The Expedition Leader Style Analysis (ELSA) is an inventory designed to measure leadership style adaptability and effectiveness in terms of the situational leadership model. Situational leadership arose from the Experiential Leadership Education model, which is used in business and management, by replacing management jargon and phrases with…

Outdoor leaders and those involved in personal outdoor adventure pursuits must be knowledgeable in the assessment, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries in the backcountry. In the wilderness medicine setting, extended time periods of patient care, rugged terrain, severe environmental conditions, and limited resources create…

The experiences found in adventure programs often parallel the archetypes depicted in mythological quests. Drawing on the work of Joseph Campbell, the stages and trials of adventure participants are compared to similar rites of passage and epic adventures experienced by heroes and heroines in epic literature and mythology. The basic pattern of…

This paper examines the long-term impact on public lands of human-powered adventure activities. These activities take individuals into federal- or state-owned wild areas to enjoy backpacking, hiking, camping, and a wide variety of sports. Trends in supply and demand for outdoor opportunities are explored. Factors influencing demand include growing…

Any outdoor educator knows about rules. Outdoor educators spend a considerable amount of time at conferences talking about them: risk management plans, accepted safety practices, and first aid protocols. You name it, they've got a rule. When a Buddhist friend asked if rules really made programs safer, the author's first response was yes. His…

The value of light-hearted play in teaching technical recreational sport skills is immense. Children as well as adults can learn more quickly and completely with a games-oriented approach. Often without realizing the hidden goal of excellent skiing or paddling, participants respond to intriguing tasks in a game, immerse themselves in good…

This paper discusses subjective hazards in wilderness activities and suggests means of assessing and managing related risks. Wilderness educators conveniently group hazards into objective and subjective ones. Objective hazards such as rockfall, moving water, and weather, while not necessarily predictable, are visible and understandable. Subjective…

This paper discusses wilderness preservation as related to outdoor leadership and explains how eco-tourism can promote preservation. Although historically, the wilderness in the United States was largely destroyed in the name of progress, our cultural heritage evolved from that wilderness. The Wilderness Act was the first legislation in the…

For decades, camps have served as outdoor learning laboratories for leadership development. Camps provide adolescents the opportunity to practice leadership skills through activities perceived as worthwhile and in environments that differ profoundly from everyday experience. A survey examined the self-perceived development of leadership skills at…

A discussion group and survey examined trip-staff training practices among outdoor and adventure recreation/education programs. Of the 40 participants, 80 percent worked with university noncredit programs, with the remaining participants representing university for-credit, military recreation, nonprofit, and for-profit programs. Although the…

Critical decision making on a whitewater trip goes beyond simply having knowledge of safety practices. Rather, prudent decisions are arrived at through a complex interplay of diverse factors. The question is: how can outdoor educators prepare themselves and their staff to make the "right" decision when faced with a potentially dangerous…

Effective group leadership is not entirely about "good" or "bad" approaches, but rather the ability to choose an appropriate style for a particular situation. This paper examines three paradigms, or world views, that can influence the approach of a leader (facilitator, therapist, teacher) of adventure groups and gives examples…

This paper describes a training program for college outdoor program leaders developed by the Outdoor Action Program at Princeton University (New Jersey). The training program includes a leader training course, a safety management seminar, a wilderness first aid course, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and group skills workshop. This paper describes…

Although outdoor leadership does not appear to be coalescing into a unified profession, there are potential solutions to this fragmentation. Six robust approaches to the professional provision of outdoor leadership are: (1) outfitting and guiding; (2) organized camping; (3) adventure education, such as Outward Bound; (4) the outdoor school; (5)…

A leadership simulation model, patterned after the avalanche simulator used by the United States Forest Service and applicable within a variety of field situations (outdoor camps, church groups, commercial enterprises) can augment the development and observation of outdoor leaders. The model includes both a broad base of practitioner inputs and an…