Adventure Vacations
Whether you’re a Texas Tech student or just an adventure-lover, the Outdoor Pursuits Center on the Tech campus has options for an affordable outlet for outdoor expeditions.
Trip leader Clint Peters, a senior natural history and humanities major from Lubbock, said the center is a great place for students and faculty to explore the outdoors.
"Although it may not seem like it, ” Peters said, “there really are some great places to explore that are close to Lubbock, and the Center is a good way to find out about those areas and plan a trip.”
According to the Tech recreational sports Web site, the Center offers more than five trips over the week of spring break, and almost 20 trips scheduled for the duration of the spring semester.
One trip the Center offers, called the Southwest Rock Climbing Break 2008, is a trip to several canyons and mountains in New Mexico for a fee of $285. The fee includes everything you need on the trip – gear, food, lodging, and transportation.
Stephanie Lydon, a senior public relations major from Dallas, Texas, went on a similar trip last spring break and said she intends to return for a second time.
“Oh, it is so much fun!” Lydon said. “The trip is designed for recreational climbers to get experience outdoors. Not everyone on the trip last year had any experience, but if you love the outdoors, this is a great trip to be on.”
For Lydon, the trip’s fee can not be beat for all of the experiences you gain on one of the Center’s trips.
“For around $300, you can do anything at the Center,” Lydon said. “If you tried to go on a beach vacation, or even your own outdoor trip, you’ll spend much more than that on hotels and places to stay. Plus, if your not very experienced, you don’t always know the good places to go. The Center takes you to several different locations and helps you with technique. You can’t get that going it alone.”
After driving five hours through Texas into New Mexico, Lydon said the group made several stops along the way.
“We went to Diablo Canyon and the Checkerboard Wall, which was so cool,” Lydon said. “It was great to meet other people who had my same interests, and the group leaders kept things interesting.”
Another trip on the Center’s Web site, is the U.S. Kayaking Tour 2008. The tour consists of an 8-hour drive to Colorado where students can kayak through several different rapids. Trip leader Peters said the Center specializes in student opportunities like the Kayaking Tour.
“It’s really great because we give people the freedom they want,” Peters said. “Sometimes I think people get nervous going a group trip because they thing they will be required to do some activities. While we stress everyone trying to stay together, you have the choice to stay at camp, go into town, or choose your kayaking path. We get good marks for allowing students their freedom.”
Marshall Morton, a senior engineering major from Fort Worth, Texas, said he is looking forward to the Palo Duro Mountain Biking trip with the Center. He said there are many elements to every trip the Center embarks on.
“Well, first we get together before we actually embark on a trip,” Morton said. “This helps everyone get to know each other before we go, which is really nice because it’s great to make new friends with similar interests.”
According to Morton, the group meets early in the morning and they caravan to the Palo Duro Canyon in New Mexico. The participants then are briefed on the terrain and things to watch out for during their adventure.
“They tell us where rocks may have fallen recently,” Morton said, “or where we 
might need to tread more slowly because of the formations. It’s really helpful, you don’t want to go getting yourself killed, and the Center probably wouldn’t want that either.”
Trip leader Peters said the Center prepares for accidents and a registered nurse always goes along on the excursions to ensure the safety of the participants.
“Someone always thinks they can disregard the advisories we give the group,” Peters said. “But, they are adventure seekers – you can’t really blame them.”
So whether it is mountains, rivers, or canyons you seek for your spring break, the Outdoor Pursuits Center can accommodate the many interests for wilderness enthusiasts at affordable prices.