If you’ve ever wanted to explore nature and hangout with friends at the same time, try joining Outing Club! Outing Club is a school sponsored club where students take time outside of school to dive into nature and all there is to do in it. 

Looking back into the history of the club, Rockbridge County High School 2017 graduate Maeve Dick took leadership when she was a sophomore, alongside classmate Chris Ritter. The club started as an environmental and outing club with heavy focus on the environmental side. They used to go on trips including visiting the Chesapeake Bay and hiking the tallest peak in Virginia, the Grayson Highlands. However, unlike today, much of the activities originally happened outside of the club.

“A lot of outings had to happen separately from the club, due to liability,”said Dick. 

The current Outing Club, being led by senior Grace Shaw and junior Maxwell Pearson, focuses less on environmentalism and more on simply getting outside and enjoying nature.  They kicked off this 2021/22 school year with a hike on Devil’s Marble Yard and most recently, their annual sunrise hike. 

Freshman Nick Vargas is excited to be a new member of the club.

Vargas said “It’s a good group of people who love the outdoors and love going on adventures. Just the idea of doing stuff outside of school with nature and friends is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”

If you are interested in joining the outing club, you can contact the club through their Instagram, @rchs_outingclub. The Outing Club is looking to continue their traditional ski trip during winter and their surf trip during spring break. If you’re either with Outing Club or just with some friends, get out there and explore nature!