Student Outdoor Leadership Experience
The Student Outdoor Leadership Experience (SOLE) is an immersive outdoor leadership development program on campus.
About SOLE
SOLE prepares students to become confident outdoor leaders through more than 200 hours of hands-on training in technical skills, such as climbing, kayaking, backpacking, risk management, and group leadership.
The program serves as a pathway for students interested in becoming Outdoor Pursuits trip leaders.
SOLE Course Dates
All course dates are required to complete the program. Weekend trips are overnight, beginning early Saturday morning until late Sunday evening. Each trip includes a pre-trip meeting the week before which is also required and scheduled based on the availability of class participants.
- Classroom Sessions
- Trip planning and preparation – October 8, 2026, 6-8 p.m.
- Camp kitchen and meal planning – October 15, 2026, 6-8 p.m.
- Weekend 1
- October 31 – November 1, 2026
- Rock Climbing Day Trip
- Nov 15, 2026
- Weekend 2
- November 21-22, 2026
- Weekend 3
- January 30-31, 2027
- Spring Break Expedition
- March 6-12, 2027
- Whitewater Kayaking Day Trip
- April 4, 2027
Course Includes
- Training in multiple backcountry travel disciplines, such as rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, and backpacking.
- Training in backcountry, navigation, feedback, outdoor recreation education, leadership, communication, and trip leading.
- All equipment.
- All food and camping.
- Transportation to and from training sites.
- Instruction from professional staff with over 20 years of experience.
NOLS Wilderness First Aid (WFA) 16-hour certification course at heavily discounted rate.
Cost
The cost for this training course is $170.
Apply for Sole
Applications will open on August 17 and close on September 21.
Wilderness Medical Training
Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
- Feb 13-14, 2026 (8 hours each day, not overnight)
As a SOLE candidate, you receive a highly discounted rate to attend the Wilderness First Aid course.
WFA is required to become a trip leader. Some SOLE candidates already have a WFA or Wilderness First Responder (WFR)* and do not need to take this course.
*WFA/WFR must be from a nationally recognized provider.
Additional Trainings
If you successfully gained the necessary experiences and skills (through SOLE and on your own time), you may be eligible for the staff May mini-term trainings.
Mini-term trainings in whitewater kayak instruction, rock climbing instruction, and swiftwater rescue are available to students who complete the SOLE class.
These sessions are in-depth trainings lasting 3-4 days and build on skills and experiences staff already have.
What past experience do I need?
To join the SOLE course, you should have some outdoor experience, like hiking or paddling with the family, climbing with a high school club team, or being involved with scouts. No in-depth experience is necessary, but you should be ready to be pushed beyond your comfort zone.
You don’t need a lot of experience, but if you have never hiked, paddled, or biked, then you should wait to take this course. If you are a skilled climber, boater, backpacker, or biker, but you haven’t formally taught or lead groups, this course will still be of benefit.
If you have guided before (at a summer camp or with a private outfitter) or have a strong technical background but lack experience teaching, talk with us about whether this course is needed, or if your prior experience qualifies you to apply to become Outdoor Pursuits trip staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does SOLE take place?
SOLE happens a little bit on campus, but most of it is in the wilderness.
Weekend technical training trips are on the rivers, cliffs, and trails throughout Tennessee.
As a SOLE student, you will work with the professional staff and current student trip leaders to plan one of the five weekend courses.
How many people are in this course?
We enroll up to 12 students in SOLE each year.
What experience do I need?
To join the SOLE course, you should have some outdoor experience, like hiking or paddling with the family, climbing with a high school club team, or being involved with scouts. No in-depth experience is necessary, but you should be ready to be pushed beyond your comfort zone.
You don’t need a lot of experience, but if you have never hiked, paddled, or biked, then you should wait to take this course. If you are a skilled climber, boater, backpacker, or biker, but you haven’t formally taught or lead groups, this course will still be of benefit.
If you have guided before (at a summer camp or with a private outfitter) or have a strong technical background but lack experience teaching, talk with us about whether this course is needed or if your prior experience qualifies you to apply to become Outdoor Pursuits trip staff.
What if I already have guiding experience?
If you have guiding experience and a WFA or WFR, and you want to lead trips with RecSports, you may not need to take this entire course. Contact us at [email protected] to send us your resume and let us know your experience.
I can’t make all the dates, can I still take this course?
Most likely not. There is no makeup session, and we don’t have time to get you caught up. You are welcome to apply still and let us know what date(s) you can’t make.
How much credit will I get for the course?
No academic credit is given for this course.
What certifications must I have to apply?
Zero. If you have some certifications, that’s great, but you don’t need any to apply. Through SOLE, you’ll take a 16-hour national recognized NOLS Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course so you’ll end up with at least one certification plus lots of first-hand knowledge and experience.
Do I have to lead trips for UTOP if I take SOLE?
We do not require that SOLE students lead trips for our program. However, this class is our primary tool for developing trip leaders, and strong preference is given to those who are interested in becoming UTOP adventure trip leaders.