Kee cave is an awesome cave that neither Aidan nor I have been to before. We are working to expand our knowledge of caves to take more people to more places, thus why this trip is marked as intermediate. Please do not sign up unless you have been on AT LEAST 2 caving trips, preferably within the past 4 months. …
This is an INTERMEDIATE CAVING TRIP. Please do not sign up unless you have been on at least 2 other caving trips, preferably within the past 4 months. Will you be done with finals? Sticking around in Charlottesville a bit longer? Looking for something to do on the weekend? Come explore a cave with me. I have never been to …
dirt babies, Carve out a little time this fine Friday afternoon to prioritize mental health, fresh air and becoming the world’s next Alex Honnold at Cville’s best kept secret – Rivanna Wall. Rivanna Wall is a teeny tiny outdoor sport climbing crag with just two routes. The crag is also along a stretch of the Rivanna River, so we can …
Whats popping! You are formally invited to the illustrious shred-festival, the Dirtbag’s-reunion, the much-revered biannual CREEKATHON!! This is a time to wallow in comradery, to fester in fun, to devour all things grilled (vegan and non vegan snackies to be found). For those who have never been, Creekathon is a laid-back social cookout for all you forest-children at our nearby …
I’m too lazy to do a new trip description, so I’m using as much as I can from the last one I led…For the past year, I’ve been working my way through the VA section of the AT. With a goal to finish by the end of May, I’m trying to maximize mileage on short weekends, which means utilizing a …
The weather is warming up and looking good this weekend so it’s a great time to hike one of the most beloved trails, Old Rag. And with a beautiful sunset, how can you go wrong! Whether you’re an Old Rag veteran or a first-timer, all are welcome to join us! Old rag is a ~9ish mile loop with ~2,400ft in …
You wanna ride tougher trails but big hills scare you? This workshop is for you! We will be sessioning (riding repeatedly) a short downhill section near the Rivanna trail (it’s less than a mile away) while I coach everyone to build up their skills and confidence. If you have the willingness to learn and just a bit of bravery then …
Feeling excited the sun no longer sinks below the horizon at 5pm?? ME TOO!! To celebrate this newfound evening light Paulina and I are planning on bopping up old rag for a spectacular sunset hike this Monday. Whether you’re an old rag veteran or have never heard of this mysterious rock we want YOU to come join us! Old rag …
Hey y’all! Want to get outside and enjoy this beautiful spring weather? ME TOO so I’m thinking we do a classic McAfee Knob hike this Friday! The out-and-back trail is about 8 miles total with 1700 ft of elevation gain, so doable but will definitely be a good workout. https://www.hikingupward.com/JNF/McAfeeKnob/ Deetz: Meet at corner of Echols at 8:30AM Drive ~2 …
After meeting so many incredible young folks in Moab, I’ve decided to come out of trip leading retirement for an AT adventure. For the past year, I’ve been working my way through the VA section of the AT. With a goal to finish by the end of May, I’m trying to maximize mileage on short weekends, which means utilizing a …
Hey there gorge-ous girls – come spend this Saturday* touching some rocks with Eliza and I in the gorge-ous New River Gorge! Plus- get to spend the night in a cozy cabin right near the cliffs courtesy of my folks. The plan is to head out of Cville at 5 on Friday evening and drive the ~3 hours up to …
Hello fellow Old Rag lovers! Since I’ve only ever hiked Old Rag in the blazing summer heat and in freezing conditions with ice hazards, I’m curious to see what it’s like in the spring. It used to be a 9 mile hike but they added a new section in the last few years to make it almost 10 (not sure …
hello fellow people of the great commonwealth or wannabes! I have lived here my entire life and have yet to somehow climb old rag. Join me and mitchel this saturday as we redeem ourselves. Old Rag is a classic hike that is 9.5 miles long and is considered fairly challenging. It has a steep grade and lots of rocky switchbacks …
Let the record show that this is the second attempt at this trip after Conor wasn’t feeling the wakeup the first time. Hopefully he’ll come around for the 2pm version. The plan is to drive to Ragged and run the main loop, which is around 7 miles. We’ll keep a pretty chill pace but running the whole time, the loop …
You read that right – the plan is to ride 50-some miles on our bikes and climb just over a mile vertically (~5500 ft). This won’t be an easy ride, but it promises high reward: great views, comraderie, and a serious sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. We’ll ride a loop I’ve done a few times before …
Lets go see the historic blue ridge tunnel! Its a fairly easy hike 4.5 miles out and back and we will be going on the east side which is easier than the west side! Meet at Echols @noon Leave Echols @12:10 Drive to Blue ridge tunnel ~ 28 minutes away from echols Arrive @12:40pm Hike 12:45pm- 3:45pm Arrive back to …
I somehow have never been to Ragged so I’m stoked Conor offered to drive. Thanks dude The plan is to drive to Ragged and run the main loop, which is around 7 miles. We’ll keep a pretty chill pace but running the whole time, the loop is supposedly fairly hilly. Building in a good amount of extra time, we should …
Hello all! I haven’t been getting outside much recently, so join me next Thursday on a trail run around Ragged! This is a 6 – 7 mile loop (the info booth at Ragged and Strava disagree on this point), so it is not for the faint of heart. I would like to run a decent pace, nothing too fast, but …
Sup dirtbags, For those that don’t understand the reference: Let’s get outside and on some rocks in West Virginia! Reed’s Creek is a really fun crag just a couple hours from cville with a variety of bolted climbing routes for sport climbers of all levels (grades 5.6-5.12). Come check it out with us for a day of epic climbs, crag …
Hark! Hail! Heed! The trails are a freeze-thaw disaster right now but that doesn’t mean you can’t get better at biking! From the scrawls of the infamous Mason Riffee… This adventure is a skill-building, bunnyhop-learning clinic for intermediate mountain bikers. To join, you don’t need loads of experience – but at minimum, you should be comfortable riding a bicycle on …
I only have one class Tuesdays so thought it would be a good day to go to wintergreen, I’ve got 4 extra seats in the car if anybody would like to go. I’m leaving sometime in the morning likely a bit after 8 but really can be whenever and returning early afternoon. I don’t mind picking people up cause I …
Sup lil sunshine babies! do you wanna go climb inside? Are you feeling sad because the ground is covered in wet, slimy snow? Phenomenal. Peak experiences was built for us. It’s also the closest indoor rope climbing that we have to Charlottesville. Peak also has generous offerings for those that prefer to boulder (climbing without a rope). We’ll show up …
MOAB, UTAH 2022 ALL ABOARD THE GNAR TRAIN May we all blossom from this snow and ice ridden East Coast of ours and emerge as sun children in the soft red sands of the Utah desert. There is but one ODC trip worthy of such transition and namesake, and it is our annual pilgrimage the arid paradise of MOAB, UTAH. …
Greetings from Djibouti 😛 Thought I’d kick off the semester right with a lil day hike action 😎⛰️ 😵. So the concept behind this trip is combining two things that I think are cool and fun: winter day hikes and instant mashed potatoes. The plan is to do this hike and somewhere along the way while we’re taking a break, …
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The New River cave is a sweet place to be. With its classic cave terrain and combination of open caverns and climby/crawly bits, it’s a great representative for caves in the VA/WV area. However, the New River cave has a secret: an in-cave river and waterfall – if you’re lucky enough to find them. The New River cave is magical …
Caves truly are so wildly diverse, and this one is no exception. Lockridge Aqua cave is perhaps one of my favorite caves, in no small part due to its unique entrance. Lockridge’s entrance is underwater. Yep, you heard me right. Entering this cave entails fully submerging yourself in brisk water, swimming through the cave’s entrance while submerged, swimming across the …
Caves truly are so wildly diverse, and this one is no exception. Lockridge Aqua cave is perhaps one of my favorite caves, in no small part due to its unique entrance. Lockridge’s entrance is underwater. Yep, you heard me right. Entering this cave entails fully submerging yourself in brisk water, swimming through the cave’s entrance while submerged, swimming across the …
Come explore an oldie but goodie: Crossroads Cave! Crossroads is a maze cave with many different routes to explore. It’s great introduction to caving, so perfect for the beginning or new caver. I am making this a beginner trip where I’ll teach you all you need to know about caving conservation, safety, and technique. Note that caves can include tight …
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Come explore the wonders of the underground at New Trout Cave! New Trout is a 6+ layer maze cave, where the maze is not in 2 dimensions, but 3! There are several neat formations to see and features to traverse depending on which layer(s) we decide to explore. It’s also quite possibly the driest cave I’ve been in, which entails …
Let’s hit up the Priest and Crabtree Falls, all in one go! The Priest is known for being a steadily unrelenting hike, clocking over 3000 feet of elevation gain in about 4 miles. Crabtree Falls is known for several great waterfall views along a lowkey trail. We’ll string these two hikes together, going up the Priest (because we’ve got to …
By Monday we will be almost a week into finals and I’m thinking everyone will be ready to take a little time away from clem, and as the leaves have started to clear up on the Rivanna this seems like the perfect place to do it! also the weather is supposed to get a little warmer again (~60°)! The plan …
We did it friends, ’tis the end of the semester and finals season!!! For those who want to celebrate, I propose you this hike! What says celebration more than taking on an adventure to climb 470 million year old rocks together? (aka Shenandoah Mountains- shoutout to Google for that fun fact) The hike is 3.2 miles with 800ish feet in …
Wednesday is a reading day which means we all have more schedule flexibility and can go running together! It also is going to be very cold and maybe raining (snowing) on Wednesday according to my apple weather so it seems like running is the only activity that might be manageable outside. Let’s meet up at the shred shack at 3:30 …
Never heard of BRS? The Blue Ridge School is located super close to Charlottesville and maintains top notch mountain bike trails that are open to the public. Seriously, if you think O’Hill, Ragged, or Preddy are awesome, the Blue Ridge School will blow your mind. I’ve been several times, but have yet to ride their newest trail, top shelf. Thus, …
Last weekend’s attempt to do Old Rag turned into a Rivanna jog due to driver shortage. Seeing how many people are leaving this weekend, I don’t love my odds but here goes with attempt 2. If you have a car and want to do Old Rag but the timing or day of this trip doesn’t work, I’m flexible. Shoot me …
Hello friends, It is about to be 70s and sunny on Thursday so come take advantage of this summer weather in November and head to ragged mountain with me for some mountain biking and relaxing. We will meet at the shred shack at 1:00pm where will all get bikes and helmets if you do not already have those and make …
*****Now on Saturday***** What better way to celebrate the sudden return of unseasonally warm weather (climate change 🙁 ) than a bike ride at one of Charlottesville’s finest trails? There’s a lovely ~5 mile loop around the perimeter of the Reservoir at Ragged Mountain Natural Area. Come join me for a bike ride to and around the reservoir! We’ll meet …
howdy y’all!! now that the weather is chilly who else is itchin’ to get on some rocks? well do I have a solution for you! myself and eliza are gonna lead a few of you down to a lovely spot just off the blue ridge parkway called the forest. at this wonderful locale one can: 1. “that’s a nice boulder”, …
Day-tripping is an art form, but also a science. It can be learned in minutes, but takes a lifetime to master. The reward? Achieving the fullest of sends while still having the luxury of sleeping in your own bed that night. Ok that was a pretty dramatic intro for a 9 or so mile hike but you get the point. …
My baby arms can’t climb three days in a row, so I’m gonna run on Friday!! Someone posted a trip to Glade Creek Trail a few years back and rumors have it theres a rope swing at the swimming hole pictured above! I think the swing is a mile out from the car so it would be awesome to stop …
What instrument does yo-yo ma play? ……… annnd hello to all you beautiful people. Interested in mountain biking a loop other than ragged or o-hill but still located close by in Charlottesville ? I recently discovered a track in Azalea park (located on the rivanna trail) that looked pretty fun to mountain bike. The park is located off JPA extended …
Greetings shredlings! This will be an intermediate climbing trip at Bubba City’s Sandstonia/Tattoo Wall on Sunday. We’ll roll out from Ray’s in the morning, climb for several hours, then head back to Cville. We’ll cap the initial waitlist at 3 unless someone else with a car signs up, after which we’ll increase the trip capacity up to 8. Climbers should …
Time to make NRGE a lot more shreddy. This trip is part of the New River Gorge Extravaganza weekend long camping trip, and we’ll be meeting on Saturday morning at the campsite and heading to Wolf Creek Park in Fayetteville to ride. The trails will be cross country style riding, so there will be short uphill and downhill sections throughout …
Howdy fellow stout masters! I am super excited to announce the GNARLY NRGE RAFTING EXPEDITION! This will be a thrilling raft trip down the New River from Cunard to Fayette Station, a classic section packed with stout class III-IV rapids, beautiful scenery, and immaculate WVA vibes. You can read more about the section and get stoked here: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/2418/main TO PARTICIPATE: …
So its become clear to me that sunrise on a Friday is an unideal time for this trip…. so let’s try it again! What’s up trail boppers!! You know the drill, it’s another early trail jaunt. This week our run will be ~extra special~ because we are going to venture out to the Biscuit Run trails! Not only are we …
Folks, NRGE is right around the corner and you know what that means! Heartwarming hootenanny, frenzied frolicomeness and whimsical wandering are in your near future. In addition, you may find yourself 60 feet off the deck, desperately clinging to a sheer sandstone wall with chalked hands as your legs start to tremble uncontrollably. If you haven’t been out on rock …
Howdy! So this is gonna be a pretty straightforward out and back. We’re headed to Elliot Knob, because I hear they have this dope lookout tower, which we will totally be on the lookout for. Couple things to keep in mind: 1) It’s gonna be cold and wet. So pack accordingly. Bring extra socks, and don’t forget the raingear! 2) …
Tired of school already? Let the forest distract you from all your exams and assignments with a pre-creekathon backpacking trip! (This is in no way affiliated with creekathon.) The destination is St. Mary’s Wilderness, a beautiful forest just 1 hour away from us that used to be heavily mined. It’s a perfect place to get an intro to backpacking, but …
Hello all! Whats poppin! Since we have some time off for reading days, I think it would be nice to enjoy the fall foliage, and what better way to do so than spend the night outdoors! The plan is to do an overnight at Schloss’ Gap, which is located around an hour and 45 minutes away from cville. The hike …
Devil’s marbleyard is a boulder field in Jefferson National Forest with some great views and is a whole lotta fun to climb and explore. The hike to the rocks is about 2 miles and is pretty straightforward out and back and has a couple nice creek crossings. We plan on spending most of our time exploring/climbing up the field. By …