Document type : vocene
Date : 2014-09-09
Description : VOCene #11 2014
Content :
VOCene #11: September 9, 2014

Note: Remember that trip organizers can change the dates of their trips, and the dates and locations of pre-trip meetings. Make sure to always check back to the trip page to confirm dates advertised in the VOCene.

In this Issue:
1. Call for Instructors: "Long Hike/Rock Party" 2014 (Oct 4-5)
2. New Climbing Wall: Feedback Needed!
3. Clubs Days Sept 16-18: Get your work hike in!
4. Submit your trip report yo the VOC annual journal!
5. Recent Trip Reports
6. Upcoming Trips
7. Message Board Highlights
8. Ms. Manners
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1. Call for Instructors and Volunteers for "Long Hike/Rock Party" 2014
This year we have decided to change the name of Longhike to Rock Party because the event is not a hike of any sort, and any walking is certainly not that long. However, we teach you how to climb rock and have a huge party on the Saturday evening! Hence Rock Party.

This year's Rock Party takes place October 4th- 5th, and it is time to confirm instructors. If you have climbing experience, please consider teaching one of the four classes. This is a great way to give back to the club, and even if you don't climb 5.12s your skills and knowledge are still be valuable. Volunteering to instruct or for one of the other activities (e.g. driving materials up, flipping burgers, etc.) does count as a workhike, BUT please ensure you have the required knowledge and are extremely confident in instructing the level you volunteer for.

Unfortunately, due to Sunwolf raising their costs, we would like to ask instructors for $20 this year. This helps to keep costs affordable for all attendees.

More Information: Approximate curriculum, Trip link 

If you're interested in helping out, either instructor or volunteering to flip burgers, drive the beer or DJ, etc., please send Ian an email at: iaejohnston@gmail.com

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2. New Climbing Wall: Feedback Needed!
As some of you already know from other posts here, the new SUB is going to have a fancy climbing wall for us to play with! We're starting to figure out some of the logistics involved, and could use some input.Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey below, and please pass it along to as many people as possible. Fellow climbers, friends who have expressed an interest in climbing, or anybody really. The more feedback, the more prepared we'll be when the facility opens! 

[docs.google.com]

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3. Clubs Days 2014 · Tues. Sep. 16th - Thurs. Sep. 18th; Volunteer!
NOTE: the dates have changed since previously advertised.

Clubs Days is a three day event where the VOC has a booth that showcases the awesome trips and adventures throughout the year, as well as answer questions for interested new members and sell Longhike/Rock Party tickets. The location will be in the SUB, but the booth location is TBD. Look for our flag and awesome volunteers! 

We will need volunteers to help with the booth for these days! Please sign up on the wiki (this will be the easiest workhike all year). This will be on the 16th, 17th, and 18th. If you have any questions, feel free to email the membership chair.

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4. Submit your Journal to the Annual VOC Journal!
Have you been on a memorable trip lately? The Varsity Outdoor Club journal wants to hear from you! Every year, the VOC publishes a journal full of the most memorable and exciting trip reports. If you feel you have a trip report you want published in this year's journal, please e-mail the VOC journal editor:
vocjournal@gmail.com

Everyone is encouraged to share their stories!
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5. Recent Trip Reports

How Mount Rainier Defeated Us
"What the hell am I doing here? This feeling of uncertainty, disbelief, of surreal adventure leading up to this moment and of the impending challenge leading away from it, has become an addiction since I joined the VOC. So when I found myself thinking this on the moonlit glaciers of Mount Rainier it was not the precursor to panic that it used to be, but instead an ecstatic fix for a fiending junkie. This moment was the culmination to date of all my backpacking, climbing and survival skills; but it was also the start, my foray into true mountaineering. This was not the first time I’d had this feeling on our trip, nor would it be the last."

Advantageous route traffic on the Mouse’s Tooth (September 6th)
The Mouse's Tooth has only been established within the last 5 years and involves ~ 10 pitches, a few of which are reported to scare the living day lights out of you. Read this story of Olek and Ted's search to find this reportedly amazing route, and their adventure on the route itself.

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6. Upcoming Trips

Mt. Baker - (Intermediate Friendly) · Sat. Sep. 13th - Sun. Sep. 14th
A number of people have expressed an interest in a late summer mountaineering trip up Mt. Baker. Ideally, this trip will take the Coleman Deming route to the summit, described as one of the least technical and more straightforward routes. The plan is to leave from Vancouver early on Saturday morning with a camp on Baker planned for that evening, followed by an alpine (early) start and push for the summit. That should give us a good amount of time to descend and be back in the city by the evening. G1 or the equivalent skills being mandatory (familiarity with snowfields, crampons, self-arrest, walking in a rope team, and crevasse rescue)! Pre-trip meeting will be on Wednesday, September 10th at 6:00 PM outside of the clubroom.

Brew Hut Overnight, Beginner Friendly · Sat. Sep. 13th - Sun. Sep. 14th
Brew is our most accessible hut, involving about 5 km of walking, and at this time of the year, no snow.  It's a good way to get out of the city, meet some of the other crazies in the Club, and get a small amount of work done up there (sort some firewood, haul up a Coleman stove). You don't need a lot of gear for this.  Share food/stove with somebody, bring a bad sleeping bag, and a mat from the Clubroom, bring some wimpy boots and rain gear, just in case, and you are pretty well good to go. If you feel that you might not be good enough for this, actually you are.  Questions?  Ask Roland rolandburt@gmail.com. Pre-trip meeting will be on Wednesday, September 10th at 6:00 PM in the clubroom.

Back to School Anchor Refresher Clinic (Beginner Friendly!) · Saturday, September 13th
Been trudging along all summer hesitant to hit the great outdoors because your anchor skills weren’t what they used to be? Been climbing all summer and realized you could up your anti on your anchor-building skills?! Well have no fear; the Wenticle is here! Join me, Zack Wentz, a prospective AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, to show you the ropes (or in this case cord and webbing and also many ropes) on anchor building! Skills taught will include: basic equipment, anchor system basics, assessing fixed gear, and constructing anchor systems.

Uber Friendly Garibaldi Lake Trip · Sunday, September 14th
So you've heard about the VOC: it sounds amazing! You really want to get into the great outdoors but you're worried that it all just sounds too intense. Worry no longer! If you've never been on a hike before in your life then there's never been a better time to start. We will head up to the gorgeous Garibaldi lake. Once we get there we can see how we feel. If we are feeling good we can pop along to Taylor meadows or maybe even up the aptly named Panorama ridge. If we prefer we can chill down by the lake, maybe go for a swim, and enjoy the many views of all the places you're going to want to go with the VOC in the coming year: Mt. Price, Sphinx hut, the Black Tusk, Brew Mt./hut, the always stunning Tantalus range... Garibaldi Lake could well be figured the epicentre of the VOC! The pre-trip meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 12th at 1:00 PM. If you cannot make it and wish to attend this trip, please e-mail the trip organizer to inquire.

Glacier School 1 Dry-land Review, practice, and refresher · Thursday, September 18th
It is always great to review and practice what was learned at G1, specifically crevasse rescuing and the pulley systems used. Those who didn't attend G1 are still welcome to come and learn! Please bring: climbing harness, 2 prussiks, 2 locking carabiners, 2 non-locking carabiners, and a rope.

Hot Springs - Party Weekend! · Fri. Sep. 19th - Sun. Sep. 21st
The hot springs are a fantastic weekend getaway and the perfect place for an outdoor party. Plus the trail to them isn’t too awful. BYOB and a delicious dessert to share!! This trip is beginner friendly, so long as you're comfortable with an overnight pack. For maximum hot spring enjoyment, parties will ideally arrive and camp at the trailhead Friday evening in hopes to hike in reasonably early Saturday morning —  all the more time for enjoying in the springs! Sunday we’ll pack up and head out … whenever. IMPORTANT: Because of the nature of this trip, some participants will likely choose to enjoy the hot springs in the nude. This is certainly NOT mandatory (there is a changing room near the springs for those so inclined), but if that possibility makes you uncomfortable, this might not be the trip for you. Pre-trip meeting will be Wednesday, September 17th at 6:30 PM in the clubroom.

Mountain Biking at Mt. Fromme, North Van (Beginner friendly)! · Saturday, September 20th
Lets shred some north shore trails before the colder weather settles in. Im thinking Espresso and Pipeline (or more if people are up for it!). Trails are black and suited for intermediate/advanced or expert riders. You can always walk the tricky sections. I'm also up for doing blue trails if more people are of that level! Its all about building your confidence and getting practice in! Mountain bike, helmet and armour are essential. Pre-trip meeting will be Tuesday, September 16th at 7:15 PM in the Clubroom.

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7. Message Board Highlights

A. Remember to check out the indoor climbing FAFF and Squamish Climbing FAFF for opportunities for both indoor and outdoor climbing experience and fun! 

B. Remember to post pictures of your awesome adventures for others to enjoy as well!

C. Although not yet over, summer is coming to and end soon, so it is time to start our Ski Stoke and Ice Climbing Stoke with these great photos and videos!

D. Check out these items For Sale: bike trailer, pogies, sofa, and more!

E. Does someone have an extra ice axe from G1 that they did not mean to bring home? Please contact the person at this link if so.

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8. Ms. Manners
Do you have a question for Ms. Manners? If so, email it to to your friendly neighbourhood VOCene Editor and it'll get forwarded Ms. Manners for review. Remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question, so ask away.

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Dear Ms. Manners,

I am new to the club and am trying to figure out how to navigate the online system, get involved and meet people in the club! How do I do this?

Sincerely,
Newb

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Dear Newb,

Welcome to the club! We are so very excited to have you join us for another amazing year of outdoor recreation and enjoyment! There are a few key dates coming up to keep in mind, including our Info Night on Tuesday September 23rd and our Welcome to the VOC event on Wednesday, September 24th. Most strong friendships created in the club are forged on the weekend trips themselves, where you get to experience fun and, sometimes, challenges with others on the trips with you. I highly recommend jumping into a trip as soon as you can at the experience level appropriate for you!

Once October comes around, we also have weekly Wednesday night slideshows which are advertised on the Trip Agenda (see below). These consist of a 1-hour presentation (pictures! videos!) from a club member about a trip they went on, generally in the previous year, and is often complemented with beers at a pub afterwards (at own expense). These nights are great opportunities to get to meet people in the club!

You can also get involved by volunteering at one of the many volunteer opportunities, such as the volunteer positions at Rock Party to flip burgers, etc.

In terms of navigating the website, we have a few resources available online. The first is the Trip Agenda which lists all of the officially-organized trips, which generally have a mandatory pre-trip meeting on the Wednesday (or sometimes Monday/Tuesday?Thursday/Friday) before the trip, where trip requirements (skills, equipment) are discussed and people are paired into food and tent groups, as well as split into cars. 

The message board is also used to discuss the trips in the trip agenda, as well as additional trips that people decide to advertise. Sometimes these trips are pre-planned trips by a group not directly associated with the club but have room for other participants, and sometimes they are trips people are gauging interest in. The message board is also a good place to start discussions or ask questions you may have about specific outdoor topics, such as "What is the best sleeping bag for situation X?". You can also find great opportunities for indoor and outdoor climbing in the links provided previously in this VOCene.

Happy navigating!

Sincerely,
Ms.Manners

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