“Are these related? If so, how?”These are among some of our most common questions. And simply put, Outward Bound Costa Rica and Outward Bound USA are both under the umbrella organization Outward Bound International. All Outward Bound Schools worldwide receive their charters via Outward Bound International. OBI is governed by a council made up of […]
How many of us can say that we went from one ocean to another without the use of transportation? Not many, but our Tri-Country students can. It took 28 days, about 200 kilometers, twenty days of hiking, 14 nights camping, a 72-hour solo, meeting and helping 14 homestay families, a rest in hot springs, a […]
When Trinity College students arrived in Costa Rica yesterday, they did not know what to expect. And it is very unlikely that those expectations did not include an environmentally-obsessed kayaker and a tough but beautiful Tica. Regardless, Mau and Joe are their instructors for the next seven days in the rainforest, on the rivers, and […]
so-lo [soh-loh] –noun 1. a person who works, acts, or performs alone 2. a person who performs or accomplishes something without the usual equipment, tools, etc. –adjective 1. alone; without a companion or partner –adverb 1. on one’s own; alone or unaccompanied –en Español 1. alone; lonely How would you handle being alone in the […]
Last updated: April 8, 2010 The packing lists provide the “bare bones” of what our students need to bring, but it is easy to get lost when trying to decide on types, brands, sizes, etc. of each item. In order to make packing easier for incoming students, we have started compiling the questions receive via […]
Eighty-five days is a LONG time. It’s a good thing the Tri-Country spring semester students have great instructors to keep them company. Santiago Lopez Salazar and Heidi Ruckriegle have been leading their semester students for over twenty days now. Santiago, a Costa Rican native, and Heidi, from Colorado, have plenty of outdoor experience and energy […]
Looking for community service in Costa Rica? From school improvements and building libraries to water systems and chocolate harvesting, Shawn and Laura found it all. A common practice of Outward Bound Costa Rica office staff and instructors is to scope out new areas for outdoor challenges, new homestay families, and of course, community service. Last […]
“It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be.” This is one of the most typical comments of feedback we hear from students after their first few days learning how to surf. And after Calvin College students head to Manuel Antonio to learn this weekend, they will most likely be in agreement. Physical challenges […]
Last weekend Calvin College’s patrols flip-flopped courses; by now their experiences have made them two strong forces. Patrol 1 is rafting and kayaking on the River Phase, Patrol 2 is making their way through the rainforest maze. Patrol 2 has learned to hike up steep hills, while Patrol 1 has had some fun kayak spills. […]
What has Calvin College’s Patrol 1 been busy doing? (View their photos on our Facebook Page: Part I, Part II) The same activities as Ticos, of course. From harvesting sugar cane and making candy to jumping in the river and playing games, Patrol 1 has done it all. Up until yesterday when they ended the […]
Calvin College, 12Río General, 0 Twelve of Calvin College’s students (Patrol 2) conquered 40 km of Costa Rica’s challenging 60-kilometer Río General (see below) in a 3-day River Phase extravaganza. Ryan, Kevin, Brian, Kelsey, Lauren, Katy, Rachel, Ted, Kyle, Trent, Alex, and Andrew accompanied three of Costa Rica’s best (at least, by word of mouth) […]
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – October 21, 2009“Watch out for the eddie line on the other side of that hole once you pass the strainer and the laterals.” Did you catch any of that? Neither do most people, which is why we leave it up to the rafting professionals. Fourteen of Central America’s finest rafting […]
“Between 40 min and 2 hours; it depends on the time of day, the day of the week, and the time of year.” This is the response we give when we’re asked, “So how far is the Outward Bound Costa Rica base from the airport?” We never know, either. When scheduling our drivers for student […]
With 23 Calvin College students invading Costa Rica, we had to send a lot of our best instructors out on course to handle the load. We also had to split the group into two Patrols. Meet their instructors: Danny Jiménez, Lead Instructor, Patrol 1 Hometown: San Isidro, Costa Rica About: Danny loves cars. In fact, […]
Our five newest students got an extra special taste of Costa Rican culture on Christmas Day when Doña Carmen – one of our cooks and all-around Base Angels – invited everyone into her home for a holiday meal. Shortly after getting to our base and completing their “Duffle Shuffle,” the participants in our Adult Reconnect […]