October 19, 2005 - The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Primal Quest have announced an educational partnership that will enable the development of a customized training curriculum for Primal Quest staff and field personnel. In addition, the relationship will provide the annual Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race with hands-on event assistance from NOLS and the Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI). Jointly, the two organizations will work together to raise awareness of NOLS and Primal Quest on a worldwide basis among outdoor enthusiasts, adventure athletes, and aspiring backcountry expedition leaders.

"The safety of our participants and volunteers is our first priority and working closely with NOLS strengthens our commitment to the outdoors and safe backcountry travel. NOLS' risk management and leadership skills are an invaluable asset that can be incorporated immediately into future Primal Quest events," said Primal Quest CEO, Rich Brazeau, "The relationship will also offer our volunteers and staff a unique opportunity to discover the renowned backcountry curriculum provided by NOLS around the world."

NOLS Director of Admission and Marketing Bruce Palmer said, "Primal Quest is the premier player in expedition adventure racing. NOLS and our Wilderness Medicine Institute are globally recognized for expedition training and execution. This partnership is a testament to both organizations' leadership in the outdoors."

About Primal Quest:
Primal Quest, generally considered to be the world's toughest expedition adventure race, is slated for June 25-July 4, 2006 and will be an authentic, expeditionary 5 to 10-day race of nearly 800 kilometers. To be held in the wild American West of North America, the expedition will give adventurers an opportunity to step back in time and experience raw, dramatic landscapes unlike anywhere else in the world. From high-altitude passes to rugged, desert terrain stripped bare by the powerful forces of nature, the premier endurance teams from around the globe will vie for bragging rights and a share of USD$250,000 - the largest cash purse in the history of adventure racing.

About NOLS:
With more than 75,000 graduates worldwide, NOLS has been developing leaders for more than 40 years. NOLS founder Paul Petzoldt's idea was simple: take people into the wilderness for an extended period of time, teach them the right things, feed them well and when they walk out of the mountains, they will be skilled leaders. The core of his idea was the extended expedition, one of sufficient length that a person could learn and practice the skills over and over again. That is the backbone of every NOLS course and today the school is widely recognized as the world's authority in the extended expedition and outdoor leadership.