Sailing

Traditional 30-foot sailboats encourage teamwork and leadership like no other classroom. On an open boat with no cabin and no engine, the group will live closely together using only wind and oars to power their way. As they rotate responsibilities during the expedition, students learn the crafts of maneuvering under sail, coastal navigation, 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. 

On this course, students:

• Adjust sails properly for sailing at different angles to the wind, and to execute sailing maneuvers like tacking and gybing, which turn the boat through the wind
• Navigate using a chart and compass to arrive accurately at the day’s destination, using techniques that include taking bearings, dead reckoning, triangulation and sounding.
• Move the boat under oars, coordinating all of the rowers' movements so that the oars splash as one, precisely maneuvering in and out of secluded anchorages
• Live (cook, eat, sleep, work and learn) as a team aboard a small open sailboat, contributing energy and ideas, sharing tasks and responsibilities and relying on each other.

Mantiqueira Trekking Expedition

After planning and packing at base, students begin a multiday backpacking expedition travelling both on and off trail through the Mantiqueira wilderness, navigating their way towards the village of Campina. Travelling 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 focus on learning navigation skills and exploring the South American flora and fauna.

Canoeing and Whitewater Rescue Technician Certification

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 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.

Itatiaia National Park Climbing Clinic

Rock climbing sessions take place at the many granite crags and cliffs in Itatiaia Naional Park. Students learn how to properly use harnesses, helmets, ropes and belay devices. The group starts with the basics of tying in to the rope and safely belaying each other, then practices efficient movement over rock using friction techniques, edging and crack climbing. As students build experience and skills, they develop more advanced climbing techniques and get a chance to explore the many rock faces of Itatiaia Naional Park.

Chapada Canoeing, Trekking and Canyoneering

The semester wraps up with a three-week expedition designed to test the group and their mastery of outdoor and leadership skills. Beyond the canoeing experiences, the group will trek across the plateaus, jungles, and grasslands of the Chapada. Along the hiking route the group will have the chance to descend canyons, working together to rappel down waterfalls and swim through the clear pools cut deep into the steep sides of Chapada’s plateaus.

Chapada dos Veadeiros Village Service

Service projects are often incorporated into Outward Bound courses through coordination with local land managers, conservation groups, government agencies or social service agencies. On this course, students will have the opportunity to work with members of the remote Kalunga community. 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.

Course Area

Florida Keys

Home to numerous birds and abundant marine life, the region owes its productivity to the confluence of water flowing out of the Everglades into inner Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The backcountry of Florida Bay offers challenging shoal draft navigation and the opportunity to explore mangrove keys, tidal flats and coral patch reefs. These warm, shallow waters provide an exciting cruising area for Outward Bound’s sailing boats and some of the best training ground for developing advanced sailing skills. The Atlantic side offers excellent open water sailing and snorkeling at the outer reefs. The course area extends to the Everglades, with beautiful sand beaches and a maze of rivers and bays to explore.

Brazil

As the fifth largest country in the world, and the host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, Brazil is well known as the home of the coastal megacities Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. The real Brazil is much, much more. Spanning the equator, and with a land area comparable to the continental United States, the ecosystems of Brazil range from equatorial rainforests in the north to tropical savannas in the central regions and temperate forests and grass lands in the south. Beyond its diverse landscapes, Brazil is also believed to be home to the highest variety of animal species in the world.