What: HavOC (Haverford Outdoors Club) aims to make outdoor activities accessible for all members of the Haverford community, regardless of experience level. The club members–there are currently 30–have a passion for the great outdoors and hope to incite interest in environmental awareness and justice from doing activities out in nature. HavOC hosts many kinds of outdoor trips (i.e., rock climbing, backpacking, hiking) that are also accessible to all ability and activity levels, including the relatively new Pre-Customs Outdoors Program (PECOP), which is a free orientation program for incoming first-years interested in hiking and backpacking.
Who: The club is run by co-heads Caroline McKeon ’18, Amelia Williams ’19, and Brett Pogostin ’20. Williams and McKeon founded the rock-climbing branch of the club last fall, and that branch’s leadership has expanded to include Malia Wenny ’17 and Max Schwartz ’19. The rock-climbing club within HavOC gained traction after its leaders connected with Astra Wallace ’03, who works in marketing for the Philly Rock Gyms. Wallace introduced the club to the gym and helped negotiate a contract.
When: The club hosts relatively frequent events in a variety of activities. Fall and Spring Breaks often feature two to three different trips (backpacking and rock-climbing), divided according to ability levels. Pogostin often organizes semi-weekly backpacking trips on weekends. Every Saturday, the club goes rock climbing from 3:15-6:30 p.m.
Did you know: The week of Halloween, five members participated in a costume-themed rock-climbing competition at the Philly Rock Gym East Falls.
HavOC is also a collaborative club and would be happy to help facilitate any community member’s idea for an event or a trip they would like to lead!
Get involved: Email haverfordoutdoorclub@gmail.com to get updates on upcoming activities.
-Jenny Ahn ’17
Photos (save Fall Break photos) by Claire Chenyu Wang ’20.