Reed Outing Club ROC
We’re the ROC! (Reed Outing Club), a student led club working closely with AFOP (Athletics, Fitness, and Outdoor Programs). We plan weekly outings in the greater Portland area, including hiking, climbing, cross country skiing, urban exploration, multi-day trips, and so so much more! Trips are free for all Reed students, and transportation is always provided.
We also offer intermittent skill sessions, such as Hiking 101, Top-Rope Belay, Snow Skills, and many more. These are usually season specific and are geared towards folks who want to plan their own trips but want to build confidence in their skills before setting out.
To learn more about our trips, sign up for our email list here! We send out weekly emails announcing trips, skill builders, and ROC happenings, and it’s the starting point for all of our trips.
Lastly, if YOU have a trip in mind, we want to help you make that happen! Check out our steps to plan your very own ROC trip here.
Reed Outing Club (@reedoutingclub) • Instagram photos and videos
How Our Trips Work
Every trip starts with an email, usually sent out Monday or Tuesday, with a description of that weekend’s trip and a sign-up form. Fill out the sign up form to let us know which roles you’re comfortable taking on (for more info about these, click here), and to enter yourself into the trip lottery. You’ll find out if you’ve been selected for the trip by Thursday night, at which point you can head to the Backpack Co-op to grab whatever gear you’ll need. Trips normally happen on either Saturday or Sunday, and take anywhere from a few hours to an entire day. Once you get back, share some photos with us and let us know how it went!
For skills sessions and other events, there is no sign-up form. Just show up at the right time and place and have fun!
Roles & Responsibilities on a ROC Trip
There are a few roles that participants fill on every ROC trip! Volunteering for one or multiple of these is a great way to support ROC; it can also increase your chances of getting selected for a trip, and you might even win a prize at the end of the semester…
Leader: Someone who is comfortable handling any group gear needed, mapping the route, getting a headcount of participants and ensuring everyone is comfortable and prepared, communicating with ROC coordinators, and keeping track of timing! Anyone can volunteer to lead a trip, and since we always need a leader, doing so increases your chances of getting selected for a trip.
WFR: To ensure everyone is safe and comfortable, we send a Wilderness First Responder on each trip, trained specifically with outdoor medical skills! This person will be in charge of the med kit, and responsible for any medical needs throughout the trip! WFR’s must be officially certified. For more info on how to get certified through Reed, click here!
Van driver: Every trip needs a van driver!!! This person will... you guessed it... drive the van to and from each trip! Since this is essential, van certified individuals have a higher chance of getting selected for trips, so if you're interested in getting certified, let us know :))) Van Drivers must also be certified by Reed. To learn more about getting certified, click here!