1. Outdoor Adventure for Beginners

Outdoor recreation for beginners: Where do I start?
In the following sections of the reading, you will be given many links to external websites that provide in depth information on a variety of topics related to safely participating in outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, rock climbing, paddling, and caving, just to name a few. These are very useful and should be read carefully to help prepare you for your upcoming trips and clinics this semester.

A note about the trips and clinics…
The trips and clinics that you will be going on are led by UGA Outdoor Recreation Trip Leaders. These leaders are your peers; they are fellow students. They are here to help you along in the trip to provide safety and management of the group. However, from the knowledge gained through these readings and the practice skill sessions you attend in class, you should be taking an active role in the trip and all of the activities that go along with it.

Why outdoor adventure as a PE course?
Outdoor and adventure recreation activities represent alternative healthy lifestyle choices. A healthy lifestyle is one that reflects proper nutrition and regular physical activity to keep one in good physical condition and to help manage stress. Outdoor activities reflect an alternative to traditional forms of physical activity at UGA (offered in other PEDB courses or through UGA Recreational Sports).

Outdoor or adventure recreation focuses on certain activities that are high risk in nature (rock climbing, paddling, hiking, cycling) but also provide the physical benefits of cardiovascular and muscular endurance and strength. For example, on a backpacking trip, you will gain more of a cardiovascular workout, while rock climbing and paddling will emphasize upper body and core muscular systems. Keep this concept in mind as you engage in these activities. A healthy lifestyle is not only found in the gym.

Activities that UGA Outdoor Recreation offers include backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, hiking, hang gliding, zip-lining, scuba diving, caving, and rafting. The program also instructs many educational clinics focusing on paddling, photography, knots, wilderness survival, backcountry cooking, and wilderness medicine.

*In the following sections of the course, you will be given many links to external websites that provide in-depth information on a variety of topics related to backpacking. These are very useful and should be read carefully to help prepare you for your upcoming trip this semester.