If you’re reading this introduction you’re probably interested in taking a gap year. My recommendation: Take the plunge! As HMI Gap’s new Admissions Associate my advice is, of course, biased, and it is based on my experience. Living, working and travelling in non-traditional educational settings has shaped the person I am today, and I have […]
Who are the students that choose to do an HMI Gap Semester? Becca Schild, Co-Director of HMI Gap, sat down with two of our fall 2017 alumni to hear about their interests, college plans, and gap year experiences. Nora Fried, Alumni of the Climbing and Conservation Semester Why did you take a gap year? My
Through HMI Gap’s Civic Adventure Scholarship program, we hope to support students who have demonstrated a commitment to civic engagement and outdoor adventure to become part of HMI Gap. This year, we will award three merit scholarships to students who wish to take one of our HMI Gap semesters. Why Civic Adventure? The American conservation movement started with early outdoor explorers who drew
My experiences in these past three months have shed light on an unexpected irony. In feeling incredible weakness, my knees buckling under the weight of my pack and my legs burning with each step through the rising snow, I knew what it meant to be strong. In waking up cold and wet, watching, the walls
Backpacking Group By Leo Polk and Christina Iwanski Three days after arriving in Chile Chico and getting acquainted with Chilean culture and prepping for our expedition through Parque Patagonia, our group of 10 set off on an unbelievable bumpy road circumnavigating a seemingly endless lake. Our minds had plenty of time to build up a
Rock Climbing Group Written by Nora Fried and Ben Clouse Bienvenidos a Patagonia! Welcome to Patagonia! After quite the journey (3 planes, 3 bus rides, and a ferry), our group finally made it all the way from Leadville to Chile Chico, Chile. Spirits were through the roof as we awoke 6,296 miles from the start
Rock Climbing Group Written by Heath Lawrence, Christina Klyce, and Becca Schild “In the American Southwest, I began a lifelong love affair with a pile of rock.” –Edward Abbey During the last section of Utah, it feels that we’ve entered into a rhythm with the sun, rock, and community that feels like our new normal.
Backpacking Group Written by Ally Edwards and Caitlin Murphy These past few weeks we’ve been enjoying perfect weather and new adventures in southern Utah. We began our time base camping (glamping), spending our days either climbing or doing service work with Trail Mix, a local nonprofit that provides volunteer stewardship for public lands. While climbing,
Rock climbing group Written by Ally Bartels and Robert Rolfsen Over three days, the landscape changed from white to green to beautiful yellows and oranges of the fall leaves and red sandstone of Utah. The unofficial slogan for this sandy desert was, “Like Mars, but with more atmosphere.” As we stared out at the stars that
Backpacking group Written by Isabel Emsfeld and Nick Van Besien A white Short bus pulls down a dirt road, signifying the end of our first expedition, 12 days backpacking in the Sawatch Mountains of Colorado. All 8 students and 2 leaders excited for the entry to the front country (aka, opposite of back country). The
