The Outing Club (HOC) began the semester with a flurry of activity with engaged leaders and eager participants. The activity did not let up as the leaves began to change and the semester lumbered on. There were canoeing competitions, rock climbing competitions and trips, overnights, and day trips along with two-leader training weekends directed by experienced officers of the Outing Club. Three seminars ran during the semester, granting participants an opportunity to develop mountain biking, white water paddling, and rock climbing skills.
Hamilton students summited the peaks of many of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks without even considering the infamous 46 Peaks Weekend, which is the annual weekend-long event during which HOC tries to get a Hamilton student on top of each one of the 4,000 footers. The Outing Club conquered Marcy and Algonquin, the two highest peaks in New York State, as well as peaks such as Cascade, Porter, and the Dix Range. On 46 Peaks Weekend, Hamilton students captured 36 of the 46 summits, and a multitude of students enjoyed the refreshing nature of the Adirondacks.
Keep your eyes open for both a Winter Overnight certification seminar and a Winter Day Trip certification seminar, which will be hosted soon after the spring semester starts. HOC is excited to offer a tele-skiing seminar and ice climbing trips throughout the frigid part of the semester along with the usual day trips and hikes. Hamilton students are also able to exchange their HillCards for snowshoes, skis, or fat bikes to use for snowy frolicking.
