Staff Biking Adventures!

For the past two weeks some of the staff at Costa Rica Outward Bound had been planning to head out on a nice, relaxing ride starting in the town of  El Empalme, traveling down to the coastal town of Damas (right near our beach base at Manuel Antonio). After several delays due to rain and washed out roads, the ride was finally able to occur as the dry season started to approach. Following along an approximately 90 km route, the adventure starts in the cold mountainous terrain and drops down into the warmer coastal mountains, then to the hot coastal hills, finishing up on the tropical coastal plains. In all the ride proved an adventurous endeavor; many flat tires, several mechanical issues and even a broken drive-train meant some occasional delays. Unfortunately some riders had to literally be pulled to the finish line, however it was all part of the adventure. Needless to say, we are all ready for the next epic ride!

Take a look!



a Damas from painfullyvanilla on Vimeo.

Link Roundup!

Looks like it was a busy season for wilderness rescues in the Tetons. If any additional WFRs are needed, we can supply a great group out of this semester’s leadership group. Story here.

Sometimes students can struggle with life in a remote region. Imagine spending 520 consecutive days in a sunless environment designed to find out if mankind is psychologically capable of traveling to Mars. No thank you. Story here.

National Geographic’s extreme photo of the week is always a crowd pleaser. This week’s, as well as the ability to see past week’s photos, are a true treat. Story here.

It is unclear how or why these birds are doing what they are doing here, however it is simply amazing. Take a gander.

WFR Scenario for Fall Leadership 2011

Practice makes perfect, and that is exactly what our fall 2011 leadership students did this past weekend. The leadership class took part in a simulated emergency scenario, where every student had to put their Wilderness First Responder skills to use. The Wilderness First Responder, or WFR, is a serious certification required of nearly every outdoor professional, including our own staff here at Costa Rica Outward Bound.  Walking up the hill as darkness fell on the base campus, the group was confronted with a remote accident scenario involving two cars, four hysterical and injured passengers, numerous distracting bystanders as well as a severely injured and inebriated cyclist. All this was set to test the medical ability and personal nerves of our WFR students. The students were required to immediately set to work, managing a hectic situation that tested everyone’s knowledge of medical scenarios as well as their ability to act under pressure. After assessing the situation, students went to work treating major injuries, deciding which people were the priorities for evacuation, as well as managing a slew of distractions designed to prevent them from accomplishing their tasks.

In our de-brief, many students commented on how even though a simulated emergency, the scope of the accident, the stress of managing so many different injuries and the numerous distractions made it difficult for some to focus. Furthermore, having to evacuate several victims proved to be a difficult task, as multiple trips up and down the hill is enough to make the most athletic person require their own medical attention. In all, the scenario was a great opportunity to practice skills as well as experience a sample of the stress one can feel in the field!

Link Roundup!

Surfing is an activity you can do at nearly any age, a point to which Costa Ricans are aware of. Check out how Costa Rica won a part of the Masters World Championship Surf Competition. Story here!

It’s definitely not a very popular sport here in Costa Rica (YET!) however back in the states, the cyclocross season is heating up. This weekly video blog follows one of North America's most famed cycling personalities as he travels from race to race working towards the World Championships later this winter. Story here!

This video of a cat facing off with a mountain lion certain makes you realize how wild some parts of the world still are. We are not sure what the Costa Rican equivalent of this would be, but let’s hope for our on-base pets sake we don’t have any run ins. Story here!

Sometimes visits to Costa Rica inspire more than a couple good photos. Check out how. Story here!

It’s been a couple weeks, but the results are in! Check out the individual event results as well as the overall results. Story here!

Two Men, Two Beards and Lots of Miles

It feels like only yesterday (it was actually a week or so) that we were sitting here writing about our board member Laura Avila Bolanos and her cycling adventure around South America. No sooner did we press the ‘publish’ button on our blog did we meet two American gentlemen riding their bikes all the way from Canada down to Chile, spanning both North and South America. The two gentlemen, Bret and Ryan, have spent many months on the road, documenting their adventures meticulously.

Meeting some of our traveling staff in Guatemala, Bret and Ryan reunited with Costa Rica Outward Bound in Manuel Antonio and traveled up to our rain forest base in San Ramon de Tres Rios. Spending a couple days exploring the local features around the base as well as enjoying a few days off the bike was certainly a well earned treat for the traveling duo, whose ability to drink coffee and pull off some very serious beards is next to none. The pair of traveling cyclists will now be heading down to Panama, and then onto where ever the road takes them. Good luck Ryan and Bret!

Looking good gentlemen!