Gear Room and Other Bits and Pieces

Dear Gremlins,

The time is nigh the moon’s in the sky and I am not Bill Nye the Science Guy. I am, however, Pietro Ciliberto, and I’m here to say hi. I wish I could fly but at least I can tie (my shoes). Weekly email you say? Weekly updates you want? Well how about you reply?

Oh no you can’t? This is a soliloquy (pronounced: solilo-kwai)?!? Nobody told me that. I feel it was a lie, I was left high and dry. If I had die, I would roll them. But instead I have a keyboard, so I must vie. Vie for what? Vie for your attention, in this attention economy. Oh no – big words, big theories. What the fry. 

Let’s cut to the chase. Enough talk, enough monologue. My theater days are over and now I am but a secretar-”ie”. What relegation, what demotion, what travest-ie. What’s the news for the week? Wait – who was that? Oh I know, it’s the little voice in my head telling me you’re about to cry. 

Pietro “what is wrong with you” Ciliberto

P.S.

Forgive my

 

Adventure of the Week, courtesy All-ie Shellhammer

Kicked off the school year by dragging a bunch of bright-eyed beginners underground for their first taste of the cave gremlin lifestyle. Took a solid crew into Island Ford where we climbed, crawled, crab-walked, and generally embraced the mud. For most folks, it was their first time caving—and they crushed it. We found an unreasonable number of salamanders, paid our respects to Fred the Fish, had a hilariously chaotic lights-out moment that definitely bonded us for life, and even spotted some bats on our way out. Muddy, tired and extremely happy. A+ trip. Cave on!

Some new announcements of note: 

  • GAME NIGHT THIS MONDAY TOMORROW
    • Game Night at 7:30 pm! 
    • It will be at the French house, courtesy of Luc-eye and Loreley. aka Lo n’ Lu. 
  • TRIP LEADER WINE NIGHT THIS WEDNESDAY 7:30-9:30
    • This will be at Susannah’s house! The address is 536 Valley Road.
    • Note that only trip leaders can attend.
  • Are you a good person? Would you like to be in a sneaky little club within a club? Well, boy do I have news for you! The first meeting of the Sustainability and Service Committee will commence on September 14th at 3pm. Together we will brainstorm some awesome trip ideas and engage in general shenanigans. Join the GroupMe for more: https://groupme.com/join_group/90510461/ZQLPwzCi 
  • Sign up for trips, lead trips!
  • Meeting notes

OLD (BUT STILL IMPORTANT) ANNOUNCEMENTS:  

Are YOU on the Trip Leader Listserv? 

WOOOAAAHHH ODC Member DISCOUNTS?! 

  • You read it right! Anyone who is a member of this lovely club can now get 10% off at High Tor Gear Exchange & Endeavor Cycles here in Charlottesville! 
  • We now have a 40% off code to use on as many purchases as you want fromNature Buff! Use code UVA40 on your next purchase. 
  • Super cool mountain-wear brand HIMALIhas reached out to us with a sick discount code for 40% off all their stuff!! Check them out and use code UVASendIt40. 
  • We also have an epic one-use per person promo code with Bedrock Sandalsfor 20% off online purchases. Use the code “UVAOUTDOOR”! 
  • ODC Members can also now get 10% off any regular priced purchase in the Hardgoods/Camp Equipment Dept. at Great Outdoors Provision Co! Just show them your member page on the ODC website at checkout to verify that you’re an active member. 

Evan Denison Memorial Fund 

  • The Evan Denison Memorial Fund is up and running! Please read the form linked herefor more details, especially if you’re a beginner backpacker. And check out the backpack in the gear room—a blue embroidered ULA Circuit! 

G-G-Gear Requests *Airhorn* 

  • We love buying new equipment for you, but we need you to tell us what you want! Do that here. 

#Anonymous Feedback Form 

  • This form is anonymous and can only be viewed by the DEI Chair. 

Donations 

  • Did you know that you or your parents who want to know what you’ve been up to at UVA or your grandparents who were around when backpacking was invented can DONATE to ODC at any time ?? Donate here! 

  

GEAR RESOURCES AND POLICY 

This Week’s Gear Room Schedule: 

Monday – Parker 11:40 am (540) 840-8024 

Tuesday – Chris 12:30 pm (203) 805-1195 

Wednesday – Allie 5:30 pm (970) 294-8781 

Thursday – Max Ellis 4:30 pm (571) 215-0938 

Friday – Afton 8:15 am (804) 338-3673 

If none of these times work for you, please email the officers outdoors-officers@virginia.edu at least 24 hours in advance to schedule a separate time to be let into the gear room. Please only do this if you really can’t make the gear room times, not just because you don’t feel like it or didn’t plan ahead. 

You can stop by the gear room to check out or return gear and be reimbursed at any of the times listed above! Officers remain at the gear room only for as long as people are checking in/out gear (usually about 20-25 minutes). You may also purchase ODC t-shirts, hoo rags, patches, stickers, and more at the gear room! 

MISC. GEAR INFO: 

  • If you return damaged, dirty, or incomplete gear, you will jeopardize your ability to check out gear in the future. It is your responsibility to return your gear in the condition you received it. 
  • Please refer to our reimbursement policy here. 
  • You can check our gear inventory here. 
  • Want to check out water sports gear or a mountain bike? 
  • Please email the officers at outdoors-officers@virginia.edu. They are stored at separate locations. We ask that you give at least 24 hours notice. 
  • Gear is due one week from when it is checked out unless renewed by an officer at a gear room. Keeping gear past its due date is a UVA Honor Offense. Club trips have priority access to gear. 

Directions to the Gear Room: 

  • Start at Echols Dorm → go right on McCormick → turn right on Alderman Rd → take a left on Leake Drive → walk to the end of the road (there are several buildings and parking on either side) → pass a picnic table on the right → keep going! → walk straight to the first big maintenance building directly ahead → walk behind the building on the left side (if it feels like you maybe shouldn’t be there, you’re in the right place) → walk up the stairs → End: knock on the door! 

  

ADVENTURE OF THE WEEK!!! 

None. Losers. (lovingly) 

  • How to be featured: 
  • Each week we’ll feature a different adventure that happened within the previous 7 days. To be featured, send us (outdoors-officers@virginia.edu) a couple of pictures of you and your pals adventurin’ and a little blurb about what you did! 
  • We’re stoked to see what y’all get up to, but PLEASE (please!) do not take pictures of people without their consent (and don’t submit them to us without their consent). 
  • Try and submit pictures as .jpeg files if possible! (not .heic live photos!) 

Who will be the next ADVENTURE OF THE WEEK??? 

  

TRIP RESOURCES AND REMINDERS 

Leading Trips: 

To become a trip leader, thoroughly read the Trip Leader Manual (resources page of the website) and send the officers an email (outdoors-officers@virginia.edu) letting them you know you have done so. They will then activate you on the website! Alternatively, come to a Trip Leader Workshop, lead by the officers several times each semester and posted on the website. 

As a reminder, climbing, caving, mountain biking, and whitewater trips have special rules to lead! To learn more about types of trips and to become an approved trip leader for the sports listed above, feel free to contact the club’s Sport Advisors: 

Climbing: 

  • Afton Hessian (xfu6vq@virginia.edu)  
  • Via Miller (pwa5xq@virginia.edu) 

Caving 

  • Allie Shelhammer (kvb8gz@virginia.edu) 

Biking 

  • Susannah Allen (bay6nh@virginia.edu) 

Hiking/Backpacking 

  • Evelyn Lepsch (mph4ca@virginia.edu) 
  • Chris Blonkvist (cej5pq@virginia.edu) 

Water Sports 

  • John Woodward (uce3pa@virginia.edu) 

If you have questions about how to lead trips, refer to the Leading Trips pages under Resources on the club website. 

Want to lead a trip for an under-represented group in the outdoors? Lead an Affinity Trip! See the link for details and guidelines. 

Absences: 

  • Please be aware that if you are joined on a trip, and you do not show up, or you drop out at the last minute, you are depriving another member of a spot on that trip. 
  • No-shows and last-minute absences not only hurt trip attendance, but they also make logistics more complicated. 
  • If a member is reported for two absences, trip leaders are permitted to take this into account when moving people off wait lists. 

Incident Reporting: 

  • Anything wild or crazy happened on your trips recently, but not in a good way? Fill out this form to let the officers know about incidents or near misses on your ODC trips. Incidents can include but are not limited to: major injuries, extreme/ dangerous weather, or getting lost. We’ll keep it for our records/learning and follow-up if necessary! Here’s the template. 
  • Check out this swanky guide, aptly entitled “Incident Reporting Form Cheatsheet,” for a how-to on handling common incidents in the woods, and make sure you’re prepared for your next trip! 

Sexual Harassment and Equity Reporting: 

  • Outdoors at UVA is committed to providing a safe and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. If you feel you or another have experienced misconduct at the hands of another club member, please report it here. This is including but not limited to misconduct regarding sexuality (including sexual harassment), gender, race, ethnicity, ability, etc. 
  • Outdoors at UVA’s Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct policy can be found here. Our club Code of Conduct can be found here. 

ET CETERA. 

Social Media: 

FB: (https://www.facebook.com/groups/OutdoorsAtUVA/) 

Insta: (https://www.instagram.com/uvaoutdoors/) 

GroupMe: (https://groupme.com/join_group/68250538/0HmzE2tL) 

  

  

Peace, Love, & Dirt, 

Pietro and the Officers