The Co-Op abides by Outdoor Adventures’ policies regarding registration and participation, vehicle and equipment use, safe decision making and risk management, marketing and promotion, communication, and inclusion.

Use the following links to learn more:

• OA’s Participant Policies
• Trip Refund/Cancellation Policies 
• Paperwork
  

If you are a current BC undergrad (including at Woods College and Messina College), then you are eligible! 

Want to go on trips, but you are a grad student, or a member of faculty/staff? Reach out to the OA Director, Frances Steelquist (steelfrn@bc.edu) to organize community trips.

• Sike, we aren’t a club!
• If you want to join Outdoor Adventures, then all you have to do is be a part of the BC community. 
• If you want to go on Undergrad Co-Op-led trips, then you need to be a BC undergrad. 
• If you want to be a trip leader, then you need to apply to and be accepted into the Co-Op (not a club!).
  

• Read about some of our recent trips at our blog
• The Co-Op mostly leads hiking, backpacking (overnight hiking), camping, bouldering (rock climbing without ropes), flat-water and quiet-water paddling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, fishing, and wildlife viewing trips.
• The Co-Op sometimes runs activities that require more technical skills, either with a guide or by becoming skilled (and sometimes certified) in that more-technical area. This often means working with grad students, faculty, staff, and other older skilled individuals who want to help teach and mentor undergraduates. 
  • We do not offer all kinds of technical activities every year because this is dependent on the skills of Leaders currently in the Co-Op.
  • Examples: horseback riding, whitewater rafting/kayaking/canoeing, outdoor roped climbing, ice climbing, open water (ocean) paddling, trail running, and mountain biking.
• Outdoor Adventures also supports and collaborates with other student groups that focus on activities that the Co-Op does not usually organize itself, such as:
  • Climbing Club
  • Surf Club
  • Other clubs and groups that are getting started…
    • SCUBA Club
    • Whitewater Club
    • Graduate student groups
    • Ski/Snowboard
    • Carpool Group
      

• We run trips every weekend during Fall and Spring semester and are currently working on organizing summer trips (oooh!). We have several Big Trips each year during breaks (as well as shorter trips on breaks), including:
• Wild Eagles (trips for freshmen during Labor Day weekend, typically 2-3 nights out)
• Fall Break (3-4 nights, usually in New England)
• Spring Break (typically flying to a warmer National Park, ~1 week)
• Easter Weekend (typically flying to a warmer National Park, ~1 week)
• Coming soon – Winter Break (January before Spring semester)
• Coming soon – May-June weeklong trips
  

Sign ups are all through Campus Rec’s Recconnect Portal. Look through our upcoming trips, checking out the blurbs, and reach out to listed trip leaders with any questions. 

• Day trips typically open up the Friday one week before the trip
• Overnight trips (except our Big Trips) typically open up on Friday two weeks before the trip
• Big Trips have special sign up processes. Sign up for our newsletter and follow our instagram to hear about interest meetings and sign ups.
  

• Browse our map and guidebook library to find places to go and to learn how to safely navigate them. No, you can’t borrow books, but we would be happy to copy particular maps and book pages for you!
• Gear Rentals – check out OA’s staffed, extensive gear rental program here
• Climbing Wall – practice climbing at OA’s indoor climbing wall, then take your skills outside
• Follow OA’s newsletter to learn about other local educational opportunities (especially those with student discounts!) and outdoor job opportunities, so you can get skilled on your own. 
• Collaborate with OA and/or with the Co-Op through your student organization, your class, or your department.
• Take initiative and work with us to organize your own event – a trip, an educational workshop or hosted movie/panel, community service, and more! New England is your oyster!
  

All of our trips are break-even, meaning we do not make a profit on trips and only charge for the actual cost of the trip itself. All trip leaders are volunteers and are not paid. Trip costs are affected by:

• Driving distance
• Equipment rentals for technical activities
• Some flat fees to cover lost and broken equipment (...and, sandwiches forgotten at home that need on-the-road replacements, surprise parking charges, etc.)
• Parking, camping, and access permits
• Food and cooking fuel
• Airfare
  

YES! All Montserrat members can ask Montserrat for Recreation-Center-specific funding, which can potentially cover most paid programs in the Rec Center, including OA trips and OA gear rentals. 

• Most trips include some personal gear and all group gear necessary for the activity. Some trips do not include everything you might need, but you can rent these at the OA rental desk.
  

The Application

Apply to participate in the Co-Op’s Spring Leaders Course. The Co-Op is looking for undergraduates who love to learn, care for the earth, and want to share their love of the outdoors and outdoor travel with others. While all trip leaders are expected to become technically competent in order to lead trips in their intended disciplines, extensive previous outdoor experience is not required.

• Late October/early November – Complete a written application and then (if accepted) an in-person interview.
• Early December – Trip Leaders Course candidates are announced.

Leaders Course

This course prepares Trip Leaders in Training to begin leading trips as early as the following Summer. The course runs in the Spring semester and includes the following components:

• In-Person Sessions: 6 two-hour training sessions.
• Mentorship: Current Co-Op members mentor and support Leaders in Training.
• Training Trips: All Leaders in Training practice organizing and leading one day trip and one overnight trip with mentor support, typically March–May. Trips focus on hiking and backpacking.

Co-Op Membership Requirements

• WFA: All members must hold a current Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification, or higher. BC-OA hosts courses for Co-Op members.
• Lead Trips: Lead a minimum of two days in the field each semester (one overnight trip, two day trips, or four half-day trips).
• Weekly Meetings: The Co-Op fulfills its mission of leading safe, competent trips by instilling a lifelong learning mentality in its leaders. All Co-Op members meet weekly during Fall and Spring semesters to develop their skills, learn from their peers, and practice teaching.