What does COBS mean in SCHOOLS

Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) is an educational non-profit organization that uses outdoor adventure to inspire leaders and build community in the outdoors. We strive to provide creative, challenging, and transformative experiences for all who participate. Our programs use wilderness settings as a catalyst for developing skills such as self-reliance, resilience, teamwork, communication, risk management, and leadership. COBS is based in Denver, but we run courses throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

COBS offers a variety of wilderness education courses ranging from multi-day backpacking trips to mountain biking adventures lasting up to one month! We also offer a wide range of youth summer camps including rock climbing expeditions and whitewater rafting excursions. Most importantly, all our programs blend physical adventure with personal growth.

Our mission at COBS is to develop leadership through challenge and discovery. We strive to provide challenging outdoor experiences that allow students to push themselves physically and mentally while gaining confidence and learning valuable life skills. By engaging in these activities together in a natural environment participants learn how to work together as a team while developing better communication skills and problem-solving abilities.

All of our course leaders have extensive experience teaching outdoor education courses; they understand both the technical aspects of managing wilderness trips as well as how to create an atmosphere where students can learn effectively during their time outside. Our staff teams are talented educators who have often spent years training for these roles, including taking part in additional professional development workshops or attending medical certification classes such as Wilderness First Aid/Responder (WFR).

The length of our courses varies depending on the type of program being offered; some are short weekend trips or day hikes while others range from one week up to several weeks away from home. Generally speaking we offer a variety of length options so you can find something that works well for you or your group's goals!

The specific gear list depends on the type of course you are participating in; however there are always some basics no matter what trip you book with us! These include proper clothing layers appropriate for the weather conditions present during your trip (including hats & gloves), sturdy shoes that give good ankle support (no crocs or sandals), an adequate amount of snacks/food depending on how many days you’ll be out adventuring & plenty of water bottles/hydration system! For more details please refer to our gear page online or contact us directly prior to booking so we can discuss any additional requirements relevant for each program.

COBS primarily operates within Colorado's Front Range area which includes cities like Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins & more! We also run extended courses throughout Wyoming & Utah - predominantly in Grand Teton National Park & Zion National Park respectively! As such we highly recommend researching which area would best suit your own needs before signing up for any particular course with us!