UCLA Outdoor Adventures help students to learn, explore, grow

By Robin Heffler

For Bruins looking for recreation experiences beyond the norm, UCLA offers more than 200 Outdoor Adventure programs each quarter that provide opportunities that build teamwork, confidence, and respect in an environment of fun and participation.

And for new students, Outdoor Adventures can complement enrollment in an Orientation session by providing guidance about what first-year Bruins can expect at UCLA, and connecting them to other new undergraduates in a setting that is both relaxing and rewarding.
Among the many offerings available through Outdoor Adventures are a wide array of wilderness trips, team challenges, rock wall instruction, ropes, bicycle-safety classes, and outdoor equipment rental; along with boating and sailing and instruction available at the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center in Marina del Rey.

“Outdoors Adventures are some of our fastest-growing programs because of interest in the environment and the campus being in the urban location,” said Mick Deluca, director of UCLA Recreation. “For students who are new to UCLA, the programs merges active outdoor programs with opportunities to build understanding of the UCLA experience.”

Wilderness Welcome: Learning About UCLA in an Outdoor Setting
One of the most popular Outdoor Adventure programs that captures the attention of many new Bruins is Wilderness Welcome, which offers groups of 10 to 12 students a selection of four- to six-day trips that feature a scenic and often challenging outdoor location in California – along with discussions about what to expect when they come to campus.

The 15 to 20 trips presented each quarter consist of instruction and experience in hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, or kayaking. They take place in the local mountains, the Sierras, or one of the national parks, including Yosemite and Sequoia.

“We’re providing an experiential and adventurous setting for incoming students to be welcomed into the UCLA college experience,” said Joe McLeod, director of the Outdoor Adventures Program. “The information the leaders provide -- how they present life at UCLA, issues of diversity, tolerance, respect, and social life, and how they serve as positive role models -- can have a significant impact on a new student’s perceptions of UCLA.”

Trips are led by other students who have participated in Wilderness Welcome and then have gone through the Outdoor Leadership Training (OLT) program of Outdoor Adventures -- a rigorous, 10-day training that includes certification as a wilderness first responder, and requires 86 hours of preparation for medical emergencies in the outdoors.

Reaching for a Challenge
One of the most popular Outdoors Adventures activities is the Challenge Course, which requires groups and individuals to reach beyond their comfort zone to accomplish a challenging goal. Adventure-based learning as well as a variety of games, initiatives, elements, and obstacles are presented in a safe environment, where participants choose the individual roles they play in each activity.

After going through the course, one participant said in the evaluation, “The word ‘teamwork’ has never taken on as much meaning as when you are literally leaning on each other 40 feet in the air or leading each other blindfolded through trees, and neither has the word ‘support.’. . . It definitely helped bring my relationship with the group of people I was with to a new level, and I am very thankful for that experience today.”

McLeod said that participants in the early days of Outdoor Adventures activities in the mid 1990s were mostly male. Today, however, the percentages of men and women involved in Outdoor Adventures represents UCLA as a whole: about 57 percent women and 43 percent men.
Reflecting on the purpose of Outdoor Adventures, Deluca said, “We believe that giving an opportunity to be exposed to and participate in a wide array of recreational activities helps everyone to become a better, more well-rounded person.”

For more:
* Outdoor Adventures: www.recreation.ucla.edu/oa
* Wilderness Welcome: www.recreation.ucla.edu/wildernesswelcome
* UCLA Recreation: www.recreation.ucla.edu