Sports > September 11, 2008

By Phillip Brame | Contributing writer

There are innumerable activities for students on campus and Outdoor Pursuits is a hidden gem. The program, under the control of Campus Recreation, is geared for the student who enjoys a variety of outdoor activities such as camping, rock climbing, trail hiking, kayaking and whitewater rafting.

There are innumerable activities for students on campus and Outdoor Pursuits is a hidden gem.

The program, under the control of Campus Recreation, is geared for the student who enjoys a variety of outdoor activities such as camping, rock climbing, trail hiking, kayaking and whitewater rafting.

Outdoor Pursuits organizes weekend trips that are available to any student who wishes to go.

Upcoming trips include kayaking the Green River, backpacking through a section of the Appalachian Trail, climbing at Table Rock, N.C., as well as a canoeing trip along the New River in northwestern N.C.

“Our job is to reach out to all students on campus and find those who enjoy the outdoors because this is the program for them,” Mark Henley, program coordinator said.

“Last week we took people who had never been rock climbing before, and we supplied all the equipment and took care of all the technical stuff. We just wanted to get them climbing.”

Henley also noted the location of the University helps to provide Outdoor Pursuits with many locations within a day’s drive of campus.

“Regionally, Winston-Salem is in a great location; it’s two hours from the mountains of western North Carolina, two and a half from the Georgia stateline, two hours from the Virginia highlands and three from the West Virginia Mountains,” he said. “On the other side of the state, the coast is a four hour drive and we’ve done quite a bit of sea kayaking, surfing and sailing. Also, we’re looking to do some hang-gliding at Kitty Hawk and the Outer Bank area.”

The weekend trips are lead by experienced students who are trained by Outdoor Pursuits.

Mike Lewis, a senior from Huntsville, Ala., is one such student who leads the weekend getaways.

“I’ve always enjoyed doing outdoor activities like backpacking, climbing, etc., and Outdoor Pursuits was a great outlet for me to do all of these things often and inexpensively,” Lewis said. 

“The people on staff are laid back and fun to work with, so it doesn’t feel like a job at all.  The program itself is set up so well, too.  Anyone can sign up for any trip and the program has a very ‘no strings attached’ feel.  It’s geared toward people who just need a weekend away from it all.”

The trips do cost money, but the program tries to minimize the amount students have to pay.

“We try and run a zero based budget program. All our trips have costs, but by no means do we make a profit,” Henley said.

“If it costs us $30, it’s going to cost participants $30.”

For the student who wishes to go camping on his or her own time, Outdoor Pursuits will also rent out equipment for a small fee.

The season for outdoor activities in North Carolina peaks during the fall and spring months.

For students who are interested in getting involved with Outdoor Pursuits, Henley suggests trying out the indoor climbing wall located in Reynolds Gym and visiting the Outdoor Pursuits office in the Campus Recreation office located in 214 Reynolds Gym or to visit Outdoor Pursuits’ Web site (www.wfu.edu/campusrec/op) to get more information on upcoming trips throughout the fall semester.

Beginning Sept. 11, the Outdoor Pursuits staff will be offering kayak roll clinics periodically in the Reynolds Gym pool.

Information can be found on the program Web site.