Ain't no river wide enough for Outdoor Adventures

Climbing rocky mountain sides, whitewater rafting down a rushing river, or camping outside in the moonlight may not be the first thing that comes to mind for students in Greensboro, but thanks to the Outdoor Adventures program at UNCG all of those activities are accessible to interested students.

Outdoor Adventures is a subset of the Campus Recreation department at UNCG and offers many unique experiences for seasoned outdoor sports veterans, or interested participants with little to no experience.  From training courses to multi-day out of town trips there is something for just about everyone interested in going beyond the city life offered in the area surrounding campus.  The program features three main components, a rock wall located in the Student Recreation Center, a rental center providing students with low cost outdoor equipment, and an outdoor trip and clinic program designed to help UNCG students explore the wonders of nature.  

The Edge is one of the first places students who enjoy rock climbing search out and find when they arrive on the UNCG campus.  Located in the Student Recreation Center, the Edge offers different paths and for beginners and experienced climbers alike, and is changed throughout the year to ensure different climbing experiences for students.  In addition to the regular hours of climbing, Outdoor Adventures offers belay clinics to instruct students on how to properly manage a climbing rope and ensure the safety of a fellow climber.

Outdoor Adventures also operates a rental center where students can find equipment needed for wilderness adventures, hiking trips, or just venturing into the outdoors.  With a wide variety of selections ranging from tents to sleeping bags, stoves and coolers, OA has almost everything needed for a successful camping trip, and all provided at low prices for UNCG students.

Although the climbing wall and rental center are both popular destinations for students, the most popular aspect of Outdoor Adventures are the trips and events offered to Students.
“The trip program is definitely our biggest thing,” program director Mike Ackerman said. “We average 18 trips a semester and they are all very popular.”

The Outdoor adventure trips range from day trips to the mountains of North Carolina to a 10 day trip to the Grand Canyon at the end of the semester.

“Our Grand Canyon trip caps off the end of the semester, it’s our longest trip, and we like to change the places we go.  It is a great experience and is available for a low cost to students.” Ackerman said.

This year’s trip will run from May 16th through the 25th and will feature backpacking through the Grand Canyon, learning about the different Geological history, and ending with a rafting trip through the Colorado River.  The trip is a once in a lifetime chance for many students and as all the trips from OA, is offered at a reasonable price for students.

“The price includes airfare, equipment, unique access in the area, food, and instruction. We try to keep the costs low to just incur our costs of the trip.  It really is a good deal.”  Ackerman said.

Along with the big trip OA offers many smaller trips throughout each semester including many day trips such as a skiing and snowboarding day in the mountains of North Carolina, Moonlight Paddling, intro to rock climbing courses, and many more.  All of the trips are designed for people who do not have a lot of experience with outdoor sports.

“We provide the training in house, we have the equipment, and the instruction for everyone, we are very proud of that.”  Ackerman said, describing the fact that students are not required to purchase their own equipment or be “experts” to go on many of the trips. 

One of the unique aspects to Outdoor Adventures is that students lead most of the trips.  “The students are all qualified to lead, it’s a great program in sense that the students lead other students,” Ackerman said, “when we hire people we look for at least a two year commitment because they have to go through a lot of training in order to lead on the trips.”
Another event Outdoor Adventures runs are the weekly kayak roll sessions in Rosenthal pool in the HHP building.  These sessions are held every Wednesday night until April 28.  The OA staff teaches basic kayaking skills and how to safely exit a kayak in case of emergencies.  The sessions are free for students.

More information on Outdoor Adventures can be found on the UNCG Campus Recreation website or on their Facebook page.  Most of the remaining trips for this semester have already sold out but there will be a brand new slate for the new school year in the fall.  Interested students should remember to check with Outdoor Adventures the first week of school in August and sign up for trips, spots will be sure to fill up quickly.