Program Overview

Outdoor Pursuits Program

The Outdoor Pursuits Program offers a variety of courses and activities designed to promote outdoor recreation, education, and adventure. The program includes classes in rock climbing, backpacking, wilderness survival, and other outdoor pursuits.

Course Offerings

• PEO 199 Special Studies: Bouldering II This course builds on the basics of safe and responsible bouldering learned in Bouldering I. Topics include advanced bouldering techniques, injury prevention, and training for competitive bouldering.
• PEO 242 Bouldering Introduction to the world of climbing without the security of a rope. Emphasis is on safety, skill development, and conditioning.
• PEO 251 Rock Climbing I Practice indoor rock climbing and cover the basics including equipment, knots, belaying, rappelling, and a range of climbing techniques.
• PEO 252 Rock Climbing Fitness Emphasis on climbing fitness and conditioning, improving climbing techniques and preventing injuries.
• PEO 285 Wilderness Survival This classroom-based course serves as a prerequisite to all backcountry-oriented courses. Topics include dressing for outdoor comfort and safety, nutrition and hydration, map and compass, environmental injuries, weather and lightning, safety and survival, wilderness management, and backcountry ethics.
• PEO 331 Outdoor Rock Climbing Build on the skills learned in Rock Climbing I and prepare for the transition to independent outdoor climbing. The highlight is a three-day outing to Smith Rock State Park.
• PEO 339 Special Studies: Avalanche Training This two-credit course is designed to convey the information and skills necessary for safe travel in avalanche prone terrain. Classroom sessions include a series of lectures on weather, snow morphology, hazard evaluation, route selection, travel safety, equipment and rescue techniques.
• PEO 315 Basics of Technical Rescue Introduction to basic technical systems such as knots, rope work, anchor building, rigging for rescue, raising and lowering systems, litters, carries, and improvised rescue techniques.
• PEO 325 Swift Water Safety Focus on safely negotiating shallow and deep swift water streams. Topics include knots, rigging, and rope management techniques; shallow and deep water crossings.
• PEO 351 Backpacking Designed for students with little or no backpacking experience. Classroom sessions prepare students for a three-day introductory backpacking outing to the Oregon coast.
• PEO 353 Backcountry Cuisine Students learn how to plan menus, package food, and implement "leave no trace" cooking and baking techniques utilizing backcountry stoves and cooking systems.
• PEO 356 Backcountry Navigation Focus on map and compass skills and other techniques for traveling safely and efficiently off-trail in the context of a three-day outing to a spectacular region of the Three Sisters wilderness area.
• PEO 362 Mountaineering Class sessions cover planning, safety, hazards, knots, rope work, and rigging. The three-day outing to the Three Sisters wilderness area introduces basic skills such as ice ax use, self and team arrests, roped travel, snow anchors and belays, and rescue systems.
• PEO 366 Vertical Rescue Techniques Focus on technical rescue skills for a single rescuer, including belay escapes, raising and lowering rescues, and rappelling with an injured person in a "ground school" setting before practicing these skills during an on-campus outing held at the Rec climbing wall.
• PEO 371 Snow Camping Class sessions prepare students for a three-day outing into the Oregon Cascades. Students learn winter camping and travel techniques, and snow shelter construction methods.
• PEO 391 Winter Navigation This two-credit course includes multiple classroom sessions and a three-day backcountry travel
  avigation outing in the Oregon Cascades. Classroom topics include cold weather clothing and equipment requirements, a review of thermoregulation and cold injuries, Leave No Trace travel and camping ethics, and winter navigation and survival techniques.
• PEO 392 Backcountry Survival Emphasizes constructing emergency shelters, building survival fires, and learning a host of other techniques critical to surviving an unexpected night out with minimal gear.
• PEO 399 Special Studies: Basic Keelboat Sailing Learn to skipper a 24' sloop-rigged keelboat, in light to moderate winds and sea conditions. Learn basic sail terminology, parts and functions, seamanship and safety.
• PEO 399 Special Studies: Coastal SUP This course focuses on safety, enjoyment and skill acquisition for the beginner to intermediate Stand-Up Paddle boarder in the coastal environment.
• PEO 399 Special Studies: Intro to River SUP This introductory course focuses on safety, enjoyment, and skill acquisition for the beginner to intermediate stand-up paddle boarder.
• PEO 399 Special Studies: Snow Camping II This two-credit course is designed for students with snow camping experience. The course emphasis route and expedition planning, lightweight winter camping techniques, and constructing fire pits in the snow environment.
• PEO 399 Special Studies: Wilderness First Aid This course is for people of all experience levels who enjoy or work in outdoor recreation. You'll learn the Patient Assessment System, how to provide effective first aid treatments for injuries and illnesses common in the outdoors, and how to make appropriate evacuation decisions.
• PEO 399 Special Studies: Wilderness First Responder SOLO's Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course is the recognized industry standard for those who work as backcountry trip leaders, camp counselors, mountain guides, river guides, and ski patrollers.
• PEO 411 Leadership Dynamics Discover how leadership, group dynamics, risk management, and other factors play an integral role in shaping the character, productivity, and safety of teams.
• PEO 412 Field Leadership Focus on camp-craft, field leadership, navigation, and safety skills. Includes a three-day outing and van driver training.
• PEO 413 Leading in Nature Focus on the natural history of the regions we explore on field outings and on developing outdoor teaching skills.