Gear Room and Other Bits and Pieces.

To all the fourth years.

I love this club so much. It’s a club of bonfires, contemplative hikes, and ragers. It’s a club of community service and shredding. It’s a club of learning and teaching. It’s a club of firm handshakes and sustained eye contact. It’s a club of grins and of laughs and of the silly little things that make life, life.

Coming into college is hard and making friends and finding community is even harder. So I want you to take this moment to hear me say that every fourth year in this club has made my transition to such a new world so much better. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that. The fourth years in this club have made it such a point to emphasize that ODC is for the people. This is a club of circle openers, and the fourth years lead the way with that. I just hope that in three years I can do a fraction of what you’ve done for us.

I don’t believe in so long, farewell, auf wiederseh’n, or adieu. I refuse to say goodbye or to shed a tear. I instead want you all to visualize me and every other member of this club giving you a two-finger salute with a tiny smile cracking on the right side of our mouths. Because I know I’ll see each one of you again. Maybe you’ll be pooping in the woods, or dancing at Gauley, or choo chooing at YAR (you better all come). Who knows. All I know is that the world is a better place with each of you and that you have fostered and made this community as wonderful as it is.

Ok I’m done. Pick up that damn PBR and get to shreddin’

Pietro and the people

 

New Announcements

PLEASE BRING BACK YOUR GEAR!!!!

Summer is coming and that means packing and packing means gear left behind. And gear left behind means gear lost which means that you have to reimburse the club. And that is not fun. So, bring your gear back!!

PBR PBR PBR PBR. You thought we were done did you? NEVERRRRR

  • TRASH FAIRY LDOC PARTY-

You guessed it, we are having a last day of class party (April 29th) if you forgot! We are gonna be a bunch of trash fairies- and what does this mean exactly? Well it could be mean you go through your trash and see what fits, it could also mean you are a beautiful fairy that has wings and flys like tinker bell, it could also mean that you are wearing trader joes bags as a matching set and trying to DIY some wings out of cardboard (this is very specific, I wonder who will be wearing this 🫣)

It is also Anything But a Cup, so that means bring your own drinking vessel! Anything works! I challenge you to try a kayak!

So be at the shrack (116 Washington ave) at 9pm sharp to trash fairy dance away and forget about finals

  • 4th Year Bonfire Send Off – May 3rd

Calling ALL 4th YEARS and those who will deeply miss our beloved 4th years- we are having a bonfire/ potluck just for you! This will be on May 3rd at 8pm. Bring a snack, bring a friend, and bring some lovely memories of all your times at outdoors club! I am so sad to see you all leave, but we will rejoice in the beautiful memories made in ODC!

So to all the 4th years and to those who love our 4th years- come to the shrack (116 Washington ave) on May 3rd at 8pm to celebrate 🍾

Gear Rooms for This Week:

We will have normal gear rooms until Wednesday 4/30 this week, but then afterwards it’ll be popup gear rooms until next year. There’ll be a few over the summer but like I said earlier bring your stuff back now!

As a reminder, those times are:

Monday @ 3:30pm — John (804-944-1929)
Tuesday @ 5:30pm — Anusha (571-455-0721)
Wednesday @ 10am — Max T (703-862-7391)

For popup gear room: they’ll be announced in the GroupMe/announcement, but you can also email the officers and ask for a popup. I can say that personally I’ll be here all of May and August and I’ll have ~1/10 days.

Photo Contest and The Scrawl

SUBMIT SUBMIT SUBMIT

not much else to say

 

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

  • Do you have any comments, concerns, or recommendations about/for Outdoors Club? Leave some feedback here!
  • 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 @ 3:30pm — John (804-944-1929)
Tuesday @ 5:30pm — Anusha (571-455-0721)
Wednesday @ 10am — Max T (703-862-7391)

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:

  • Before returning gear, refer to the GEAR CLEANING DOC!
  • 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 outunless 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!
  • Map to Gear Room

 

ADVENTURE OF THE WEEK!!!

None. Losers. (lovingly)

  • How to befeatured:
  • 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:

Caving

Biking

Hiking/Backpacking

Water Sports

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