Checked out of school already? Come spend a weekend bouldering in the Grayson Highlands! Grayson Highlands (or if you are cool just “The Highlands”) is located in SW Virginia in Grayson Highlands State Park and has recently become a local bouldering hotspot in the southeast. Developing by a small group of motivated boulderers, over 400+ problems have been established ranging …
Announcements
Awesome Wilderness Survival Speaker!
Hey guys! A friend of mine told me about an event coming up that I think a lot of people might be interested in – it’s a talk on wilderness survival tips & myths, given by an expert in the field who is being flown in from Washington State. Read on if you’re interested! (No need to RSVP/sign up for …
Aca Collegiate Canoe and Kayak State Championships
The American Canoe (and Kayak) Association is hosting the annual national collegiate kayaking and canoeing championships! We are going to take a team to compete in as many events as possible. The races will take place on a 5 mile stretch of the Rappahannock River near Fredricksburg, VA. The events are Men’s and Women’s one-person kayaking (K1), one-person canoeing (OC1), …
Climbing Weekend at the New
The weather is looking decent this weekend (50s both days and moderate chance to rain) – come out to the New to play and climb! Since the chance of rain is about 40% we may be climbing in areas protected from the rain – easiest climbs are 5.9-5.10. In order to go on this trip you must be able to …
Winter First Aid/Cold Weather Clothing and Gear Discussion
Do you know the signs of hypothermia? Want to learn What Not To Wear in a Backcountry Winter Wonderland? Ever wonder how you move around on several feet of snow? Well, this hour or so is for you! Becca (a Vermonter with tons cold and snow experience) and I (a Southern who drinks lots of tea) are going to answer …
Intermediate Winter Backpacking and Snowshoeing to Dolly Sods, Wv
For this trip, we’ll leave very early on Saturday, drive over to Timberline in West Virginia and take their sky lift up to the Sods. From there, I’d like to get to an overlook several miles to the South. We’ll set up camp near it and check it out around sunset and maybe even again at sunrise! The overlook is …
Intermediate-Advanced Climbing at the New
Looks like we will be able to squeeze in another great weekend of climbing at the New. The weather is supposed to be around 60 deg F high for Fri-Sun. I am thinking Whipporwill, the Lake (Pirate’s Cove), and Endless but they are subject to change. We will leave Thursday at 8pm and drive 3.5 hrs to WV. There will …
Climb at the New!
Welcome to another weekend of gorgeous fall weather! We’ll leave Sat morning from Charlottesville, climb the rest of the day, cook out that night, climb Sunday and return home for Halloween festivities. We’ll likely go to two different crags, and most likely hit up Summersville Lake one day. Expect climbs from 5.9 – 5.13 on sport. You should be comfortable …
Intermediate-Advanced Climbing at Obed, Tn
The Obed is located near Knoxville, TN, and is a major climbing area created by the eroding effects of a river on Cumberland Plateau sandstone. If that sounds familiar, it is because this is also how the New River Gorge and Red River Gorge were formed, and the Obed is of similarly high quality. Expect sloper, jugs, and massive roofs …
St. Mary’s Fall Break Basecamping
If you’re like me and have a mortal fear of being attacked by wild ponies, then this is the trip for you! With any luck we’ll be attacked by bears instead, but I seriously doubt this will happen 🙁 So, we’re going to the St. Mary’s Wilderness which is about an hour south of here on the Blue Ridge Parkway …
Fall Break Backpacking: Mt. Rogers.
Mount Rogers is the highest point in the Virginia. I’ve been assured by many people that there is no view at the marker for the tippy-top, but that there are wide open fields and vistas around the area. Also, there are wild ponies. Who want to be your friend. Seriously… So that’s the selling points, wild horsies and views; now …
The New! Half a Weekend of Climbing
The weather is supposed to let up, promise, and then it’s supposed to be gorgeous cool 60F weather at my favorite climbing place in the east, the New River Gorge. I can only take one day away from town, so for all of you who’ve got too much work to spend a whole weekend away, this trip is for you! …
Caving in Wv
This is a 2 day trip to scenic west virginia to explore Sharpe’s and Simmons Mingo caves. We will leave early Saturday morning, drive to Sharpe’s, cave for the afternoon, then camp outside of Marlinton. Sunday we will drive up to Simmons Mingo (about 45 min from the campsite) and explore the cave, then return to Charlottesville. This is a …
Aca Collegiate Canoe and Kayak National Championships
Looking for a sweet adventure over fall break? The American Canoe (and Kayak) Association is hosting the annual national collegiate kayaking and canoeing championships! We are going to take a team to compete in as many events as possible. The races will take place on a 5 mile stretch of the Tuckaseegee River in mountains of North Carolina. The events …
Beginner Backpacking: Dolly Sods Overnighter, Mushrooms, Blueberries, and a View
Want to ease into backpacking? Like eating handfuls of blueberries? Are you curious about mushrooms? Well, then this is the trip for you! We will gather together at 10am on Saturday and drive over to the Dolly Sods. (With a lunch stop in Franklin, WV.) When we get to the Sods, we’ll set up camp within 2-3 miles from the …
Learn to Be a Trip Leader Workshop #3
Hoping to lead some AWESOME trips this year? Come to our trip leader workshop and learn the ropes!!! We’ll cover a variety of important points about leading trips, including: – How to plan your trips – Tips for making sure adventures run smoothly – What expenses the club will reimburse you for – Benefits of being a trip leader, including …
Learn to Be a Trip Leader Workshop #2
Hoping to lead some AWESOME trips this year? Come to our trip leader workshop and learn the ropes!!! We’ll cover a variety of important points about leading trips, including: – How to plan your trips – Tips for making sure adventures run smoothly – What expenses the club will reimburse you for – Benefits of being a trip leader, including …
Learn to Be a Trip Leader Workshop #1
Hoping to lead some AWESOME trips this year? Come to our trip leader workshop and learn the ropes!!! We’ll cover a variety of important points about leading trips, including: – How to plan your trips – Tips for making sure adventures run smoothly – What expenses the club will reimburse you for – Benefits of being a trip leader, including …
Beat the Heat: Dollys Sods Backpacking with Blueberries and Mushrooms
It’s way too hot this summer, so we’re headed to West Virginia where the temperatures will be 10-20 degrees cooler. The Dolly Sods Wilderness Area is a great place to try out backpacking. The area is relatively flat, so you won’t be stressing to climb mountains with a heavy pack… There is some variation, but it is on the order …
St Mary’s Swimming and Camping
UPDATE: There is a good chance that we will meet up with Roland’s trip on Sunday at St Mary’s (they are changing venue). Have you looked at the weather report? Do you think numbers that high should be test grades and not temperatures? Let’s get out of the heat and chill in a cooled river valley with a waterfall and …
Memorial Day Weekend in West Virginia: Spice Run!
Tried of the usual backpacking trips where we just slog between known campsites on well-marked trails and then head back to the car? Well, this Spice Run trip is the answer. We’ll leave town Friday, May 28th (say 5pm-ish) for the newly designated Spice Run Wilderness Area in West Virginia. The first night, we’ll car camp at Watoga State Park. …
Seaside Playtime
Outdoors style beach week for dirt cheap!?! Want to go to Beach Week? Don’t want to spend loads of money? Saturday May 15th we are going to travel down to Outer Banks. There is a SWEET campground right on the beach. Most of the costs for lodging, food and gas will be covered by the Outdoors Club. Some activities might …
Cheat River Festival!
Whitewater, music, gear, and great folks – could it get any better? Let’s go to the 16th Annual Cheat River Festival! Cheat Fest has been described as “the biggest little river festival in the country”. For more details out the following sites: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article/view/articleid/30719/display/full/ http://cheat.org/festival Activities: The emphasis of this trip will be to enjoy whitewater.There is plenty of class III-V …
Backpacking at Dolly Sods!
Foxfields Shmoxfields…let’s go backpacking instead! We’re heading to Dolly Sods- an amazingly beautiful wilderness area in the mountains of West Virginia. Check it out: http://potomacappalachian.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=317&Itemid=43 We’ll leave Friday afternoon, drive 3 hours there, grab some dinner and hike the 1-2 miles to the campsite. Saturday, we’ll hike 8-10 miles and camp out. On Sunday we’ll make the 5-6 mile trek …
Brms Discount Night #2
Hello fellow gearheads, Our discount night at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is coming up fast! Mon April 12th from 8:15-9:15pm you’ll be part of an exclusive 20% sale to Outdoors at UVa members only. **Don’t forget: If you plan on buying gear that you’ll need to get fitted for (e.g. shoes, packs, etc.) you must go in this week prior …
Spring Break Climbing in Dixie
Let’s go climb in the heart of Dixie at Tennessee’s famous spots! Much of the Cumberland Plateau (home also to the Red in KY) is in Tennessee, so the area is blessed with lots and lots of yummy sandstone. The climbing should be similar and of comparable quality to the New, but warmer. This trip is tentatively planned to go …
A Glorious, Gallent, Imposing, and Monumental Adventure to Cumberland Island
This trip is gonna be hopping for sure and you wont want to miss out on this journey of a lifetime. Spring break on an island in the southern reaches of the U.S. its gonna be goodies for sure. This is an awesome chance to hit up some warm weather and beaches without having to sell yourself out on the …
Intermediate Kayaking: Somewhere Fun
It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man says go kayaking! There’s been a ton of rain today, and its supposed to keep coming down, so we should have plenty of water tomorrow. Not sure what the destination is yet, it depends on what the river gods decide to do with the water levels and who signs up. Options include: Lower …
New River Climbing + Service Day
Looks like it’s going to be another gorgeous weekend at the New River Gorge – 60 degree weather in November! NRAC (New River Association of Climbers) is hosting a service day on Saturday. We’ll meet up with everyone at Burnwood at 8:30am and help re-vegetate Junkyard Wall and Bridge Buttress and haul out the old wooden ladder from Endless. It …
Beginner Backpacking at Ramsey’s Draft
Want to try out backpacking but can’t break free for an entire weekend in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia? Well, this is the trip for you. We’re headed to Ramsey’s Draft which is part of the George Washington National Forest. The hike is described at http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/RamseysDraft/ Saturday, we’ll meet up at Bonnycastle Circle and leave at 8am. (Sunset is at 5pm! …
Beginner Backpacking at Dolly Sods, Wv
Come stretch your legs in West Virginia. We will hike in 1-2 miles Friday night, camp out. On Saturday, we’ll hike 8-10 miles to our second campsite near Red Creek. We’ll plan on getting to camp early so that we can make a nice, big fire early since it’ll be dark early and rather cold. Sunday, we’ll pack up, hike …
Overnight Backpacking at Three Ridges
This is a beginner-friendly one-night backpacking trip to Three Ridges in the George Washington National Forest. This hike is supposed to have some fantastic views, so this is a good chance to catch the end of the fall colors! More information is available here: http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/ThreeRidges/. Right now the trip is set at 4 people because that’s how many I can …
Brms Discount Night
Hello fellow gearheads, Our discount night at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is coming up fast! Next Wed Nov 4th from 8:15-9:15pm you’ll be part of an exclusive 20% sale to Outdoors at UVa members only. **Don’t forget: If you plan on buying gear that you’ll need to get fitted for (e.g. shoes, packs, etc.) you must go in this week …
Camping and Kayaking at the Youghiogheny
Let’s head to MD/PA this weekend for some camping and kayaking on the Youghiogheny River. We’ll leave Friday afternoon, returning Saturday evening or Sunday evening (your choice). On Saturday we’ll run the lower Yough, which is class III water. You will need a fairly dependable roll to run this stretch of river, and should have some class II-III kayaking experience …
Bridge Day and the Last Day of Gauley Season
Let’s head to WV this weekend. Saturday we’ll go to Bridge day. One day a year, the largest span bridge in the western hemisphere is closed to traffic so 300 base jumpers can have the thrill of their life (maybe their last thrill) jumping 876 feet into the new river gorge while about 200,000 people stand around and watch, hang …
Old Rag Sunset Hike/Camping Out/Sunrise Hike
Aloha, This Friday night (weather permitting), we are going to hike the beloved Old Rag mountain in the Shenandoah National Forest at sunset. Then we’ll camp out near the base of the mountain (You can camp below 2500 feet) and, if people want, we can hike AGAIN to see the sunrise in the morning! For those of you who haven’t …
Kayaking, Rafting and Camping at the Gauley River
The Gauley River is one of the best stretches of whitewater in the country. Located 3 hours away in West Virginia, the river is “turned on” for approximately 6 weekends each fall when the Summersville dam is realesed. With this trip, you can choose your level of engagement…kayay if you have the experience, raft if you want an adventure, hike …
Another Mt. Pleasant Trip.
Car camping at Mt. Pleasant. What could be better. We will hike up to Mt. Pleasant catch sunset and then night hike down. Setup camp in a huge field and have an awesome night hanging out. Then on Monday we will do a shuttle hike from Crab Tree to the Priest distance is around 8 miles. After this we will …
Aca Collegiate Canoe and Kayak National Championships
The American Canoe (and Kayak) Association is hosting the annual national collegiate kayaking and canoeing championships! We are going to take a team to compete in as many events as possible. The races will take place on a 5 mile stretch of the Rappahannock River near Fredricksburg, VA. The events are Men’s and Women’s one-person kayaking (K1), one-person canoeing (OC1), …
Gauley Fest!
Gauley Fest is the biggest whitewater kayaking festival of the year. Last year pretty much every major kayaking company was there selling and giving stuff away, and about 3000 people, kayakers and groupies alike. Here’s the link to the American Whitewater website about it: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:events_gauley I’m planning to head down either Thursday evening or Friday and coming back late Sunday. …
Cold Mountain/ Mt. Pleasant Backpacking Trip.
Super awesome two night intermediate/tough beginner backpacking trip. We will hike in 6 miles on Friday to awesome camp site pictures on the Cold Mt. Link. Then we will make a 11ish mile day hike looping Mt. Pleasant and Cold together. We will hopefully do lunch on Mt. Pleasant and then possibly dinner and sunset back at Cold Mt. Meadows …
Whitewater Rafting: Upper/Lower Gauley
Get stoked. (for full disclosure, I stole most of this trip description from Nick Trombetta) This year we have both Monday and Tuesday off for “Reading Days”… make the most of them by rafting the Upper AND Lower Gualey! This is going to be incredible! The Gauley River is located in West Virginia. Here’s what a former officer (Marc) had …
Hiking Big Schloss
I have heard great things about this hike and cannot wait to see what it is really like. It’s a bit of a drive (~2 hours), but will hopefully be worth it. Views are said to rival Old Rag. This shouldn’t be too strenuous of a hike, only steep in the beginning, and it will be up and back, not …
Blackberry Backpacking at Spruce Knob
By significant majority, the winner is blackberries at Spruce Knob! I received a fair amount of interest so let’s give it a shot. This trip is a good beginner backpacking trip. It’s only one night and the first day hike is downhill (no significant climbs) and the second day hike is flat (but with stream crossings). On the way to …
Foraging for Mushrooms and Blueberries at Dolly Sods
Over the past year, I have received several requests for a trip where people would learn to identify wild edible mushrooms (and pick some for dinner). Dolly Sods is a perfect place for wild mushroom hunting, plus blueberries should be getting ripe too. I’ll bring a mushroom book and we’ll learn some common types (aspen scaberstalk, birch bolete etc), they …
Midsummers Camping at Devils Marbleyard!
NOTE: I’ve moved the departure time for this trip back to FRIDAY NIGHT due to weather considerations; the plan is to fit in as much Awesome Stuff ™ on Saturday as possible and, depending on the whims of the skies, camp out again Saturday and leave Sunday, or leave Saturday night so we can start on our Sunday hangovers. (Kidding. …
Backpack to the Beach!
Hello backpackers and beach bums. False cape state park is located in Virginia beach. You can check out all details about the park online. Just google false cape state park and you will find a great description of the park. we will be hiking in about 8 miles in flat ground to get to our campsite pretty much right on …
Eiger Sanction Movie Night
Location is MAD HOUSE at 7pm. Hey folks, Everyone loves Clint Eastwood. You might not know, but he was once the official mascot of the club. In honor of him and his awesome climbing ability, we are watching the Eiger Sanction hat 7PM on Sunday. Its a baller 70’s movie about a mountain climber (Clint) who has to assassinate someone …
Mt.Rogers Back Packing July Fourth Weekend!
Grayson Highlands State Park is located adjacent to Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The park lies within Jefferson National Forest. The park was established in 1965 and contains a total of 4,822 acres. The park hosts many forests like those present on nearby Mount Rogers, as well as a number of high alpine meadows or balds. These meadows provide excellent …
Ramsey’s Draft Hike with a Camping Option
The plan is to hike the perimeter of the Ramsey’s Draft wilderness area, mostly staying on the ridges, but with one potentially exciting river crossing (bring crocs/sandals!). It will be a 20-mile loop day-hike. We’ll leave from Echols around 3pm on Friday, drive to Ramsey’s Draft and camp close to the trailhead. We’ll start hiking early on Sat morning. If …