Before joining the MSU Outing Club, education junior Sarah Hughes said she hadn't experienced many outdoor sports, but now considers ice climbing one of her favorite hobbies.
Last year, Hughes signed up to go whitewater rafting in West Virginia with the club even though she didn't know anybody on the trip, she said.
"By the end of the drive there I had become really good friends with the people in my car," she said.
The club is about learning and experiencing outdoor activities by taking trips to hike or climb rocks and ice, Hughes said.
In addition to the whitewater rafting trip, the club has already planned tentative trips listed on its Web site that allow people to experience the outdoors, said interdisciplinary studies in social science senior and club President Allison Solka.
"The club allows people to try things they normally wouldn't," Solka said, adding that one of the features of the club is that members can rent gear such as backpacks for free.
The MSU Outing Club has about 200 members. About 60 make the whitewater rafting trip to West Virginia every year, Hughes said.
From Sept. 23-25, Hughes will join other members of the outing club for her second trip to Fayetteville, W. Va., to brave the rapids of the Gauley River. The trip down the river lasts about six hours, with a break for lunch along the route, Hughes said.
"We stop on this big rocky area," Hughes said. "It's really cool just eating out in the wilderness."
The river is considered one of the best whitewater challenges in the country by whitewater enthusiasts.
According to the Gauley River National Recreation Area, the river drops 668 feet in 28 miles.
Its more than 100 rapids range in difficulty from moderate to some of the most difficult.
Solka will be making her first West Virginia whitewater trip with the club, but she has rafted before.
"It's one of the most extreme things you can do, especially on a river like the Gauley," Solka said.
Groups from other colleges stay in the same area, which creates a fun atmosphere, said communication senior Shaina Tygrett.
"There was a bonfire Saturday night and that was a great chance to meet everybody," Tygrett said.
Hughes said the club will not know exactly how many people will be on the trip until Monday, but space has been reserved at the campsite for up to 60 people.
The trip is open to any MSU student for $110, which includes camping, rafting and three meals. Those interested must join the club by Monday to attend.
Hughes said she hopes the trip will encourage new people to join the club, even if they have never tried it.
"It was exciting. I had never done anything like (whitewater rafting) before," Hughes said. "I had a blast."
For more information about the club, visit www.msuoc.org. The club meets at 8 p.m. every Monday in room 208 at IM Sports-West. Membership costs $15 per semester or $20 for the year.
