Looking for adventure?

Huebner said that this semester, outdoor pursuits will host several specialty events to increase student involvement and bring more attention to recreational sports.

 

The program will host a slacklining clinic Feb. 29 and March 28 from noon to 2 p.m. in front of the Dining Hall.

"The clinic will be to teach students the basics of slacklining," Huebner said. "Walking on a rope between two trees is the easiest way to put it, but it's one-inch tubular webbing, so it's like the width of your belt. It requires a lot of balance and a lot of focus. It used to be something that was fun for climbers to do between climbing routes, and now it's turned into a big social thing. Yes, it's working out, but really it's just to have a good time, to be social and get people involved."

 

A week-long survival bracelet "do it yourself" class will be held March 5 through March 8, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the climbing wall.

 

"It doesn't really sound outdoorsy, but we're going to be using 550 cord to make bracelets," Huebner said. "So if anybody is out in the wilderness and they need 20 feet of cord that's going to hold roughly 550 pounds, they can unravel their bracelet.

 

"The kits will be sold at $5 a bracelet, so we're really not trying to make a lot of money there. We're just trying to get students involved."

 

Open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Thursday, the climbing wall is 40-feet high and 1,800 square feet.

 

"We have three standard classes that we teach," Huebner said. "We have movement, which teaches technique. We have our basic climbing class, which is a little bit more in depth. That's when you get to learn all the technical skills of climbing. Then we have our lead climbing class, which teaches a little bit more of an advanced level of climbing. This semester, we're doing a class that takes lead climbing inside and then moves it outside."

 

The new class transitions from indoor to outdoor climbing. The first class is March 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Rock climbing classes are held on Fridays, beginning at 2 p.m. 

 

Outdoor pursuits also offers custom climbing classes for more advanced skills at $50 an hour plus $5 per person.

 

"If anyone ever wants to rent a rock climbing wall, it's a minimum of 2-hour rental, and they get all the equipment and staff," Huebner said. "It's two hours and then it goes to hourly after that. The way we see it, getting people in and giving them the experience of climbing is really not going to be below two hours."

The outdoor shop offers students rental equipment  — anything from backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, head lamps and canoes — at "competitive prices," located at the equipment checkout desk in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center.

 

"Students can come to the outdoor shop from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday and rent their equipment and then take it out and go on their adventures," Huebner said. "We have weekend specials and then day rentals, so you can just connect the two. But our weekend specials are incredible, and that goes Friday to Monday. So for instance, you could go to Village Creek and rent through an outfitter for approximately $25 a day, or you could rent Friday to Monday from us for $20."

 

Outdoor pursuits will take its next outdoor adventure trip, Martin Dies adventure, on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26.

"We offer on average six trips a semester ranging anything from skydiving to backpacking," Huebner said.

The cost for the trips varies. Information is available online at lamar.orgsync.com/org/outdoor pursuits30082. Huebner said that they also offer custom adventure trips.

 

"Planning is everything when it comes to trips, and with student organizations, a lot of people don't have the time," he said. "If a student organization wants to go on a trip, they come talk to me, give me their general idea of what they want, I let them know, ‘Here are the options. Here's what I could do for you, and these are the prices we're looking at.' They pick a trip of what they want to do, and we take them on an adventure."

 

Huebner said that the team-building program is designed to help groups and organizations learn to be more efficient and cohesive.

 

"We're taking people out of their environments, throwing them in a different environment and providing them with scenarios that bring up the same issues and seeing how they deal with them," he said. "Everything is custom-built, so say if we have a group wants something just in the middle of their meetings or something quick where they can be in dress attire and not have to be physically active, then we can do something like that. If they're wanting something that will push people physically and emotionally, then we will structure it that way."

 

Outdoor pursuits also offers outdoor professional development, which Huebner said is designed to enhance people's outdoor experience.

 

"What this includes would be things like scuba diving classes or wilderness first aid classes."

 

For more information, call recreational sports at 880-2306 or visit  lamar.orgsync.com/org/outdoorpursuits30082.