Watch out – the Student Recreation and Wellness Center is looking to kick people off campus.
Through its Outdoor Adventures Program, the SRWC is providing transportation and equipment for off-campus activities available to students. During the activities, known as “adventures,” experienced staff will guide students through hikes, rock climbing and bike rides.
Biking on the Pacific Coast Highway, hiking at Crystal Cove and rock climbing at Stoney Point are a few new adventures added to the program’s roster for this semester, bringing the total adventures offered to six.
“We look at these activities as an introduction to a new skill in a very unintimidating atmosphere,” Sean Del Rossi, associate director for the SRWC, said.
The bike ride will begin at Cal State Long Beach, continue to the Huntington Beach pier and return to campus, totaling 25 miles. Other adventures include hiking to Cucamonga Peak in the Los Angeles San Gabriel Valley and rock climbing in Moreno Valley.
All adventures are on Saturdays and open to students and non-students.
Each adventure has a fee ranging from $10 to $30. The fees cover only a portion of the cost while the operational budget of the SRWC subsidizes the rest.
“The purpose of the program is to introduce new activities to students with a cost that is palatable to their budget,” Del Rossi said.
Ryan Yamauchi, a junior political science major, said the adventures sound like a good chance for students to develop a new interest.
“It could be a convenient date idea too,” Yamauchi said. “Easy and cheap.”
The Outdoor Adventures program originally started in spring 2011, and consisted of only two trips. The goal of the program is to expand, according to Del Rossi.
Del Rossi said the SRWC is interested in offering more adventures like sailing, white-water rafting and whale watching.
“A surfing trip would be fun to do for beginners,” Christine Oiwake, a junior interior design major, said. “Actually, anything with water would be fun, and we’re so close to the beach.”