Posts Tagged With: Climbing

April’s Expeditions

Posted on 04/01/2013 by Stacey Northup

You may be a gym junkie, but do you know about all the Outdoor Recreation activities UNC Campus Rec offers?  Last Fall, I went on a hiking expedition to Cox Mountain.  I took in the beauty of nature, ate lots of GORP (read the post for details) and bonded with some fellow Tar Heels.

To give you a quick rundown, expeditions run from a half-day to an entire weekend and focus on hiking, kayaking, climbing or a combination of a few.  UNC students and employees of all fitness levels attend these trips – some who have never gone hiking before and others who have completed countless intense trail races.

During your trip, you’ll learn technical skills, lead others and have to trust complete strangers.  It can be physically challenging at times, but is rewarding upon completion.  You’ll be able to share a unique experience with other students who have a passion for outdoor activities.

This coming weekend, from April 5 through April 7, you can go on a kayak expedition to White Oak River where you’ll see several different ecosystems as they come together and are shaped by the natural forces of the coast.  On April 13, you can take a day trip to the Eno River where you’ll break free from the stress of school and enjoy yoga and hiking in the relaxing wilderness.

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Two other kayaking trips will take place this month.  If you are looking for a short expedition, you can attend the day trip to Rhode’s Pond (just an hour’s drive from campus) for black swamp water paddling complete with Spanish Moss.  Last, another weekend-long kayaking trip will be held April 19 through April 21 at Brown’s Island, at North Carolina’s Cape Lookout National Seashore.

For more information on Outdoor Recreation, click here for all my blog posts.  To read more about the Outdoor Education Center – if you don’t want to go off campus – click here.

To register, go to the Campus Recreation Office located in 101 Student Recreation Center. The fee includes transportation, food and equipment.  You can pay with cash or your One Card.  To check for available spaces call (919)843-7529. If you have additional questions, contact David Yeargan at dyeargan@email.unc.edu.

To learn more about each trip, fee and activity level, click here.

Categories: Outdoor Recreation | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prepare to Climb

Posted on 03/18/2013 by Stacey Northup

I became a cool Chaco-wearing, climbing guru with arms of steel when I got belayed certified through Campus Rec.  In just a couple hours, I went from having no idea what “belay” meant to climbing to the top of the wall like Spider-Man.   The small class of 10 students and I learned how to tie a knot properly, how to belay for someone and how to climb.

Climbing is a great activity to do by yourself or with friends.  You can continuously challenge yourself to get better and faster by using the self-belay device in Rams Head.  You can also skip the ice cream date and go climbing with your friends for fitness and fun.

Starting today, Monday, March 18, the Rams Head Climbing Wall will reopen!  If you want to harness up, tie-in and climb, you must be belay certified by the UNC Climbing Wall Staff.  Hours for the climbing wall are…

  • Monday-Thursday 4:00-8:00 p.m.
  • Friday: 1:00-6:00 p.m.

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Not certified yet? Don’t worry – we’ll still include you!  An Introduction to Climbing Class will take place Mondays and Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m.  All you have to do is register at the Campus Rec Main Office in the SRC (for free!) and you’ll be on your way to learning the basic safety skills needed to pass the Belay Certification Test required to climb at UNC.  The test will be administered at the conclusion of the course.

Already know it all?  If you do not feel the need to take the intro class (i.e. you are an experienced climber with basic climbing skills, knowledge of risk management and proper equipment usage and selection), you can simply take the test.  A brief orientation explaining the facility, policies and procedures will start the clinic, and then, you can take the test.  This takes places Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:00 p.m., and again, you must register at the main office.

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Click here to learn more about Newbie Nights to test drive the climbing wall and click here to learn more about Campus Recreation Rock Climbing Expeditions where you can take your climbing skills outside to locations like Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain.

For all other basic climbing information, click here.  If you still have questions, feel free to contact Chance Van Noppen, our Climbing Coordinator.

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Outdoor Leadership Series

Posted on 12/13/2012 by Stacey Northup

So maybe becoming a fitness instructor or a personal trainer just isn’t your thing. You’re more of a hiker than someone who Zumbas. And maybe you prefer kayaking over doing squats and pushups in the gym.

If you’re are the outdoorsy type, then Carolina Outdoor Education Center’s Outdoor Leadership Series is for you! No, this isn’t an infomercial, but if you are interested in a leadership opportunity with Campus Rec, you’ll want to keep reading.

This program consists of nine workshops designed to give participants a working knowledge of the philosophical concepts and technical aspects associated with experiential education. After completing all the workshops, participants will be eligible to become Apprentices. In this role, participants are given the opportunity to try out the Facilitator/Instructor role. And from there, if one shows comfort in the position and has demonstrated a minimum level of competency, he or she can become a paid Assistant staff.

So all in all, this is the first step to becoming a leader of an expedition or challenge course. You would be directly responsible for the quality and safety of the participants.

The workshops are all detailed here with the various dates and times. The nine workshops each focus on a different, exciting topic. At the fourth workshop, for example, you will learn about the challenge course high elements – how to set up, operate, maintain and gain the technical skills required, including belaying, knot tying, equipment inspection and spotting.

Through this opportunity, you can transform your own life while transforming others. You can sign up at the Campus Rec office in the SRC. The cost of the program is $60. The workshops start Jan. 26.

Please click here for more information on the Outdoor Leadership Series.

P.S. – As stated on Monday’s blog (Holiday Recipes), this will be the last post of the semester! Feel free to click around for the next few weeks or come back here after classes start up. Have a wonderful, safe and healthy holiday! And for those of you who still have exams to take – you can do it!

Categories: Outdoor Recreation | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Attend a Climbing Workshop!

Posted on 03/15/2012 by Stacey Northup

Because I became belay certified last semester, I was able to attend Campus Rec’s first climbing technique workshop of the semester. During this hour-long class, I learned new skills to improve my climbing abilities.

Two instructors led the group.  First, we discussed balance. Balance is a key aspect of climbing and knowing how to position your body is important. Your center of gravity while climbing is your core, which needs to be as close as possible to the wall.

Next, we learned how to use our arms and legs while climbing. Because your legs naturally have much stronger muscles than your arms, they are your greatest tool to use. But that doesn’t mean your arms have no use! By gripping the rocks in different ways with your hands, you can use your arm muscles in the most effective ways, making your climb easier.

During this hour, I learned many other tricks and techniques to improve my climbing abilities. The instructors even led us in playing a few climbing games. Climbing is a fun activity that you can do with friends and it gives you a great workout. It challenges your muscles and also improves your cardiovascular health.

If you are interested in attending the next Climbing Technique Workshop, be sure to check out campusrec.unc.edu/climbing-wall. The workshop is free and no pre-registration is required! It will take place Thursday, March 29 from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the RHRC Climbing Wall.

If you’re not belay certified, attend one of the two weekly classes and check out my post on my certification experience! Or, if you’d like to spend time outdoors, check out Campus Rec’s expedition to climb Pilot Mountain. You’ll really challenge yourself and grow as a climber!

Categories: Climbing | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Belay Certification

Posted on 10/06/2011 by Stacey Northup

Yep, I’m one of those people now. And if you’re not, you should be. In roughly an hour, I became belay certified by taking a class through Campus Rec. The class was so simple, yet informative, and now I can climb the rock walls in Fetzer and Rams Head any day of the week.

The class consisted of 10 students and two instructors. There were a few simple steps to learn before passing the test. First, we learned how to put on the harness. If you can put on a pair of pants, you can put on a harness. It was that easy.

Next, we learned how to tie the rope in order to climb up the wall. After learning how to “stab the alien” and make the “figure 8” knot (you’ll understand those terms after taking the class!), we practiced the proper form to belay. The most important part: never letting your right hand leave the rope (and if I ever belay you, you’ll be grateful I remember that!).

Finally, we learned how to tie the rope in order to belay someone. After these simple steps, we took “the test”. The test was not a written one (thank goodness), but an actual test of our skills. Everyone partnered up. While one person climbed the wall, the other person belayed. Their first time up, they announced they would “fall” so the one on the ground could stop their fall. After conquering this task, they would climb again and suddenly “fall” without a warning.

Everyone passed the simple test and the remaining time was spent climbing and belaying for each other, just for fun. Now I am certified through next year (and have a cool card to prove it) and I can climb whenever I choose to. The best part of climbing at UNC is that you can climb/belay with a friend or by yourself: there’s a self-belay device in Rams Head!

So grab a group of friends to go get certified with, if you want to climb together, or get certified yourself! It’s just another great opportunity Campus Rec gives us that makes being active enjoyable! For more information on the Climbing Walls, visit www.campusrec.unc.edu/climbing-wall.

Categories: Climbing | Tags: , , , , | 9 Comments

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