Question 1

intro

Accepted Answer

Have you ever watched National Geographic, seen all those wild and amazing places, and thought there was no way you could see them in person? We beg to differ! With an outdoor gap year in the wilderness, you can do just that &mdash;all while you develop real life leadership skills, learn the secrets of mother nature, and hit the trail towards to a unique career. Who wants to sit in an office all day anyway, especially when you can be a rafting expedition leader?! Lace up your hiking boots. It&rsquo;s time to learn about more programs like Outward Bound, and how a wilderness semester will do your body good.

Question 2

Popular Locations

Accepted Answer

The type of activity you&rsquo;re interested in will also determine and narrow down the locations to choose from. Get your nose out of your compass! Here are some of the most popular locations for wilderness gappers.
Alaska, USA. America&rsquo;s northernmost state is the epitome of the term &ldquo;wilderness.&rdquo; Its mighty mountains, forging waters, and abundant wildlife help it easily live up to its nickname, the Last Frontier. Having such a mixed geography, Alaska has tons on offer for outdoor gap years. Skiing or snowboarding, mountaineering, ice climbing (on glaciers!), sea kayaking, backpacking in boreal forests, crossing rocky alpine terrain, rafting down rivers, the list goes on! Doing a wilderness semester or year here will be an utterly life changing experience.
Patagonia, Argentina. This southernmost tip of the American continent is home to some of the most pristine mountains, rivers, and remarkable wilderness landscapes in the world. Go on expeditions to volcanoes, waterfalls, hotsprings, jungles, or and deserts. In such diversity, you&rsquo;ll not only develop your trekking, kayaking, mountaineering, and whitewater rafting skills, but also the knowledge about environmental and civic surroundings, leadership and teamwork, communication and survival. What more could you want from programs like Outward Bound?
Pro tip: The Andes are the perfect location for a wilderness medicine and rescue semester, where you can learn the art of rock and river rescue, winter travel and avalanche rescue, as well as medicine and survival skills for this kind of extreme environment.
Nepal, South Asia. Earth&rsquo;s highest peaks can be found in this landlocked country, with endless opportunities for gappers that are in love with the heights. Nepal is a perfect outdoor classroom where you can study while backpacking the Everest, learn from the best teachers and improve your mountaineering and rafting skills, or become the new Dr. House of outdoor activities with mountain medicine programs. A wilderness gap year in Nepal is the perfect chance to reconnect with nature.

Question 3

Everything else you need to know about gap year teaching programs

Accepted Answer

Costs. When looking at costs, you need to remember what you are paying for. Each gap year wilderness program is different, and costs vary depending on the destination and activity. Expect anywhere between $500-$5000 for a one to four week program, or a whole wilderness semester or year can cost up to $20.000. This is a small price to pay to learn about snow&rsquo;s consistency, potential avalanche triggers, and how to survive one. Afterall, winter is coming! 
If you&rsquo;re really interested in an outdoor leadership gap year (or just an outdoor semester), there are scholarships and financial aid that can help you out. Further, there&rsquo;s always FundMyTravel, where you can fundraise for your Outward Bound gap year with the help of friends and family.
Accommodations. When you&rsquo;re on programs like Outward Bound, accommodation is never a problem, because you can camp pretty much anywhere! Though most programs will put you up in a tent, there are some where you will also give you a break from the forest floor to set up in hostels, dorms, guesthouses, apartments, volunteer houses, or hotels.
Visas. You should never let things like visas get in the way of your adventures. No matter where you come from and what visas you might need for where you&rsquo;re going, our embassy directory is always a good way to start with. For most gap year wilderness programs, you&rsquo;ll need a tourist visa. 
Safety. Risks are an important part in a wilderness program, but so is personal growth. When we&rsquo;re talking the outdoors, there&rsquo;s a different set of safety rules. Your gap year wilderness program should communicate these clearly while on the ground, but it is highly recommended that before your trip, you have all your vaccinations up to date, allergies tested, and any other kind of treatment that you might need. You might consider getting basic First Aid training&mdash;or go wild with wilderness first responder!

Question 4

GoAbroad's Inside Scoop

Accepted Answer

Unplug! Throw yourself into a world away from smartphone, internet, and social media. A gap year in the outdoors might be the hardest thing you&rsquo;ll ever do in your life, but at the end, it will be all worth it. Nature&rsquo;s uncertainty and inevitable challenges will help develop your internal trust and reliability, and will push the edges of your capabilities. You will experience the world and yourself like never before and your life perspectives will change (who knew you could live happily with only two t-shirts?!).
Arm yourself with knowledge before you set foot in the wild. Research the location of your outdoor semester or year and pick some interesting things that you want to do and experience once you get there, like try a certain food or swim beneath a certain waterfall. Read up on some reviews from gappers that have been there before you, and make your own goals list.
A wilderness gap year will not only change your perspective of the world you live it, but it will prepare you for it and every unforeseen circumstances. Next time a nature disaster happens, you will know how to react and help everyone around you. Sign up now and get yourself a new set of skills!
Keep reading! 10 reasons to fall in love with a gap year in australia.