Adventure Treks' Leadership Adventure Gap semester is an outdoor adventure and life skills program based in the mountains of western North Carolina and Costa Rica. The semesters include three multi-day backcountry trips where students will learn how to lead their peers in the outdoors. They'll build mastery in skills like rock climbing, mountain biking and kayaking, whilst building confidence in themselves, their peers, learning life skills and how to be a stronger leader.
Who Should Sign Up For Adventure Treks?
Our semester is a good fit for anyone who is looking to be a part of a strong, supportive community and is excited about being in the outdoors and pushing themselves to learn more.
What Can I Expect to Learn Through Adventure Treks?
Students will build interpersonal skills, live in a close community of peers, learn life skills like basic auto and home maintenance, and give back to the community with meaningful service. For spring and fall, students will basecamp in cabins in between backpacking trips. The open-air cabins are screened and rustic (no heat or A/C) but have electricity and are comfortable. For summer, students will camp expedition-style, traveling from location to location.
What's Included in the Adventure Treks' Package?
Included in Adventure Treks' package are:
Accomodation
Activities
Equipment
Meals
Park fees
Transportation
Reviews (5)
Adventure
Reviewed
on Jan/29/2022 by katiekaystevens
Man, where do I even begin? Mere words will never adequately express my gratitude for the sunsets, laughs, mountain goat families, exhilarating rapids, sense of accomplishment, sore calves, breathtaking views, and universal growth shared among a group of 12 strangers that turned into family.
This trip is a highlights reel of the most stunning wild places in the American West (especially the PNW). I still have to pinch myself when I think back to paddling down 14-ft waterfalls on a river that flows through a collapsed lava tube. When I close my eyes, I can still imagine the endless expanse of stars in City of Rocks and the sheer power I felt while shouting an inside-joke battle cry into a canyon in the Goat Rocks. From daily practice in risk management, knots, Leave No Trace--to my River Rescue and Wilderness First Responder Certifications, I feel capable and confident to lead backpacking trips with friends and beyond. I also fell in love with rock climbing, and I am very involved in the outdoor scene on my college campus.
In an age of isolation and sleepwalking behind screens, this trip was such a necessary and timely reminder of what really matters in life. I learned that when you show up each day with your whole authentic self and actively invest in the growth of yourself and others, you are capable of anything. I learned to chase relationships and experiences (like AT) that make you feel so wholeheartedly loved, alive, and true. I highly, highly recommend this program to anyone my age. The transition to college is such an inflection point full of uncertainty and chaos, and this trip gave me time and space to reflect upon the person I am and the person I want to be, and I found the sense of direction and meaning I craved within the most supportive and encouraging environment.
Attending Adventure Treks last summer was undoubtedly the best decision of my life. (Thank you, THANK YOU, Mom and Dad). I grew immensely as an outdoorswoman, leader, friend, and human being, and I have epic stories and friendships to last a lifetime. I can't say enough good things about this program.
Adventure
Reviewed
on Jan/29/2022 by katiekaystevens
Man, where do I even begin? Mere words will never adequately express my gratitude for the sunsets, laughs, mountain goat families, exhilarating rapids, sense of accomplishment, sore calves, breathtaking views, and universal growth shared among a group of 12 strangers that turned into family.
This trip is a highlights reel of the most stunning wild places in the American West (especially the PNW). I still have to pinch myself when I think back to paddling down 14-ft waterfalls on a river that flows through a collapsed lava tube. When I close my eyes, I can still imagine the endless expanse of stars in City of Rocks and the sheer power I felt while shouting an inside-joke battle cry into a canyon in the Goat Rocks. From daily practice in risk management, knots, Leave No Trace--to my River Rescue and Wilderness First Responder Certifications, I feel capable and confident to lead backpacking trips with friends and beyond. I also fell in love with rock climbing, and I am very involved in the outdoor scene on my college campus.
In an age of isolation and sleepwalking behind screens, this trip was such a necessary and timely reminder of what really matters in life. I learned that when you show up each day with your whole authentic self and actively invest in the growth of yourself and others, you are capable of anything. I learned to chase relationships and experiences (like AT) that make you feel so wholeheartedly loved, alive, and true. I highly, highly recommend this program to anyone my age. The transition to college is such an inflection point full of uncertainty and chaos, and this trip gave me time and space to reflect upon the person I am and the person I want to be, and I found the sense of direction and meaning I craved within the most supportive and encouraging environment.
Attending Adventure Treks last summer was undoubtedly the best decision of my life. (Thank you, THANK YOU, Mom and Dad). I grew immensely as an outdoorswoman, leader, friend, and human being, and I have epic stories and friendships to last a lifetime. I can't say enough good things about this program.
Best decision of my life!
Reviewed
on Nov/21/2021 by maggiebroaddus
The 74 days I spent last fall were simply the best days of my life. That may sound like an exaggeration, but it is most certainly not. LAS (Leadership Adventure Semester) was 74 days filled with insanely fun journeys, challenges, and growth. The best part was being part of an incredibly inclusive, fun, supportive, and extremely close community. Last year, for many, was known as "the covid year." While this was not the case for all college students, I think many had a difficult year with limited social interactions. However, this was not the case for me. At LAS, we formed a bubble, and it was awesome. Since it was such a crazy year in terms of Covid, I think many people who came to LAS had their own unique stories of how they ended up there. But even though we all had these different stories, I can speak for everyone when I say that there could not have been a better way to spend a gap semester. I took a whole year off before I started college, and I had an incredible year overall. After LAS, I got my EMT certification, worked on a farm in Oregon, I interned at a recording studio, and worked as an EMT. All of it was awesome, however, LAS was easily the highlight. I made life long friends who I am still very much in touch with. In fact, after LAS, I've had many reunions with these people, which included a ski trip in Park City and several road trips. Also, I worked on a farm for two months with one of my best friends and cabin mate at LAS. We even had a big one-year reunion on zoom with everyone just a few weeks ago. If you are thinking about how to spend your semester, you really should consider LAS. You will make life long friends. I promise. The instructors were also incredible. They were all such amazing, supportive, fun-loving, and talented people. They also became some of my best friends. They took us on some amazing backpacking, canoeing, climbing, and mountain biking trips, teaching us and sharing all of their wisdom, helping us to become really solid mountain bikers, climbers, kayakers, and much more. A really awesome part of the semester was all of the certifications we have obtained. The Wilderness First Responder course was an amazing bonding experience, and we all learned so much. It even inspired me to continue with my certification and get my Wilderness EMT later in my year. Everything I learned at LAS has enabled me to do so much. I have gone on many backpack and canoe trips since with my friends, and LAS gave me the confidence and skills to do this. I am now at Bowdoin College in Maine, and here at school, I have jumped into leadership training for the Outing Club here. The reason I am able to do this was because of all my experiences at LAS. I cannot properly express how much gratitude I have for those 74 days last fall. It was an adventure of a lifetime.
Best decision ever!!
Reviewed
on Nov/10/2021 by JessieSullivan
Attending the Adventure Treks Leadership Adventure gap semester was one of the best decisions of my life. The activities and community are both diverse and enriching. My group ranged from seasoned outdoorsmen to students who had never been on a hike and the instructors excelled at accommodating everyone. The activities (including backpacking, whitewater kayaking and canoeing, rock climbing, and so much more) consistently felt safe and fun and there was always a challenge for every skill level! I could not recommend this gap semester more for anybody looking for a change in pace and a need to reignite your love for the outdoors. You will be introduced to a community that values fun, safety, and teamwork while still getting the chance to develop your own skills and take reasonable risks. As long as you are up for the challenge, the Leadership Adventure Semester is the perfect fit for you!
Best Summer ever!
Reviewed
on Nov/03/2021 by spt1
I loved backpacking, rock climbing, and learning wilderness medicine skills while camping! I now feel prepared to lead my own backpacks and plan and cook meals while camping. The community that AT trips foster is one of a kind, and stays present long after closing day. Being in a small group allowed us to move around quickly and experience the Rockies, City of Rocks, and the North Cascades in one trip. Going on our student-led backpack was amazing, and our instructors were very close in case of emergency. Rafting was a great and fun-filled way to close the trip!
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Man, where do I even begin? Mere words will never adequately express my gratitude for the sunsets, laughs, mountain goat families, exhilarating rapids, sense of accomplishment, sore calves, breathtaking views, and universal growth shared among a group of 12 strangers that turned into family.
This trip is a highlights reel of the most stunning wild places in the American West (especially the PNW). I still have to pinch myself when I think back to paddling down 14-ft waterfalls on a river that flows through a collapsed lava tube. When I close my eyes, I can still imagine the endless expanse of stars in City of Rocks and the sheer power I felt while shouting an inside-joke battle cry into a canyon in the Goat Rocks. From daily practice in risk management, knots, Leave No Trace--to my River Rescue and Wilderness First Responder Certifications, I feel capable and confident to lead backpacking trips with friends and beyond. I also fell in love with rock climbing, and I am very involved in the outdoor scene on my college campus.
In an age of isolation and sleepwalking behind screens, this trip was such a necessary and timely reminder of what really matters in life. I learned that when you show up each day with your whole authentic self and actively invest in the growth of yourself and others, you are capable of anything. I learned to chase relationships and experiences (like AT) that make you feel so wholeheartedly loved, alive, and true. I highly, highly recommend this program to anyone my age. The transition to college is such an inflection point full of uncertainty and chaos, and this trip gave me time and space to reflect upon the person I am and the person I want to be, and I found the sense of direction and meaning I craved within the most supportive and encouraging environment.
Attending Adventure Treks last summer was undoubtedly the best decision of my life. (Thank you, THANK YOU, Mom and Dad). I grew immensely as an outdoorswoman, leader, friend, and human being, and I have epic stories and friendships to last a lifetime. I can't say enough good things about this program.