Welcome to the University of Massachusetts Outing Club (UMOC)!
"But really, what does UMOC do?" you ask?
Like our motto says, we take people out into the woods and do things with them. Should you be scared? .....Nope! We do all sorts of outdoor activities: hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, ice climbing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, whitewater kayaking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, and we will continue caving when the White Nose Syndrome affecting bats is gone. We have a gear locker stuffed with gear for rent. We have access to a mountain wheelchair, and other adaptable equipment. AND we have a cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We also offer leadership opportunities to those who are interested in becoming trip leaders!
Anyone can join. Everyone is welcome with open arms, smiles and handshakes (whichever you prefer). Our leaders are ready to accommodate everyone and their ability levels. You literally need ZERO experience to participate in any of our activities! No matter who you are, what your ability is, what your experience level is, you can join and come on trips with us.
The outdoors offers an amazing opportunity to do many fun activities and to experience the world as you have never experienced it before. It can be a place of sanctuary and peace, fun, happiness, lasting friendships, and a place where you can find the strength to pull through challenges you never imagined you would have to face. It is a base, a home away from home for many of us, and we want to welcome you wholeheartedly into our experience. Whether it is for a day hike, a paddle down the river, or if you decide to stay along for our more intense trips and the exciting journey of leadership, there is something here for everyone at UMOC! We hope to meet you soon!
The
University of Massachusetts Outing Club is
a Registered Student Organization (RSO)
of long standing. Its active membership includes undergraduates, graduate
students, faculty, and alumni. Activities go on throughout the school year,
and to a lesser extent during the summer. The club owns an impressive array
of equipment available for club trips, including canoes, kayaks, skis, sleeping
bags, portable stoves, ice-climbing gear, rock climbing gear, caving gear, and
wet suits for canoeing. It also owns a cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
which is a great jumping-off point for outdoor activities up there including
hiking and skiing.
Is it raining where I want to be? Check out the weather:
Fall
Fall is when the new academic
season starts, so it is also when new students join the club. For this
reason, there are lots of newcomer and beginner trips that go out. There
are beginner
canoeing, caving
and
rock-climbing trips. We have newcomers' weekends at the
cabin in New Hampshire. The club also reserves the
cabin for itself on the long weekends of Columbus Day in October and Veterans' Day in November.
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Winter Intercession
Intercession means skiing and
ice-climbing. Also, the cabin
in New Hampshire is generally used by the different trip leaders and open to other to join.
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Spring
There is a skiing trip to the
cabin
in New Hampshire over President's weekend in February traditionally called
"Insanity Weekend" due to the fact that the snow and cold are about at
their worst at that time of year. As Spring advances, people get the last
bits of skiing in, and begin thinking about whitewater kayaking, canoeing and look
forward to the start of the hiking season.
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Spring Break
Sometimes a kayaking trip is led to warmer waters over Spring Break in March.
And backpacking in the White Mountains usually happens.
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Summer
Summer means hiking. While the
club tends not to be very active as a group at this time, there is a long
standing tradition of hiking every Tuesday evening from the end of April
through the beginning of September. Check out the
Tuesday Night Hikes home page!
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