Canada's outdoor playground

The Outdoor Crew at Polly's Cove.

Rock climbing at Polly's Cove, near Peggy's Cove.

Dalplex is trying to give the term "the great outdoors" a whole new meaning to Dalhousie students this year.

New for the 2009-10 academic year, Dalhousie’s Department of Athletics and Recreational Services offers an exciting series of outdoor adventure programming aimed at students, Dalplex members and the Dalhousie community. Planned are day hikes, canoe trips, kayaking, rock climbing, cross country and alpine skiing, snowboarding, and much more.

“We already offer a great deal of programming at Dalplex on a daily basis, with activities taking place both inside our facility and out,” says Heather Reynolds, Dalplex’s climbing and outdoor recreation programming coordinator. “However we realized where we were lacking was with programming that gets participants back to nature and taking part in activities that take advantage of the landscape and natural beauty of Nova Scotia.”

In an attempt to fill that void, Dalplex created the Outdoor Crew, a club open to students and members where they could meet and network with other outdoor enthusiasts and have access to experienced, qualified guides and facilitators, all of whom are current or former Dalhousie University students. For a modest membership fee, Outdoor Crew members receive a discount on outdoor recreation activities and trips organized through Dalplex, and are encouraged to provide suggestions and feedback about future trips and have a say in the planning process.

Active since September, the program has been met with much enthusiasm and support. To date members of the Outdoor Crew have canoed on the Northwest Arm, climbed Chebucto Head, rappelled around Terence Bay and camped at Kejimkujik National Park.

“Although we had a gorgeous second day in Keji, it poured torrentially the first day and night of the trip. The students showed great character and powered through the cold and wet night with enthusiasm to spare,” says Ms. Reynolds.

In the early planning phases of the Outdoor Crew, she quickly realized that the idea had the potential to offer more than fresh air and exercise—it could show off Nova Scotia to people from around the globe. This fall, she partnered with International Student Services to take more than 40 international students hiking and rock climbing at Polly’s Cove.

“Many of them don’t ever get to explore beyond the campus and the city of Halifax, often because they don’t have the transportation or resources to explore very far outside the limits of the Metro Transit bus or ferry routes. With the introduction of the Outdoor Crew and its programming, we hope to be able to overcome some of these barriers to participation and allow students more opportunities to discover their new surroundings.”

The success of the Outdoor Crew’s first few trips has paved the way for even more fun as the weather starts to get colder. Starting at the end of November and continuing through the winter academic term, the Outdoor Crew will be hosting workshops and information sessions to help educate participants on subjects such as how to properly fit hiking boots or what to look for when buying a tent, in addition to planning more seasonal outdoor adventures.

“My hope is to set up some ice skating and snowshoeing trips soon, but unfortunately I don’t have a whole lot of control about when those trips will be planned,” Ms. Reynolds laughs. “I’m really at the mercy of Mother Nature.”

For more information about Dalplex’s outdoor recreation programming, upcoming trips and workshops or to find out how to join the Outdoor Crew, please visit athletics.dal.ca/outdoor or contact Heather Reynolds at 494-1605 or hreynold@dal.ca