Welcome to BOSS, the Boulder Outdoor Survival School. On behalf the instructors and staff here at BOSS, let me say "welcome" to our school and to our website. For 35 years, people have come to BOSS to learn a field-based, hands-on curriculum of wilderness survival skills...

Sample 2.5 Day Program

The following course was created for a group of executives with "Leadership & Teambuilding" as their stated goal. This course was designed to be held in Estes Park, Colorado during the late summer / early fall over a weekend.

Related Course Topics for this retreat include:

Because each course is custom-designed to meet your needs, the topics covered and the timing of the lessons change. The following is offered just to give you a sense of what BOSS can create for you.

Day 1 - Friday
11am - 12pm
Arrive in Estes Park, CO
12 - 1pm

Orientation Lunch & Introduction to Your Team
Topic: The Translation and Relation of Wilderness Survival to the Survival of Your Business

1:15 - 4pm
Survival Skill: Natural Cordage
Making ropes and cordage from natural fibers is an important skill to create shelter, traps, and clothing. BOSS field instructors will teach you how this is done.
4:15 - 6:15pm

Facilitation / Insight: Using Your Resources Effectively
Learn the importance of using resources effectively to achieve your goals. Team discovery and assessment will be facilitated by BOSS corporate trainers.

6:30 - 7:30pm
Dinner and Relaxation
   
Day 2 - Saturday
7 - 8am
Breakfast
8 - 11am
Survival Skill: Introduction to Bow-Drill Fire Making - Part I
Fire has long been a critical tool for survival, and making a fire (without matches) is a critical skill to possess. A BOSS field instructor will guide each participant through the magical process of making his or her own fire using the bow-drill method.
11 - 12:30pm

Facilitation / Insight: Creativity, Strategy & Thinking "Out-of-the-Box"
BOSS corporate trainers will use the lessons from the morning fire-making activity to discuss complex skills, team dynamics, and strategic thinking in business relationships.

12:30 - 1:30pm

Lunch

1:30 - 3:30pm

Survival Skill: Bow-Drill Fires - Part II
We return to the skill of fire-making with the insights gained from the morning's discussion.

3:30 - 4pm
Afternoon Break
4 - 6pm

Discussion: Group Dynamics & Support in Executing Complex Projects
How did you support each other in creating fire? How does making a bow-drill fire differ from a fire plow in terms of group action and teamwork? A series of facilitated experiential activities and discussions will be led by your Corporate Trainer.

6 - 7pm
Dinner. Break for evening relaxation.
   
Day 3 - Sunday
7 - 8am
Breakfast
8am - 12pm
Survival Skill: Orienteering, Map & Compass Reading
If you are going to spend any time traveling in the wilderness, you'll need to know how to read the land and your maps. BOSS field instructors will teach the use of topographic maps, compasses, and the art of navigation.
12 - 1pm
Lunch
1 - 1:30

Personal Time

1:30 - 3:30pm
Facilitation / Insight: The Importance of Teamwork in Achieving a Pre-Determined Goal
What can 'orienteering' in the woods teach us about the process of pre-planning, execution, and management of corporate objectives? Led by a BOSS facilitator.
3:30 - 5:30pm
Discussion: Attributes of a Success-Oriented Team
What makes a team successful? Topics include Role Definition, Open Communication, Skillful Interaction, and Clear Objectives.
5:30 - 6pm

Wrap up and Celebration
We'll take a look at what we've accomplished together and how we can continue to learn from these skills when we return to the workplace.

6pm
Group Departs from Estes Park, CO

 

Basic Program Information
Survival Skills = Business Skills?
Sample Program: 1-Day
Sample Program: 2.5-Day
Sample Program: 4-Day