ABOUT THE NOLS PROGRAM:
The expedition is led by experienced instructors from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Students will learn technical outdoor skills, environmental practices, and leadership skills through structured lessons from the NOLS curriculum.
The Columbia MBA Leadership Expedition will travel through one of the world’s most awe-inspiring and remote landscapes, one of the many beautiful mountain ranges in southern Chile. These rugged ranges provide breathtaking vistas of sharp spires and mountain massifs draped with hanging glaciers. As you navigate the wild terrain of Patagonia, you’ll learn how to lead in challenging, dynamic environments. At night, you’ll set up camp, cook meals on lightweight camp stoves, and live in a small, tight-knit community.
As part of the curriculum, you will also learn how to:
- Respond to the dynamic situations that arise exploring unfamiliar mountains in unpredictable weather with a diverse group.
- As leader for the day, students must make decisions in ambiguity and maintain morale under often challenging conditions.
- When in the role of team member, students will have to practice "active followership," acting to support the leader and the team.
NOLS instructors will guide learning from these experiences through individual and group discussions before and after each day's hike (a daily cycle of think, do, reflect). The expedition becomes a laboratory for expanding one's leadership repertoire, because each student is placed in different roles and receives granular feedback from the instructor and from peers every day. This opportunity to focus on one's teamwork skills with few distractions enables powerful and lasting self-insights, which students in past years have called "life changing."
JANUARY 2027 PROGRAM DETAILS:
Program Dates: January 6-17. You must arrive in Balmaceda, Chile (BBA) by mid-afternoon on January 6th. The expedition runs from January 7-16. You can depart from Balmaceda anytime on January 17th.
Program Costs: Tuition for the January 2027 expedition is $3,900. There is also a $300 equipment deposit with NOLS. Students are responsible for international airfare, 2 nights of lodging in Balmaceda, and the associated costs of buying equipment (NOLS has rentals for most items).
Timeline:
- Deposit ($1,000) due upon enrollment
- Tuition balance, paperwork, and equipment deposit ($300) due by September 20th
Additional Information:
NOLS 2027 Info Session Recording
NOLS CBS Participant Video (from Patagonia)
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
Before submitting your deposit, if you would like to use a grant, please review and complete the following form for the NOLS Leadership Expedition Grant options.
HOW TO SIGN UP:
Go to the NOLS Leadership Expedition webform and continue to the NOLS enrollment page. Enrollment is first-come, first-serve until all open spots are filled. You will receive a welcome email from NOLS with more information once you've enrolled in the expedition and submitted your deposit.
The remaining balance will be due September 20th. We recommend you look at airfare to get a general sense of the costs and decide now if the pricing of this program is right for you. You should wait until NOLS clears your health form before booking flights and accommodations or purchase fully refundable options.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY:
Once you register and pay the deposit, you are considered part of the expedition. The deposit is non-refundable, and you will forfeit your deposit if you withdraw from the expedition. A deposit refund will only be considered and initiated by NOLS if you are medically denied clearance for the expedition. For more information about cancellations, please read the following:
NOLS Cancellation Policy can be found here.
NOLS Tuition Protection and Travel Insurance can be found here.