By David Aguasca
The first reason I can think of to use the backcountry is an evolutionary one. While our brains are extremely adaptable and our neural patterns are capable of configuring themselves in limitless patterns specific to a particular environment, our brains first developed in what is now called a wilderness setting (back then it was just “home”). As early humans, our only options for learning new skills were to see them done by our parents, and then trying them ourselves. Ever since our evolution into Homo sapiens no later than 200,000 years ago we have learned experientially, until the first recorded instances of formal teaching, no earlier than the last 3,000 years.
The backcountry also presents unique situations for teaching. One of the best examples is the “teachable moment”; learning about weather in a fluorescent-lit classroom pales in comparison to learning weather by experiencing the development, occurrence, and retreat of a storm on an accurate time and size scale, with narration and visual aids provided by an instructor. I feel backcountry settings are also particularly effective for teaching and reinforcing group and individual behaviors, because the consequences of group dysfunction can be serious and don’t feel contrived, two things classroom scenarios do less effectively.
The removal of common distractions such as TV, radio, computers, iPods, magazines, and other media creates an environment more conducive to learning. That is not to say that there are no distractions in the backcountry; weather, animal sightings, and hunger can deter learners from paying full attention to the topic at hand. Returning to the point previously made, many of these distractions can make great teachable moments.
When it comes to personal development, the options for the modern human are limited; we are lacking that opportunity which is so readily achieved in the backcountry, the solo. Spending time alone in the wilderness, whether it’s part of a curriculum or simply a backpacking trip on your own, is potent medicine. Removing a person from modern society for even a brief period of time gives them great insight on how their inner workings operate; there is nothing to hide it. This is especially true of challenging situations, which present themselves in the backcountry without any need for planning them.
As you can see, almost every moment in the backcountry allows for learning. If handled properly, this can create a seamless transition from one learning experience to another, a cohesive tapestry of knowledge encompassing every aspect of life in the wilderness.
