Outdoor Club Helps Students Connect

Anastasiya Bachmanova inches toward the overhanging granite, using the crack in the rock as the only option to ascend her body. With a swift movement, she grasps a small rock with her right hand and propels herself up. The abrupt movement causes the rope to swing from the anchor, sending jagged shrapnels of granite crashing down the belayer and spectators below. She yells “Rock!” as the pebbles soar down, just when safety is restored; she precedes her climb to the top.

At California State University, Monterey, students have the ability to join a club ripe with outdoor opportunities and a fun social atmosphere. As students complain about the lack of activities this region has to offer, and college new-comers destress from their academic schedules by partying, the club is planning the next outdoor excursion.

As a student, it is becoming increasingly convenient to fall into the notorious black hole of alcohol and debauchery to relax. Though, experiencing the wealth of activities nature has to offer can offer a healthy alternative. “Being outdoors is a better break from studying than partying. Hiking gets your blood circulating and rejuvenates you to be prepared for the oncoming school week,” said Anastasiya, a senior studying ISSM. The Outdoor Adventure club welcomes students of any level of past experience to partake in activities such as tubing, kayaking, rock climbing, and more. The club’s first official trip at Arroyo Seco, introduced ecstatic students to the world of inner tubing, while a few brave souls leaped off towering cliffs into the river below.

Anastasiya said, “It’s just a good group of people and it’s fun to have people of all experience levels to be either introduced to an activity or to learn from each other. Monterey is a great location to have this club.”

As people of all types and outdoor experience are welcomed, the club also withholds a higher message of community and responsibility. Vice President Griffin Srednick, junior, Marine Science and Conservative Biology, said “We’d love to get a sponsorship from a locally-run business and help the community in any way we can, like going on trail-service trips. The more people we have, the more money we can get and more trips we can do.”

Though the outdoor adventure club offers a breadth of liberty for a group of ambitious students, club members believe more should get involved. Anastasiya explained “it would be great if more people got involved, planning adventures and excursions, being stoked. There’s like 500 people technically signed up but only 10-15 people show up to the meetings and events.”

The hesitance to get outdoors may be more complex than a lack of interest. Griffin views this skepticism as rooting from the fear of

breaking a habit; a habit someone could find comfort in. “I think people are afraid of the unknown, and therefore are afraid of getting outdoors. People are habituated to staying indoors, as with me-my habit is climbing. To go out of that habit would be weird.”

For the next semester, the club aims to orchestrate larger trips, such as a massive Tahoe trip to hit the slopes. There’s additionally a Yosemite trip which coincides with the Outdoor Recreation club. Other than these, the club will continue to transverse to the woods for rock climbing and camping on a weekly basis as we enter the spring season. Students who are looking to get involved can attend the meetings at the Student Service building Thursday nights at six pm, and joining the Facebook page.

“Society in general is not very connected to nature; this club offers an opportunity to get in touch with your primal roots” said Anastasiya Bachmanova.