This week, the College Outside team is taking on the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Denver, CO. Outdoor Retailer is the largest gathering of the outdoor industry, where thousands of vendors show off their freshest gear to retailers, media, and greedy interns like us. A trade show of this scale means lots of freebies, which we took the liberty of …
Penn State Outing Club Shut Down, but the Fight is Far from Over
On April 10th, the Pennsylvania State Outing Club (PSOC) announced that it would cease to organize student-led trips for the student body in an official disbanding imposed by University administration. The decision, enforced by Campus Recreation, the Office of Student Activities, and the Office of Risk Management, came as a shock to PSOC members and leaders. The story has made …
Outdoor Nation Cancels Campus Challenge
On April 27th, Outdoor Nation announced in an email to partners and supporters of the organization that it will discontinue the Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge beginning in the fall of 2018. The month-long Campus Challenge, which ran every fall from 2014-2017, was popular among outdoor programs across the country. The initiative, described on the Outdoor Nation website as “a Mother-Nature-meets-March-Madness …
College Outside Takes the American Alpine Club Benefit Dinner
There’s something comical about a roomful of rock climbers and mountaineers all clad in tuxedos and sequined gowns. I thought this as I tottered into the cocktail hour at the American Alpine Club’s Annual Benefit Dinner. I wore a dress and high heels that I’d last donned half a decade ago at a high school dance. Across the room, I spotted …
Climate Change: Effects on our Outdoor Livelihood
The sun is beating down on all of us excited tourists as we deboard the alpine train. An idyllic scene greets us; layers of tall pines and alpine flowers line the surrounding mountains. Ahead, a thunderous river grinds through the valley floor on the left, while adjacently an even gravel path gently snakes into the distance. The path leads to Morteratsch …
Anthem to the women of the wild
For many women in the United States and in countries around the world, the past few months have been highlighted with women marching and standing strong together. With the recent celebration of International Women’s Day, I felt the urge to share my own inspiration of women in the outdoors. You don’t need to look far to see the women out …