Recreational Courses
Introduction to Winter Camping & Snow Travel
Scheduled for Fall 2010.
The perfect course for someone new to Alaska and looking to learn about our wonderful winter sports. The course is also for the person who wants to make some friends who share an interest in camping, skiing, and outdoor fun. Everyone learns something, everyone has fun and the instruction is dynamite.
Details: This class meets in the Fall Semester on Tuesdays nights at 5:30 starting in late-September. The course includes two overnight trips in the local mountains and glaciers. The course fee of $140 covers all transportation, food, and technical equipment. Students are responsible for their own clothing.
Introduction to Mountaineering
Scheduled for Spring 2010 - 2 Credits
Course Instructor - Frank Olive
This course is designed to take the student who is interested in rock or ice climbing and introduce them to the sport of mountaineering. Mountaineering is much more than hiking up a steep hill, but also requires a great deal of skill with winter camping and travel. Skills to be covered include traveling as a rope team, crevasse rescue, avalanche awareness, climbing protection and winter camping. The course operates a majority of time outside and students should be prepared for the Alaskan winter. Instructor permission is required. DRAFT syllabus.
Introduction to Technical Climbing - Ice
Scheduled for Spring 2010 - 1 credit
Course instructor - Mark Oldmixon
REC 140 - One of our favorite classes. There is no experience required for this course and there is no reason to be worried about current abilities. Everyone will have success and enjoy this class. This is a perfect opportunity to try something some people never dream of doing. It is also a great way to stay active and outdoors during our cold dark winter days. This is the perfect class for rock climbers looking to transiton to ice climbing.
Details: The course meets one night a week at the climbing wall and includes 4 day-trips to the local ice climbing areas. We begin in January and end before Spring Break. Course material will cover the basics and then progress to anchors, rappeling, placing protection and climbing techniques. More advanced skills can be taught depending on the group's ability. The field fee covers all equipment and transportation.
January 27th - March 3
Wednesday - 5-7PM - SRC
Field Dates:
Sunday, January 24th
Sunday, January 31st
Sunday, February 7th
Sunday, February 21st
Introduction to Technical Climbing - Ice and Rock
Scheduled for Spring 2010 - 1 credit
Course instructor - Mark Oldmixon
REC 140 - The perfect shoulder season class. As the weather warms and the days get longer we squeeze in some great ice climbing in Healy. Towards the end of April we head out to Grapefruit and learn to rock climb just as the season starts.
Details: This course begins after Spring Break and meets one night a week. We do 4 day-trips to Healy and Grapefruit on the weekends. The course fee covers all transportation and equipment. The course material covers movement on ice and rock, top-rope anchors, rappeling, and placing protection. Lead climbing is not the focus of this course, but a potential option for more advanced climbers.
March 17 - May 5
Wednesday - 5-7PM - SRC
Sunday, March 21
Sunday, April 4
Sunday, April 25
Sunday, May 2
Moving Water Canoe
Look for this in Summer 2010.
American Canoe Association Essentials and River Canoe focus on general use of tandem canoes. Provides necessary skills for safety on Class I rivers. Topics include river features and hazards, safety measures, strokes, and basic skills such as catching a large eddy and doing a gentle ferry. Field pracitce begins on a pond, progressing to a slow section of the Chena River, then onto a faster section of the river. $235 course fee includes transportation and equipment as well as lunches. Sign-up through Summer Sessions.
Introduction to Rock Climbing - REC 140
Scheduled for Summer 2010.
Introduction to high-angle technical rock climbing. Designed to equip aspiring climbers with the necessary skills to accomplish technical, top-rope rock climbing. Includes movement on rock, rope work, anchor systems, self-rescue and climbing ethics. No experience required but all will learn and be challenged. Note: The SRC climbing wall and local climbing areas will be used for instructional sessions. $115 trip fee includes transportation and all equipment.
This class meets Tuesday and Thursday nights at the SRC and both Saturday and Sunday are spent climbing outside for two weeks.
Introduction to Sea Kayaking - REC 140
Scheduled for Summer 2010.
This course is offered through summer sessions and offers the students the opportunity to learn the sport sea kayaking and tour beautiful Prince William Sound. No experience is required, students simply need to be strong swimmers and in good physical condition. We do ask each student to meet with us to get permission for this class. This allows us to make sure you know what you are getting into. During the class, we will spend one day paddling on Chena Lakes in town before we head South. We will take a water taxi out to a distant bay and then spend the next 5 days paddling back into harbor. This trip promises to be one of the most memorable trips of the summer.