Climbing

Raleigh is within 2-5 hours of great climbing; we frequently drive to Pilot Mountain, Moores Wall, Sauratown, Linville Gorge and the New River Gorge in West Virginia. We also do some bouldering at many locations around the region. Some climbing trips require more experience than others so be sure to pay attention to the required level of experience when signing up and don't be afraid to ask the trip leader. If you've never climbed before be sure to inquire about belay clinics we can do at the NCSU climbing wall.

Why is climbing so popular? If you haven't been climbing, you haven't experienced the adrenaline, the amazing sense of accomplishment, and the glorious tired-but-happy feeling at the end of the day. If you have, you need no explanation.

Paddlesports

North Carolina is home to some great whitewater. Rivers such as the Nantahala, the Haw, the French Broad, the Tuckasegee and more all provide great paddling opportunities. We're also not that far from the Gauley and and New rivers in West Virginia. Visiting, rafting and volunteering at Gauley Fest has become a tradition of our's the past few years. We're also lucky to be close to the coast where there are excellent opportunities for flatwater and sea kayaking. We offer roll sessions in the Carmichael Gym pool after every other meeting. These roll sessions allow you to learn to how to maneuver a kayak as well as upright or escape an overturned kayak. Experience paddlers frequent these roll sessions as well to practice their skills and hang out with other paddlers.

Hiking, Trail Running, and Backpacking

Backpacking is one of our most popular activities. There are many great areas to hike and backpack in North Carolina and the Southeast. We frequent Mt. Rogers, Pisgah National Forest, Linville Gorge, Uwharrie and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Caving

The Appalachian Mountains are full of caves. In fact, Western Virginia and West Virginia are known world-wide for the sheer number of caves. Popular caves include Breathing Cave, Marshall's Cave, Trout and New Trout, and Aqua. Caving is completely different from any other sport because of the environment. Caves stay the same temperature year-round, which makes them feel warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Appalachian caves vary from wet to dry, and there is a wide range of difficulty levels.

Volunteering

Club members are very involved in maintaining and giving back to the outdoors they appreciate so much. Members also participate in charity events such as 5k runs for various causes, service projects and working with children who are blind at the climbing wall.

Biking

Raleigh is a suprisingly good location to mountain bike. We have around 10 locations, ranging from easy to technical, to ride at in the area and many members eager to ride. This is one of the easiest activities to do after a day of classes so don't hesitate to send an email to the listserv and set up a ride.

Other

The club leads many other adventures not listed above. In the past several years, we've led skydiving and hang-gliding adventures, had potlucks, and more. The listserv is your resource for inviting others to take part in outdoorsy activities, so if you feel moved to go trail running or take an afternoon bike ride and want someone to do it with, there's almost always someone eager to do it with you (with over 300 people, it's a good bet that someone will respond).