where life becomes more in tune with the essentials of traveling through a landscape of rock, sand, sky -- feeling the sunshine on your face and watching the setting sun give way to stars.
📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
Rock Climbing
Rock Climbing creates opportunities for students to enterprise their curiosity, practice tenacity and perseverance, and learn skills which will progress them to greater heights. Climbing allows learning of new body mechanics, balance, and energy maintenance techniques which will help students climb efficiently and unlock the incredible feeling of flowing up a route. Students will learn there are many ways to climb the same rock, allowing each climber to solve the puzzle in their own individual way. During this section, students will learn basic climbing techniques, helmet and harness use, climbing commands and belaying, and anchor building principles. Depending on the length of the section, students may have the opportunity to attempt multi-pitch climbs or lead climbing.
Photo: Joe Kubis |📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
Solo
Depending on your course length and environmental factors, your solo may range from a few hours to an overnight experience. Solo provides an important break from the rigors of both the expedition and the distractions from everyday life. This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With sufficient food and equipment, you’ll have time to journal, rest, reflect, and look ahead to future goals. Your solo site will be close enough to the Instructors in case of emergency, but far enough removed to assure your solitude. You will not travel during this time and your Instructors will check on you occasionally. Many students are initially nervous about solo, but later recall solo as one of the highlights of their entire course.
Peak Attempt
Peak Attempts present an opportunity for challenge, teamwork, and the need to pull together all of your learned skills for success. Your expedition will include at least one peak attempt. Peak attempts are major enterprises and typically require early morning starts and can take all day to complete. Weather, or other factors including group dynamics and physical readiness, may preclude even an attempt to ascend a peak.
Photo: Naomi Winard |📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
Wilderness First Aid
Despite the best risk management, sometimes accidents happen, and knowing how to respond to injuries in a backcountry setting is a key skill for aspiring outdoor leaders. During this section, you will spend two days in a classroom at our basecamp, learning about wilderness medicine. You will have the opportunity to earn a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification during this course, which is considered a standard for many entry level jobs in the Outdoor Industry.
📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
Challenge Event
A Challenge Event may occur at the end of a student's course experience. These are opportunities to test the perseverance, endurance, and grit that you've developed on course. A challenge event might be individual, like long run or peak attempt. Your event might be a group focused challenge, including long final travel days or group challenges that require all of the skills and teamwork your groups has learned. The purpose of a challenge event is to help students realize the extent of their growth, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and to take home these learnings in an unforgettable way.
Service
Service to others and the environment is a core value of Outward Bound and is integrated into each course. Students follow Leave No Trace ethics as service to the environment and do acts of service while leading and supporting each other. Understanding leadership through service is an outcome of activities that require working together to meet and navigate challenges throughout course.
Canoeing
Canoeing is an opportunity to experience the jaw-dropping canyons and magic of the river. The tranquil waters allow for reflection and relationship-building with your canoe partner. The calm waters can change with up-canyon winds that require strength to push forward. The canoes provide you with great freedom and maneuverability. While many of the skills you learn canoeing are transferable to rafts, the small craft will demand a high level of coordination and cooperation with your canoeing partner. Canoeing allows for connection to place, water, and people.
Photo: Ashley Perry |📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Diné, and Pueblos lands
In addition to the expedition itself and all of the skills and learning associated with it, Outward Bound’s time-tested curriculum includes education on the many aspects of personal growth and learning that can be found in each activity you undertake. You will learn four important Outward Bound Core Values:
You may find that the most important lessons you take home are learning about yourself and your community while acquiring backcountry skills and having an adventure. You’ll learn to protect and appreciate the unique, unspoiled environments through which you travel.
Successful completion of your course demands mastery of skills, trust, fitness, confidence, tenacity, leadership, initiative and compassion. The promotion of these qualities and the discovery of what’s in you is the purpose of Outward Bound.
Sawatch Range, Colorado
The Sawatch sub-range of the Colorado Rockies is home to Colorado’s two highest peaks: Mt Elbert (14,439’) and Mount Massive (14,429’). The range is known for expansive, rolling alpine terrain and multiple high peaks, and encompasses the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The source of the name is somewhat disputed but some source it to Ute words meaning “green place” or “blue water.” These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) nation.
Photo: Terence Copeland |📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
Leadville Mountain Center, Colorado
Colorado Outward Bound’s 600-acre property at the base of Mount Massive. Our base camp encompasses mountain streams, wild plants, fields and forests. Lake Fork Creek (that runs into the headwaters of the Arkansas River) runs near the east of our property and the Colorado Trail borders us to the west. If the timing is right, colorful wildflowers will brighten the trails through the LMC. You might share camp with elk, deer, chipmunks and myriad other wildlife. This region is within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) nation.
📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
Vedauwoo, Wyoming
In an untamed corner of Wyoming’s Medicine Bow National Forest, the granite jewels of Vedauwoo (pronounced “vee-dah-voo”) beckon rock climbers. This surreal land features phenomenal formations of rock nestled into aspen and pine forests. This is the place to discover the perfect mix of wilderness and classroom, as well as an expansive spectrum of beginner to advanced crack and face climbing. The climbing routes vary in length from 50 feet to 200 feet and provide excellent opportunities for both single- and multi-pitch climbing. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) nations.
Photo: Matt Olsen |📍Arapaho, Cheyenne and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) lands
Utah Canyon Country
The most spectacular aspects of the Utah landscape are the hidden treasures found within its vast canyon networks, formed by millennia of wind and water erosion. The canyonlands of Southern Utah are still as stunning, mysterious, and wild as they were for the Ancestral Puebloans and Fremont Indians who roamed these lands over 800 years ago. The sandstone canyons are a geological playground and are composed of a spell-binding labyrinth of alcoves, fins, pinnacles, buttes, towering walls, ledges, cliff dwellings, and arches just waiting to be explored. These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Diné Bikéyah, and Pueblo nations.
Photo: Dillon Marks |📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Diné Bikéyah, and Pueblo lands
Labyrinth Canyon, Utah
You will launch on the Green river in two person canoes for 63 miles through Labyrinth Canyon. The river enters Labyrinth Canyon slowly, named for the serpentine path it carves as it dives deep into the redrock sandstone that characterizes southeastern Utah and the Canyonlands area. Narrow and winding side canyons, towering cliffs rising vertically out of the river, pinnacles and ledges all await you as you fine tune your paddling strokes. The canoes provide you with great freedom and maneuverability. While many of the skills you learn canoeing are transferable to rafts, the small craft will demand a high level of coordination and cooperation with your canoeing partner. During this phase of your course, your instructors will introduce you to the most important elements of the river life: environmental stewardship, outdoor cooking, first aid, natural history of the river canyons, the night sky, and of course, paddling skills. This region is within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) nations.
📍Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) lands
What is a land acknowledgment?
At the Colorado Outward Bound School, we include land acknowledgments in our work as a formal way to recognize and respect the traditional territories and Indigenous Peoples as stewards of the land. It is important to understand and acknowledge the comprehensive past, present, and future of the places we travel and to seek to understand our role therein. To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation we give to the Indigenous Peoples who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. Read more about land acknowledgments at Outward Bound here.
Sample Itinerary
Days 1-2: Course Start; set up front country camp, gear check, preparation, low rope elements and initiatives, orienteering.
Days 3-4: Wilderness First Aid course
Days 5-20: Rock Climbing; develop climbing skills and craft, group development and getting to know each other, opportunity for student taught lessons, learning food systems and rationing.
Days 20-34: Alpine Backpacking; travel and learn to translate camp craft skills to expeditionary travel, leadership and communication practice, backcountry navigation.
Days 35-42: Mountaineering; technical peak climbing via fixed lines, route finding, and efficient travel are areas of focus. Backcountry rock climbing potential.
Days 43-44: Time for rest, a shower, and a front country meal at basecamp in Leadville. Service opportunity at our basecamp.
Day 45: Travel to Moab, UT for the start of the River section.
Days 46-56: Canoeing; transitioning camping skills to desert, reading the river, desert ecology and natural and human history.
Days 56-70: Canyon Backpacking; opportunity for student facilitations, mastering nagivation in canyon country, solo experience, opportunity for a finals expedition.
Days 71-72: Travel to Leadville for Course End; Service opportunity, closure, opportunity for a challenge event, and travel back to Denver Airport.
Click here for COBS COVID-19 Program Practices
Please have the student's name, course number, course start date and balance due when using this payment option.
In most cases, a $500 deposit has been paid when you applied. Please refer to your Enrollment Email to confirm your balance. If you are unsure of your balance due, please call 720-381-6589 or email [email protected].
If your payment is not received by the due date listed in your Enrollment Email, you will risk losing your position on the course and your $500 deposit. Please review the Admissions and Cancellation Policies.
Packing for Backcountry Travel
Backcountry travel means you can and, for your comfort, should carry a lot less than you do in the regular world; most experienced backcountry travelers will tell you that they bring about the same amount of gear on a three-day trip as they would on a three-week trip.
Your COBS Packing List:
Medications:
What to Wear While Travelling:
We recommend you wear course clothing and boots while travelling and bring all essentials (prescription meds, insurance card copy, cash) in a carry-on. This will minimize the inconvenience in the unlikely event your luggage is delayed in transport. Being dressed for course will also further the efficiency on your first day, especially since front country bathrooms and private changing areas are rarely available.
Gear that Outward Bound Provides
Please note Outward Bound provides all other equipment including but not limited to sleeping bags & pads, backpacks, camp gear. There are no additional fees for the use of our equipment. If you have your own equipment and it meets the below criteria, you are welcome to bring it with you. Please be aware that your instructors will assess it for appropriateness and may ask you to use Outward Bound gear in lieu of your own if they do not find your gear adequate for your particular course.
If you DO wish to bring some of your own gear, here are our minimum standards for what MAY be acceptable for few common items
Layering:
Materials:
Information on Rain Pants and Jackets**
After footwear, rainwear is the most critical part of your clothing system. It can make or break your experience. If you have to cut costs elsewhere to invest more in rainwear, we recommend doing that. In general, you get what you pay for in rain gear.
All rainwear should be a WATERPROOF AND BREATHABLE fabric, not merely water resistant. It must have a hood. Gore- Tex, a brand name fabric that many manufacturers use, comes in differing layer amounts, from 1 to 3-layer. 3-layer is the waterproof version, and the most expensive. For this course, 2.5 layers or 3 layers are recommended. Many companies make their own version of this waterproof, breathable fabric that is of high quality. For example, REI uses
eVent; Patagonia uses H2no; and The North Face has Hy Vent. Please call your course advisors if you have any questions regarding proper rainwear for your course.
Here are some examples of acceptable rain jackets, and approximate retail prices.
• Patagonia Torrentshell - $129
• REI Rhyolite Jacket - $189
• Outdoor Research Foray Jacket - $215
• Outdoor Research Clairvoyant Jacket - $325
• Marmot Knife Edge Rain Jacket - $225
Here are some examples of acceptable pants, and approximate retail prices.
• Marmot Precip Pants - $100
• Patagonia Torrentshell Pants - $99
For more rainwear info: http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/rainwear-how-it-works.html
Head & Hand Layers:
Quantity | Item | Description |
1 | Baseball Cap |
Necessary for sun protection; full brimmed hats do not work well with backpacks |
1 | Sun Hat |
Should have have a full brim for added protection. Should be foldable for storage. |
1 | Warm Hat |
Wool or fleece beanie that can be worn under a helmet. |
1 | Midweight Gloves |
Should maintain warmth and be weather resistant. To wear in colder temps. |
1 | Heavy Gloves |
For wearing while in snowy, cold conditions. Waterproof outer shell that can be worn over your gloves or mittens.. |
2+ | Face Masks |
KN95s or N95 To be worn when social distancing isn't possible, and as requested by COBS staff. |
2+ | Buffs | Tubular style. |
Top Layers:
Quantity | Item | Description |
2+ | Sports Bra |
Sports bra should be able to provide support in physical activity. |
4+ | Short Sleeve T-Shirt |
Outermost shirt, must be comfortable during walking, hiking, and other course activities |
1 | Long Sleeve Mid Layer |
Worn on top of baselayer for insulation. Soft, long sleeve technical fleece, (hood optional). Lightweight, compact, and moisture wicking. |
1 | Long Sleeve Shirt |
UPF materials are recommended. Loosefitting, long sleeves. Long sleeve button up shirts and sun hoodies also work to keep you warm and provide sun protection. |
1 | Insulated Jacket |
This is a puffy, lightweight jacket with a hood to optimize warmth. Will be worn as outermost layer in dry conditions. |
1 | Rain Jacket |
Should be waterproof, not water resistant. Should be helmet compatible and loosefitting as to go over all you other layers of clothes. |
Bottom Layers:
Quantity | Item | Description |
6+ | Underwear |
Comfortable underwear for physical activities. Cotton underwear is recommended for sleeping (bring at least one pair). |
2 | Shorts |
Athletic shorts that wick moisture and dry quickly. |
1 | Pants for Climbing |
A durable pair of pants for use at rock camp. They should be loose fitting. These pants will get torn up a bit due to the rough nature of rock climbing. |
1 | Pant Base Layer | Base layers are the first layer of clothing to provide warmth while absorbing and evaporating sweat to keep student warm and comfortable |
1 | Quick Dry Pants |
Lightweight nylon fabric dries quickly. Should be loose fitting as to aid in movement. Course areas can be abrasive to clothing so make sure you bring pants that are tough, or that you won’t mind getting ripped up during your course. |
1 | Insulated Pants |
These pants can be down, fleece, or synthetic insulation full side zips on these pants are useful in the backcountry. For keeping warm at camp on cool days and evenings, great for layering. |
1 | Soft-Shell Pants |
Medium weight, nylon & polyester, hiking pant; This item will be one of the most used items you bring - for hiking, climbing, hanging out in camp, etc. |
1 | Rain Pants | Should be waterproof, not water resistant. Should be loosefitting as to go over all you other layers of pants. Lower leg zippers recommended. |
Footwear Layers:
Quantity | Item | Description |
2+ |
Thick Hiking Socks |
Important for very cold days, sleeping, and being at camp. Make sure new boots are fitted with the thickest socks |
6+ |
Hiking Socks |
Basic wool hiking sock; crew to ski-length socks |
6+ |
Cotton Socks |
Thin socks for being at camp or sleeping. |
1 | Approach Shoes |
A hybrid between a hiking and climbing shoe used when traction is needed to navigate specific terrain such as slickrock. |
1 | Boots |
The most essential piece of gear that you will purchase. Must be waterproof, have good tread, a sturdy non-flexible sole, and at least mid-ankle in height. * Please read this blog on choosing boots for more information. |
1 | Running Shoes |
This will be your dry, comfortable, camp shoe. It should be somewhat lightweight and sturdy. |
1 | River Shoes |
A river shoe/sandal will be wet daily. It must have an ankle or heel strap. Using an additional pair of old sneakers as a river shoe will also work.*Flip-flops, Clogs, Crocs, and Aquasocks are NOT acceptable |
Toiletries:
Quantity | Item | Description |
1 | Waterproof Sunscreen |
SPF 30 or greater. For courses 15 days or longer, consider bringing a small bottle to carry and a larger bottle to resupply from. |
2+ |
Lip Balm or Chap Stick |
SPF 30 or greater |
1 | Insect Repellant |
Must be a cream or lotion. 2-4 oz., plastic container. Products with Picaridan or DEET (10 - 35%) are most effective. |
16oz |
Moisturizing Lotion |
4-6 oz. per week for dry feet and hands |
1 | Toiletry Kit |
Travel-size toiletries for basecamp use, if showers are an option |
Menstrual Products |
Choose the method you are most familiar with and bring extra supplies. Regardless of your choice, take into consideration that you will have to pack out all waste. Menstrual cups produce less waste. If you’ve never used a menstrual cup, we recommend you try it before course. If using tampons, consider a non-applicator tampon to reduce bulk and waste. |
|
1 | Wet Wipes |
For extra cleaning and hygiene. |
1 | Towel | For showering at basecamp. |
Personal Accessories:
Quantity | Item | Description |
1 | Luggage Bag |
Large duffle bag or suitcase for travel to and from course. |
1 | ID & Insurance Card |
Bring your card if you have insurance. The actual card is preferred, but a copy of the front and the back of the card will be okay. Store in ziplock bag. |
2 | Bandana |
Bring extra if intended to use for backcountry hygiene including as a pee rag. |
Sunglasses with keeper strap |
Sunglasses with UV protection. For winter, or courses expected to travel significantly on snow, peripheral coverage and dark lenses are important to protect from the additional sun glare. |
|
1 | Prescription Eye Wear |
Contacts – bring extra pairs Glasses - Ensure these are compatible with your sunglasses. Bring an extra set in case of damage or backup. |
2 | Water Bottles |
Two wide-mouth 32 oz. water bottle. A hydration bladder is not recommended for river courses or sections with freezing temperatures. |
1 | Headlamp |
LED headlamp with extra batteries - lithium batteries recommended. |
2 | Prescription Medications |
THESE MUST BE DECLARED DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS. Bring medications in original containers (name, dosage, and instruction labels should be listed). Bring a ziploc bag for storage. Bring two sets of medication in case original is lost or damaged. |
1 | Watch |
Digital and water resistant recommended. |
6+ |
Sealable Plastic Bags |
Heavy duty to protect cameras, use as trash bags etc. Sandwich or gallon sized. |
2+ | Personal Hand Sanitizer |
Minimum of 60% alcohol-based contained in 3 oz bottles. Plus a larger 16oz to refill if your course is 15-days or longer. |
Travel to and From Course:
Quantity | Item | Description |
Money & Snacks |
Extra cash and snacks are recommended for travel days and unexpected expenses such as luggage fees, bus fare, etc. |
|
Emergency Contact Numbers |
Carry a copy of the COBS phone numbers to use in case of travel delays | |
Clean Clothes | Please bring a set of clean clothes for your travels home |
Optional Items:
Quantity | Items | Description |
1 | Vest | To be worn as an extra layer for core body warmth. |
1 | Stamps and Envelopes | If you would like to send mail, bring your own stamps and envelopes. Store it in a ziplock bag. |
1 pair | Gaiters | COBS provides a basic pair of gaiters. Higher end gaiters may provide more coverage and may be easier to use. |
1 pair | Neoprene Socks | Additional foot warmth for river or water sections. |
1 pair | Neoprene Gloves | For river sections to maintain warmth in wet conditions. Also helps prevent blisters from paddling. |
1 pair | Hiking Poles | COBS provides basic poles. You may bring your own pair if you prefer. |
1 | Camera | Each patrol will have a COBS provided camera. If bringing your own, keep in mind the bulkiness and level of care needed to maintain the camera. |
1 | Insulated cup |
½ liter size, maximum. Nice for hot drinks. |
1 | Toys, Instruments, Books |
You are welcome to bring hacky sacks, frisbees, musical instruments, and other fun stuff. You will only have access to these items for certain, limited times. |
1 | Cell Phone & Charger |
You will have a chance to use your phone at course start and end. |
3+ | Ear Plugs |
Recommended if you are a light sleeper. |
1 | Sarong |
A large length of fabric that is often used for sun protection while rafting. If you are unable to find a sarong an unfitted twin cotton sheet will also work |
1 | Inflatable Sleeping Pad |
COBS provides an insulated foam pad. If bringing an inflatable pad, it must be lightweight, and have appropriate R-value for the cold. Patch kits required if bringing an inflatable pad. |
1 | Portable Chair |
Crazy Creek and REI are popular brands. Must be lightweight and packable/rollable. No chairs with legs can be brought. |
if owned | Climbing Gear: Helmet, Harness, Belay Device, or Climbing Chalk Bag, Rock Climbing Shoes |
COBS provides basic models. You may bring your own items if you prefer. |
1 | Backpacking Water Filter | COBS treats water with Aquamira, bleach, or by boiling. If you prefer a water backpacking filter you must bring your own. |
Hand & Foot Warmers | Long lasting air activated hand and toe warmers for cold-season courses. |
Items not Allowed on Course:
Weather During Your Course:
Expect temperatures ranging from 40-80 degrees (Colorado) with nighttime temperatures ranging from 15-40 degrees. Despite these recommendations of what is “normal weather,” our course environments are characterized by unpredictable weather. Please check the weather prior to your course for Leadville, Colorado at www.weather.com to have an idea of what to expect, but please bring everything on this list since weather patterns can change quickly.
MEETING PLACE:
1:30 PM Mountain Time
Denver International Airport (DIA) Baggage Claim –18 Jeppesen (Main) Terminal, Level 5
Course Start:
A Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) representative will be available at Baggage Claim 18 on baggage claim Level 5, from approximately 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM to meet students. We cannot accommodate picking up or dropping off students from other locations.
COBS representatives will be wearing clothing with the COBS logo and will have a table with a COBS banner. They will ensure everyone has arrived and will be available to answer any last-minute questions. Participants not fully confirmed by their Course Advisor will not be allowed in the van.
Please be ready to go, having eaten and made any necessary phone calls before 1:30 PM. Please send your student with cash or a credit card to use for purchasing food/snacks on travel days. Expect to be in the van for multiple hours. Again, please DO NOT MISS THE VAN. It is extremely difficult to get late participants to the course start. If your flight has been delayed call 720.381.6589 immediately.
Course End:
Your course will end and the van will transport participants back to Denver International Airport (DIA). You should arrive back to Denver International Airport at approximately 10:00 AM. Outward Bound staff will be available in the airport to assist students until 4:00 PM. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to make a flight departing before 12:30 PM.
For those who are being picked up at DIA, participants can be picked up at Baggage Claim 18 between 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM. This is the only location students can be picked up from.
TRAVEL AND TUITION INSURANCE
Airfare, related travel costs, and non-refundable tuition payments are expensive. Insurance to protect your trip and course is not required but strongly encouraged. We recommend insuring these costs from the third-party provider InsureMyTrip. This program has coverage options that include your travel costs and the non-refundable tuition costs. For more information and to receive a free quote, click here.
TRAVEL PROBLEMS AND EMERGENCY CONTACT:
If you encounter problems with your travel plans that will delay your arrival to Denver, we can help troubleshoot solutions so that you can get to your course start. During office hours, call your course advisor for assistance. After hours, call our 24-hour voice mailbox at 720.381.6589 and follow the prompts for a travel delay on a Colorado program. The mail boxes are checked regularly and you will receive a call back as indicated by the outgoing message. In the event of an emergency (such as a death in the family) where you need to reach a student who is on course call 720.381.6589 and follow the prompts for critical emergency for a student currently on a course. This will route to an on-call cell phone and you will get a prompt return call as indicated by the message.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
If you arrive before, or stay after your course dates, several hotels offer shuttle service to and from the airport. If you need assistance booking accommodations, Donna Evans is a third party travel agent who has worked with many Outward Bound families and comes highly recommended. She can be contacted via email: [email protected] or phone: 303-400-0852.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here for college credit registration and instructions for how to use 529 college funds to pay for an Outward Bound course
Click here to learn more
Once you submit your initial application, your COBS Course Advisor will send you an enrollment email that contains links to the forms we need you to complete and submit online
Click here to read an example of a typical day on course and what you can do to be prepared
Click here to review our COVID-19 requirements and practices
Click here for ideas to prepare for and manage homesickness
MAIL:
Embarking upon multi-week expedition without most of our comforts from home can be an unfamiliar challenge, and receiving letters from family and/or friends can be incredibly encouraging for everyone on an expedition. Your mail will be delivered to you at transfers and resupplies as well as at the end of course. Your family and friends can send mail to you at the following address. Any undelivered mail received after the course will be forwarded to your home address. Please ask them to mail the letters at least 6 days before the course end. Packages are subject to opening prior to delivery to the student.
Name and Course #
c/o Colorado Outward Bound School
1930 Hwy 300
Leadville, CO 80461
If there is no course code on mail, it may be filtered into the staff generic mailboxes, and may not be received during course.
General Hygiene
Your instructors will explain the details of backcountry hygiene when you arrive. Groups carry soap and/or hand sanitizer for hand washing. Every student is given one wet wipe per day. You are welcome to bring and additional personal supply. Sometimes there are creeks, rivers, or lakes that groups can splash around in. Although showering and washing hair are not an option while on course, and there are usually no opportunities to wash clothing, it is not as bad as it sounds and we are all in it together.
Every course environment has different techniques and environmentally appropriate practices for going to the bathroom. You will learn how to dispose of human waste in latrines, cat holes, groovers, or other wilderness-area specific methods.
Getting your Period on Course
Diet, altitude, & fitness level can unexpectedly bring on your period or postpone it. You may experience irregularities while out on course. Choose the method you are most comfortable with such as pads, menstrual cups, or tampons and include extra/supplemental supplies. Many of our staff love a reusable menstrual cup (MeLuna, DivaCup or Lena), because it reduces the amount of waste that you will need to carry and pack out. If you’ve never used a menstrual cup, we recommend you research and trial it before course. If using tampons, consider a non-applicator tampon to reduce bulk and waste that needs to be carried. Feel free to contact your course advisor with any questions. Regardless of your choice, we are able to share practices for managing periods and supplies in the backcountry and provide all the supplies to manage waste.
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Compassion is one of Outward Bound’s core values. Be prepared to offer it and expect it from your teammates. You will travel with and rely on a group of strangers each of whom have different reasons for attending Outward Bound and will come with varying levels of physical and mental strength. You may find that you will need to make compromises in your own expectations to support other members of your team. It is important to remember that in such a small group setting, your attitude and actions affect everyone.
Click here to learn more about financial aid and scholarship opportunities
Please contact Nohemi Mora, Scholarship Program Coordinator: [email protected] | 303-676-8238 with questions.
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