Tim & Lena Conlan founded Crossing Latitudes in 1995. Over the years we have promoted responsible enjoyment of outdoor pursuits all over the world while instilling an appreciation of different cultures and lifestyles. Our trips have always been an outdoor and a cultural experience wrapped into one.
We have been camping for a living for a very long time. Tim since he took his NOLS instructors course 1978 and Lena her NOLS instructor course in 1986. We have done some fantastic paddling and hiking around the world but nowadays Crossing Latitudes only hosts NOLS Wilderness Medicine courses and lead Risk Management Training in the US, Scandinavia and Europe.
In these COVID-19 times our practices have changed a little bit. Minimizing risk of infection has always been part of a NOLS Wilderness Medicine course. For example we have always used nitril gloves in our scenarios. Now we will focus even more on hygiene but the risk can not be eliminated 100%. We ask all our participants to help us out.
Crossing Latitudes is an affiliate of NOLS Wilderness Medicine, a member of WMS – Wilderness Medical Society and a member of Swedish Nature and Ecotourism Society.
Lena Conlan, Co-Owner and Co-Founder
Lena is a proud Swede even if the US has been her main address for the last 35 years. She has been active in outdoor related activities since childhood. Her family operated Camp Sparreviken – a YMCA sailing and canoeing camp on the Swedish west coast for many years.
Lena has a teaching degree from the University of Umeå, Sweden. Her love of travel and adventure drew her to the U.S. 1985 – where she ended up teaching for NOLS (the National Outdoor Leadership School). After years of travel covering four different countries as NOLS Sea Kayaking program coordinator, it seemed only natural to return to Scandinavia and start her own adventure business. Lena is the master planner behind the many trips and expeditions Crossing Latitudes offered for 20 years.
Now a days Crossing Latitudes and Lena is sponsoring NOLS Wilderness Medicine courses such as Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) courses all over the world. Lena is a Wilderness EMT and have been part of the Bozeman Search & Rescue team. Lena has been teaching for NOLS Wilderness Medicine since year 2000.
Tim Conlan, Co-Owner and Co-Founder
Tim is from the U.S. He has lived near the Rocky Mountains for most of his life. Tim and Lena met in 1986 while teaching sea kayaking expeditions in Baja California, Mexico for NOLS. Tim worked for NOLS as an outdoor educator since the late 70’s. During that time he’d taught just about every skill type NOLS offered, from caving and climbing to kayaking and skiing. Tim developed the NOLS Sea Kayaking Instructor course and authored their instructor manual.
Tim also helped to create materials and teaching practices for the Federally sponsored conservation program “Leave No Trace”.
After guiding for most of his life Tim is now happy by spending more time in Bozeman, Montana, USA. He loves skiing and biking in the mountains. Bridger Bowl Ski Area is his “second home”. He is also creative in his wood shop. Visit his web site: http://timconlanwoodworks.com
Roope Roine
Roope has been teaching and guiding mountain activities in Europe, Himalaya and Greenland for the past 30 years. He’s other passion is to guide and teach sea kayaking – which he’s done in 15 different countries! Finland is his home base but the world is his play-ground. Roope is a NOLS Wilderness Medicine instructor and teaches courses in both English, Swedish and Finnish. Roope has a WEMT certification – Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician. Roope owns and operates his own guiding business Moln. Roope speak fluent Swedish, Finnish and English and good Norwegian and Spanish.
For great trips please visit: https://moln.fi/en/start/
Elias Sjöberg
Elias Sjöberg has taught NOLS Wilderness Medicine courses for several years. Elias lives outside Eksjö in Småland, Sweden – not far from the farm he grew up on. As a ski patroler during many winters he accumulated lots of first aid experience. He is a graduate of the Älvdalen Utlbildningscenter Outdoor Ed program. Elias have some cool back country experience – like crossing Madagascar by foot – and leading NOLS Expeditions. Elias is a NOLS Expedition instructor, Wilderness EMT, “undersköterska” (assistent nurse) and he is teaching both WFA, WAFA, WFR-R and WFR courses all over the world.
Elias also owns and operates KBK Adventures.
Malin Thomasson
Efter några år av studier (till sjuksköterska) är nu Malin tillbaks och undervisar NOLS Wilderness Medicine kurser igen. Malin bor i Östersund med familj. Hon gillar att rida, åka skidor, njuta av naturen och busa med barnen. Malin har gått Storumans Fjälledarutbildning och trivs nog bäst i ett tält på fjället.
After a few years away from teaching Malin is now back with us again. She has devoted time to nursing studies. Malin lives in Östersund with her husband and two kids. She loves horsebackriding, skiing, just cruising in the woods and playing with her children. Malin went through the Storuman Outdoor Educator Program and enjoys nights in a tent in the mountains best.
Fred Södergran
Fred grew up in the westernmost point of Finland, in the archipelago region by the Gulf of Bothnia. This versatile, four seasons region shaped his appreciation for the natural world and this is where the foundation was laid for my wilderness skills.
“We used firewood to heat our homes and whether it was taking down trees, or chopping wood – spending time outdoors was always a been a big part of my life. Interacting with the natural world is the most rewarding endeavor I have taken on.”
Fred has been working full time as a Outdoor Educator and NOLS Instructor for several years. To teach for NOLS Wilderness Medicine was definitely a step in the right direction.
According to Fred a rewarding and meaningful aspect of the work is the community building, meeting great people, new colleges and empower students. I also enjoy the depth and never ending opportunities to develop my own skills, hone strengths and learn more.
For a full year Fred worked as leader/caretaker at a summer camp for disabled young people. He opted out of mandatory military service and instead chose to do public work.
Currently I am studying Psychology of Crisis at the University of Åbo in Finland. I am studying Psychological Intervention, defusing and debriefing of Rescue-workers and victims, preventing PTSD and dealing with the psychological aspects of severe trauma.
Xuan Ming, Ng
Ming was born and raised in Singapore but has traveled most her life. She now lives in Oslo, Norway. Ming has been working in the Olympic Movement for the past 10 years which has offered her exciting experiences in an international environment that is fast paced and demanding.
Ming’s wilderness medicine experiences began with wilderness adventures with friends and colleagues. She has had the joy of being the ‘group medic’ because of her WFR and later, her WEMT certifications. She have had to apply wilderness medicine skills in the backcountry mostly when she has been on personal expeditions and run into other hikers in distress. Lately Ming has also volunteered and helped injured kids in Africa.
Ming has signed up with the Norwegian Red Cross and hope to work on SAR missions with them. She is also gaining experience by riding along on ambulances in the USA.
Ming writes: “In life as well as in work, I enjoy being curious and being amazed. On personal expeditions, I enjoy getting eye level with lichen, moss and fern, or watching how the light transforms trees with new leaves into flickering torches against the dark rock. This curiosity and wonder are why I have a voracious appetite for learning and experiencing. The delight it brings me is why I am so excited about sharing. It is easy to be grateful in a world so rich and mysterious, especially knowing that life is transient. “
Eva Söderström
Eva is from Sweden and have enjoyed the great outdoors all her life. She is a Scout and a Mountain Guide. Eva conducts trainings for the Swedish Mountain Guide Association. When not in the mountains Eva is a Fire fighter (10 years) in her home town. In Sweden, the rural Fire department also take care of medical issues so Eva has a lot of experience. Eva owns two companies – Natur & Kajak i Kolmården and 30-2 where she teach CPR and Urban First Aid. Eva is a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and she took the NOLS Wilderness Medicine Instructors course February 2020. We are looking forward to having her onboard our NOLS Wilderness Medicine Team Europe!
Stephan Grabner
Stephan grew up in Austria. Originally wanting to work in sustainable development, Stephan started leading backpacking trips with youth during college and fell in love with it so much he changed plans. Now a days Stephan works as an instructor on backpacking, skiing and climbing trips and he gets a kick out of helping others become better at doing the things they love. Stephan hopes that by enabling others to discover and fall in love with the great outdoors – he also inspire in them to protect these places in their day-to-day life. In the end, he’d argues, he works on sustainable development after all! When he doesn’t guide or teach, Stephan spends most of his time ski touring, hiking and climbing in the mountains around his home in western Austria.
