Charlottesville’s newest club for hikers, bikers, and backpackers is actually a familiar friend—just with a new name.
The Outdoor Adventure Social Club was founded in 2004 by UVA grads who wanted to keep up the fun of their student adventure organization. Since then, it’s grown to include more than 200 members who regularly come together to socialize, hike, bike, camp, offer community service, and occasionally take major trips far afield, from New England to Nepal.
But club leaders—skilled outdoor enthusiasts who have safety training and organize and head up trips—decided last year that it was time for an overhaul, and have renamed and redefined the group. Outdoor Charlottesville will be less of a social group, they said, and more focused on getting outside for adventures, both in the city’s backyard and beyond.
They also want to broaden their membership base and bring more locals into the fold, and to do that, they’re slashing membership fees significantly. Joining used to cost about as much as a gym membership, but now, dues amount to $9 a month, billed quarterly.
To roll out their new brand and drum up membership interest, the group is holding a launch party from 6-8pm next Thursday, May 2 at Mono Loco, where they’ll raffle off a $300 shopping spree at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports. Just showing up gets you one raffle ticket, and joining gets you another.
In the meantime, check out their new website and peruse their lineup of coming trips and events. Here’s a sampling:
- April 27-28: Beach back- and bike-packing in Virginia’s Back Bay
- May 18: Local wildflower hike
- May 25-27: Memorial Day weekend adventure in West Virginia, with hiking, rafting, ziplining, trail riding, and camping in West Virginia
- July 4-7: Fourth of July beach trip
- August 29-September 9: West Coast backpacking trip, Sequoia National Park and Mt. Whitney