Hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing and snowshoeing, caving, whitewater rafting, fishing and skydiving — these are just some of the activities that members of the University’s graduate and undergraduate Outdoors at U.Va. have the opportunity to try, the CIO’s co-presidents Lila Warren and Robert Weaver.
Averaging at least three weekly activities, the Outdoors Club organizes and sends members on about 250 outings during the course of a year. Weaver estimated that about one-fourth of these activities are overnight trips.
While the club has, in the past, traveled as far away as California to backpack or to Vermont and British Colombia to ski, Weaver said many of the trips are within an hour of Charlottesville. Club members enjoy kayaking on the James River, mountain biking on Observatory Hill or in Walnut Creek Park and backpacking or hiking in nearby Shenandoah National Park.
Warren, who especially enjoys the club’s fly fishing trips, got involved the first week of her first year.
“I signed up at the activities fair, [and] started hiking the first month of school,” Warren said. “I’ve been hooked ever since.”
Weaver, meanwhile, did a little with the club during his first year but “got really into mountain biking second year.” He now leads many of the mountain biking expeditions.
Both noted, however, that no previous experience is necessary in joining Outdoors at U.Va.
“We have lots of beginner trips, so members can pick up a new sport,” Warren said.
In fact, the club continuously gains new members throughout the year. One of Weaver’s favorite aspects of being involved with the Outdoors Club is introducing people to new sports with which he’s “fallen in love.”
“It’s a great way to interact with people outside of classrooms or study groups,” he said.
Warren agreed, adding that she is excited to meet new people, learn new sports and, in general, be outside.
Second-year Darden student Christine Bohle echoed this love of the great outdoors.
“Get out there while you’re in such a beautiful area and take time for yourself,” she said.
Bohle became president of Darden’s Outdoors Club this past spring, when she was a first-year Darden student. She felt that the club did very little last year, so she became involved for the express purpose of making it more active.
Andrew Shipley, the Darden Outdoors Club trip organizer, also became involved with the goal of increasing the club members’ involvement.
“Some people come here and live here yet don’t get to see anything in Charlottesville except for these few miles right here,” he said.
Like its undergraduate counterpart, Darden’s Outdoors Club organizes a variety of trips geared towards different interests and skill levels.
Club members also plan social events, such as a canoeing and kayaking trip complete with horseshoes, a volleyball game and a barbecue feast, held earlier this year.
An incoming student camping trip is held at the beginning of each year. Shipley said about 40 students came this year. Because “the first year at Darden is very intense,” he said, the club aims to organize at least one excursion a month and focuses on securing a good turnout.
Bohle emphasized the interactive nature of the club, which encourages members to be proactive in planning trips.
“We really want to encourage community,” she said. “There are some days you will wake up and look outside on a Saturday and it’s beautiful.”
On such occasions, members are encouraged to post on the club’s Web site and organize an impromptu outing.
Hiking and backpacking outings are organized frequently. Humpback Rock, Sugar Hollow, Crabtree Falls and Shenandoah National Park, all of which are public trails within an hour’s driving distance of Grounds, are especially popular destinations. Last spring, the club hiked the Riprap trail, a 9.8-mile circuit in Shenandoah National Park which has waterfalls and a swimming hole at the bottom of the hill.
Bohle and Shipley said they are passionate about getting others involved in the club and fostering a general love for being outside.
“It’s fun to see people who haven’t done certain things outdoors before ... really get a kick out of just being around a campfire,” Shipley said.
Bohle echoed his enthusiasm.
“It’s awesome to be in a position to get people excited about going outside and being outside,” she said.
Shipley said the Darden Outdoors Club gains members continually. The club currently has over 200 members, which is almost one-third of the Darden student population. And with about 650 members, the undergraduate Outdoors Club is one of the largest CIOs on Grounds.
The popularity of these clubs can be attributed partially to the variety of activities they offer, the casual nature of the clubs and because they are relatively inexpensive. The undergraduate club membership costs $20 for a semester and $30 for the year. The cost of joining Darden’s Outdoors Club, Bohle said, is $20 for one year and $35 for two.
This covers not only enrollment in the clubs and planned activities, but also the necessary equipment, which is often either owned or rented by the clubs. Members provide transportation for trips and are reimbursed for gas with club funds.
The club leaders all stressed the importance of taking the opportunity to spend time outdoors.
Bohle said she recognizes how easy it can be to “get bogged down by all the work and be so busy that we’re not appreciating the beauty outside.”
Shipley said he agreed, emphasizing the calming power of nature.
“Even when I think I’m too busy, to just get out there and be out on top of a mountain gives me perspective,” he said. “It’s time you can’t afford not to spend.”
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | 6 days agoWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | January 6, 2025What the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
