There and Back Again: HMI Gap

Wonderful views, excellent instructors, smelly students: whats not to love? One or two things but not that many things. The hiking, backpacking, and canyoneering aspects were simply splendid. All the locations we traveled to were beautiful and there were diverse outdoor challenges in each of them. The instructors were-- for the most part--respectful, knowledgeable, professional, and intelligent. There was much to learn about living in the back country and we were taught it well. I could've used a little more autonomy. I felt slightly like a small child again, but that was nice considering I was far from my parents loving arms. I also might've enjoyed more town time and/or cultural immersion during the abroad portion of the course. If you are looking for a challenging and fun introduction to backpacking and long back country expeditions with a little bit of sometimes boring learning worked in, this is the program for you.