Gear Rooms and Other Bits | ODC Newsletter 8/27/23

Howdy ODC!

One week of classes down, many (, many) more to go! We loved seeing all of you in your beachiest outfits on Friday, and we’re stoked for the year with y’all! For those of you just joined the club and whose *first* Outdoors Club weekly email this is, here’s the way these things normally go:

Announcements → Gear Info → Trip Resources → Adventure of the Week → Social Media

See ya next week!

– Sarah “Dirtling” Dowling

 

 

ANNOUCEMENTS:

BRING BACK YOUR GEAR!

  • Did you borrow something this spring and forget to bring it back? Maybe sometime this summer? Well, here’s your opportunity (and friendly reminder) to return your club gear to a gear room this week or email the officers (outdoors-officers@virginia.edu) to schedule a return time.
  • This especially applies to climbing gear—where has it gone?
    • Please return climbing gear ASAP. We want to do a quick inventory and inspection of our technical gear—mainly ropes, draws, and trad pieces—THIS WEDNESDAY. Please reach out if you have any gear of this sort but are unable to check it in by then. If gear is checked out through next week, we may put a hold on check outs until everything is returned.

DEI-Sustainability-Service Committee Interest Meeting

  • The Outdoors club DEI and sustainability-service committees will be having an interest meeting next Monday, 9/4! The committees are a great group to be a part of if you are interested in getting more involved in the club or collaborating on some cool diversity/community/sustainability initiatives. Exact time and location are TBD but keep your eyes peeled for a trip announcement with more details coming soon. All are welcome!!

Creekathon Returns on September 24!!

  • Our bi-annual grill/chill out at Walnut Creek Park will be on Sunday September 24!!! Stay tuned for a trip announcement and more info about how to sign up coming soon!

Outdoors First Aid Seminar!

  • *Shameless* self plug, I know, I know, but a handful of your trusty officers (Ed, Grace, & I) are Wilderness First Responders! *Pause for applause.* We know the risks of going outside (and how to manage them), but do you? No? Maybe? Yes but you want a refresher and some practice? Perfect. Because…
  • ODC is now holding FREE outdoors first aid workshops!!!! We will be running a handful of seminars this year to help all of you lovely people be more prepared in the woods, and the first one is THIS WEDNESDAY at 6pm! So if you want to learn more about what to do about wounds, breaks, bites, burns, blisters, and more, sign up on the website and come join us! This workshop is strongly encouraged for trip leaders.

Change to Climbing Gear Checkouts

  • Helmets, shoes, harnesses, chalk, belay devices, & crash pads can be checked out by anyone, but any gear past this (such as ropes, draw, trad pieces, anchors) needs to receive approval from one of our Climbing Sport Advisors, Melu (alt7yjh@virginia.edu) or Abby (als6qm@virginia.edu) before it’s allowed to leave the gear room.

Gear Requests!

  • From Mitch: “Hello gear gremlins! If you have items of outdoor gear that you would like to see purchased by the club, please fill out the form below!”
  • Google Form OR Microsoft Form

Are YOU in the GroupMe?

 

 

GEAR RESOURCES AND POLICY

This Year’s Gear Room Schedule:

Mondays @ 12pm — Max St. Clair (617-780-1129)
Tuesdays @ 2:15pm — Mitch Lang (804-955-8990)
Wednesdays @ 5:30pm — Ed Aten (434-326-8868)
Thursdays @ 8:30pm — Evelyn Needham (303-944-5484)
Fridays @ 3:15pm — Renee Erickson (703-850-9725)

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 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!
  • Map to Gear Room

 

 

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 (emails can soon!).

  • Climbing:
    • Melu (alt7yjh@virginia.edu)
    • Abby (als6qm@virginia.edu)
  • Caving
    • Renee (rle6juc@virginia.edu)
    • Aidan (ajw3ttr@virginia.edu)
  • Biking
    • Max Titov (uhg2nv@virginia.edu)
  • Hiking/Backpacking
    • Grace (gag4jaz@virginia.edu)
    • Ed (eba4ksx@virginia.edu)
  • Water Sports
    • Mitch – All (mcl2hxw@virginia.edu)
      Jade – Paddleboarding (jma9x@virginia.edu)
      Marion – Kayaking & Rafting (mtd6tx@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.

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 sexual or gender-based violence or misconduct at the hands of another club member, you can report the misconduct here.
  • If you feel you or another have experienced harassment based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc. at the hands of another club member, you can report the misconduct here.
  • Outdoors at UVA’s Sexual Misconduct policy can be found on our Resources webpage and is linked here. Our policy for harassment and discrimination is here.

 

 

ADVENTURE OF THE WEEK!!!

Tiffany’s Blue Hole Hike on August 23!!

  • “This afternoon Jade D, Swar and I hiked to blue hole! The hike in was easy and quick and then we got to SWIM!!! Took us a bit to get in but once we did we LOVED it! Me and Jade then convinced ourselves to jump off the high rock. Such a beautiful Wednesday afternoon activity with a great group.” -Tiffany
  • “We just hiked out and spent a Wednesday afternoon in the hole ~and jumped into it~ 😎” -Jade

  • 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???

 

 

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,

Sarah and the Officers