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Thanks to all our members who came out to Intro to Rock! It was truly a memorable weekend, thanks to all of you. Hopefully you were all able to recover and get back on the study train. But don't think that VOCO doesn't have more up its sleeve for the weeks to come. We still have a whole bunch of events coming up, such as the Salmon Run, Leavenworth and... Shred Kelly!
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/!\ WARNING: Unpaid Members /!\
It's almost October, which means that we will soon remove all remaining unpaid members from both our Facebook group and our email list. It's VOCO's own version of "The Purge." If you are still an unpaid member, this is the last newsletter you will be getting from VOCO and you will be kicked out of the Facebook page in a few days. Make sure to pay your fees ASAP if you want to remain a part of the club!
It is possible to join VOCO and/or pay your fees at any time during the year - however I suggest you do it now to stay in the loop.
We will be tabling at the usual location (in the courtyard, by Tim Hortons) this Thursday and Friday, you can come pay us then.
If you can't make it and still have to pay your fees, please email our Member Coordinator, Evan (info@ubco-voco.com).
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Useful and Important Information
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Our container full of gear for you to use is located at the end of the M parking lot, next to the gym (see image on the left). Remember that it's there for you to rent anything you might need for a successful outdoor adventure.
Gear hours:
Monday, 11:00-11:15pm
Wednesday, 1:00-1:15pm
Thursday, 12:00-12:15pm
If you need to rent or return anything, just show up at the gear container during those times - a Gear Master will be there to take care of you and what you need!
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We are on Facebook
If you still haven't done so (after all this time?!), make sure to join our Facebook group, UBCO VOCO. It is, besides this newsletter, the main channel of communication for our club. If you want to stay up to date on events or see what other members are up to and maybe join them for some shenanigans, it's the page to follow. You can also check out photos from past trips if you still need any convincing on how fun we are... |
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VOCO is bringing sick times and sick tunes to UBCO! Get excited everyone, this is going to be rowdy! We bring you no other than... Shred Kelly!
Shred Kelly is a formulation of friends and foot stomping good times born in the East Kootenay’s of British Columbia. Hailing from the town of Fernie, the five piece band is best known for mixing clawhammer banjo riffs that tear the fabric of space and time with ambient synth, high voltage guitar, fierce drums, and hauntingly sweet vocal harmonies to produce a sound that has been properly coined “Stoke Folkâ€. Having recently been awarded 2012 Artist of the Year at the Kooteney Music Awards and winning a spot on the Green Couch Sessions/CBC Radio 3 ‘Tracks on Tracks’ train adventure from Vancouver to Toronto, Shred Kelly is turning banjo doubters into sweaty indie folk rock believers on the dance floor, one town at a time.
Here's a couple o' links to a couple o' songs:
Our club President, Alex Gula, managed to book them to come play for us at The Well (UBCO's very own student pub) on Wednesday, 8th October. I am repeating myself, but I feel like this cannot be said enough: IT WILL BE ROWDY. IT WILL BE AWESOME. IT WILL BE A KILLER SHOW.
The concert is not strictly for VOCO members only, meaning anyone can come and dance! However, VOCO members to get dibs. Still, make sure to tell all your friends. You do not want to miss this!
Tickets will be $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Said doors will open at 9pm the day of the concert. We'll have the tickets when tabling Thursday and Friday.
If you can't make on Thursday or Friday to get your ticket, make sure to email our President, Alex (president@ubco-voco.com). He'll hook you up.
This is obviously a 19+ event, as this will happen in a bar. Sorry to all the under-aged folks out there.
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Almost Ablaze, Higher, and Days of My Youth
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It ain't snowing yet. It's getting colder - and darker - but it's too soon. Welcome to the dreaded shoulder season. This is the time of year that ski movie premieres happen everywhere. Kelowna is no exception to that! This year, there's three of them:
- Jeremy Jones' Higher (TGR);
- Almost Ablaze (TGR);
- Days of My Youth (MSP/Red Bull Media House).
And, guess what? VOCO gets you in for cheaper! Tickets are usually $13 per movie in advance, and $15 at the door. With us, you get in for 10 bucks! You also don't have to be a VOCO member to get them at the discounted price - if you have friends who really want to go, steer them our way!
The premieres are on the following dates:
Jeremy Jones' Higher: Thursday, October 2nd;
Almost Ablaze: Thursday, October 9th;
Days of My Youth: Thursday, October 16th.
They will be shown downtown, at the Kelowna Paramount Theater, on 261 Bernard Avenue. Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7:00pm. There's always a bunch of free stuff to grab and to win as well.
Come get your tickets at either our booth on Thursday and Friday, or during Gear Hours!
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As you may or may not know, each year, VOCO offers discounted AST 1 and AST 2 courses. "AST" stands for "Avalanche Skills Training." If you're planning on getting into the backcountry, no matter through which medium (skis, snowboard, snowshoes, snowmobile), completing the Avalanche Skills Training is highly recommended.
AST 1 is most likely happening in January, and AST 2 in either February or March. The actual price still needs to be determined, as well. As you might've guessed, if you haven't done any of these yet, you ought to start with AST 1. The other course is for more experienced backcountry people.
For now, we just want to gauge the general interest in these courses so we can get them completely set up as soon as possible. If you have any questions at all, please email our Club Representative, Jeff (rep@ubco-voco.com).
Note: you cannot do both AST 1 and 2 in the same year.
If you are interested in taking one of these courses, please fill out this interest form.
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This Saturday: Adams River Salmon Run
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Salmon run at the Adams River in 2010. This run broke all records for number of returning salmon and this year is supposed to give 2010 a run for its money. Expect a whole lot of fish!
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The Adams River is currently the most productive sockeye producing system in BC and North America (excluding some of the Alaskan Run). This year will be a dominant run where millions of sockeye will return to spawn in October. The best time to go will be the first weekend of October before it gets swamped with tourists over Thanksgiving weekend and before it stinks like crazy from a bunch of dying fish!
Therefore, our lovely Club Secretary, Hilary, has decided to take VOCO up the Adams River to enjoy this incredible, natural phenomenon. We will head up there this Saturday, October 4th. The exact location is the lower Adams River at Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park.
It will be a day trip, and we will meet on campus, by the gear container (map shown above) at 8am. The drive takes about two hours. We will be returning around dinner time. Don't forget to bring food and water.
Hilary is working on putting together a sheet with all the information for the people who couldn't make Tuesday's pre-trip meeting. She will put it on Facebook, so keep an eye out for it on the VOCO page and the page for this specific event ("Let's fo see some salmon!").
For the people still looking for rides, please take a look at this spreadsheet. Put your name below one of the drivers' to claim a spot in their car, and make sure to contact said driver (phone numbers are provided).
Make sure to bring your cameras!
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If you were present at Intro to Rock, you might have started wondering how to set up this bunch of carabiners and slings on the top of a climbing route (you know, the ones that kept the rope safely in place - therefore keeping you safe, too), or why they look the way they do, or what exactly their function is.
Well, we've got you covered. We will be running a couple of climbing anchor clinics to teach you how to set up your own anchor, so you can go and set up your own top ropes. The clinics will run in two parts: one course during the week, on campus, followed by a session at an actual wall to apply what you've learnt in the course, all in a real-life setting.
The first on-campus course is next Wednesday, 8th October, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, in the top lobby of the CCS (Fine Arts) building - this is the wierd building next to Arts and Arts & Sciences.
The second on-campus course is the following Thursday, 16th October, also from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Same location.
The follow-up of the first course is on Saturday, 11th October, at Helipad (one of Kelowna's local crags).
The follow-up of the second course is on Saturday, 18th October, at the Aberdeen Columns, near Coldstream, BC - this will be run jointly with our "Intro to Crack Climbing" event, which shall be elaborated upon in the next newsletter.
Note: if you plan on going to Leavenworth, make sure that you go to the first anchor clinic course.
An interest sheet for these clinics will be included in the next newsletter. For now, if you have any questions, please email our Gear Master, Sam (gear@ubco-voco.com).
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Oktoberfest and Thanksgiving in Leavenworth, WA
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Not sure what to do for Thanksgiving? Let us be thankful for the convenience of travelling to and from the United States of 'Murica! Join VOCO as we head down to Leavenworth, a faux-Bavarian town in Washington State, USA. This mining-town-turned-mini-Bavaria is celebrating Oktoberfest on that exact weekend. You know what that means? Yeah, exactly. A lot of German beer, and probably a lot of fun (that usually comes with beer, right?).
Of course, we're not only going there to drink and eat sausages. Leavenworth offers some great trad climbing, a bit of sports climbing and a whole lot of bouldering.
Note: this is not a beginner-friendly event, meaning that it is non-instructional. We will not be teaching people. However, anyone is welcome to join! This just means that, depending on your climbing level, you will have to find people willing to set up top ropes for you, help you out, etc.
Don't let the fact that it is non-beginner friendly discourage you! Leavenworth has really amazing bouldering areas where you won't have to rely on the generosity of fellow climbers to set up routes and belay for you. Just find someone with a crash pad (hint: the gear container has a couple) and bring your shoes. This little town also offers some great mountain biking and hiking trails, if you don't feel like climbing.
The place where we've stayed at in the past is a beautiful, free camping spot in the woods, right by a gorgeous, glacially cold river, very aptly named "Icicle Creek." And, despite all the excitement we try not to forget what holiday we are celebrating. Last year, some members brought a turkey to add to the heart-warming atmosphere that surrounds all VOCO campfires.
And don't forget that if turkey makes you thirsty, you can head into town for Leavenworth's very own Oktoberfest!
If you are interested in coming on this trip, please fill out this interest sheet. If you have any questions, make sure to email our Events Coordinators (events@ubco-voco.com).
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Event Report - "I didn't make it to Grassy Glades"
by Johanna Wildmoser
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I saw some sheep on my way to the campground.
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It is fair to say that everyone's experience of Intro to Rock was unique in its own way. We were, after all, over a hundred-and-sixty people, clustering around different climbs at different crags, exploring the surroundings to take in the view, chilling out in hammocks, eating lunch, eating snacks, eating dinner (have I mentioned eating yet?), jumping off cliffs, sitting around fires in the dark, cutting up vegetables, putting sparklers in lobsters' claws, crowd-surfing, drinking forties, running around and un-doing people's tents…
But let's rewind back to the beginning of the day. To 4:45am, to be precise. Oh, by the way, I'm talking about forties of Olde English Malt Liquor – what a legendary beverage. Can someone keep me from going off track? I was going to talk about the morning.
4:45am and my alarm rings. I'm still using "Happy" by Pharrell Williams as said alarm, which is a decent tune to wake up to, at least compared to some of the more shrieking alarm clocks out there. Aside from needing to wake up, I still had to get most of my stuff ready: put the food in the cooler, pack clothes, make lunch, and stuff everything in the trunk of my beloved Subaru Outback. Needless to say, I ended up leaving about ten minutes late.
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After picking up Evie, Aaron, Lucas, and Hilary, we got to the Sails at 7:05am – and we were the execs supposed to sign everyone in (except Lucas, he just had no choice but to tag along). And we were late. Read this as: unprofessional in the early hours of a Saturday. However I was stoked to see how many people were already downtown, waiting for us. We also ended up not having enough wristbands for everyone.
About a hundred-and-twenty people signed in at the Sails. Once that was done, I drove back up to Aaron's house so he could pick up the remaining wristbands. And then, it was finally time to send direct to Skaha!
The timing of our driving down was close to perfect, as I saw a fancy Subaru (yeah, another one of those) driving on highway 97. That was my buddy Sam, who decided he'd make his way down to Skaha in his own time – mornings are not for everyone. Since I encountered him on the road, he promptly decided to follow me so he wouldn't have to find the Provincial Park by himself.
Scoping for eventual police cars along the way, I drove down to Skaha Bluffs pretty fast. After I unloaded all the people and their stuff from my car, and made my way to the Apex Ski Patrol Ski Swap, which was happening at the Penticton Curling Club. A got a white North Face down vest, and people saw me walking around in it at night.
All in all, I ended up actually walking into Skaha around noon. My plan was to hit up every wall and take some photos. I went for Red Tail, the intermediate wall, first. I set up my anchor and rope, and repelled down and took photos of climbers along the way. Or at least I tried. Once that was done, my camera started switching hands. I think I was hungry. I wanted food. Photos could wait. Or other people could take them. In the end, a whole lot of funny photos made their way onto my SD card, and I enjoyed sifting through them on Monday evening.
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Next, I went to the beginner wall: Go Anywhere. Scotty was making rope-bracelets for everyone. Aaron was looking steezy in his pink leotard. And this time, I got belayed by Nathan, and that was some fun stuff – I decided I wanted to hang upside down. It changes your perspective on the world, for sure. And makes you feel like your head is going to explode from all the blood that rushes into your brain. I am also still slightly traumatized from having set up my safety way too short on the anchor to properly go over the ledge. I've never been that intimate with a wall before…
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Unfortunately, I didn't make it to Grassy Glades, where a lot of my friends were climbing at. I was a little bummed about it. But seeing all those people who had never climbed before trying to take on the rock walls was just such a pretty sight. I know how scary climbing can be – I am still scared every time I do it. The fact that you tried it, and succeeded at it, and were eager to learn something new is just so, so amazing. You all just killed it, and I wish I could give every single one of you a hug, a high five and say, "Yeeeeh, buddy." I also hope that many of you like the way climbing tastes and want to go for seconds. And thirds. And fourths. And fifths. Yes, I did just make a metaphor out of it based on food.
I missed the entire "unofficial" cliff-jumping part of the trip. I'm not too fond of cliffs, anyway. Instead, I just took a swim in the lake, which started out from a beach, and does therefore not require any sort of physical phenomenon including jumping and falling.
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In the evening, I didn't join the main campfire for a while. There were some other, smaller fires going on, and I found a nice one, with good company, and tables around it to prepare my food. It was my first time campfire cooking. I usually just bring along pre-made stuff. But I thought I'd try to go all out this time. I cut up many vegetables and a yam, wrapped it all up, together with coconut oil and seasoning, using Jayden's special steam-trapping technique, and threw it in the fire for a while. In the meantime, my apple-maple-cinnamon sauce was simmering on my camping stove and I had another entire yam wrapped in foil, baking in the fire. I think I did pretty well on my food… People seemed rather stoked about it.
There was actually a whole lot of awesome cooking action going on. Jared and Nikos had bought two live lobsters and wanted them to fight to the death and then eat the loser – and the winner, too. Rad Trad Brad made Nan bread over the fire – crazy! Billy and Alex made some awesome fish tacos. Jayden stuffed a squash full of food and had it cook in the fire. And there were many, many others.
There would still be so many things to tell about Intro, however my word count tells me that I have already passed the 1,000-word mark, so I should probably wrap things up. In any case, even if longer, this trip report would be unable to fully grasp the extent of this weekend. As I said at the beginning, it was a unique experience for everyone. Each and every one of you has their own highlights that made Intro to Rock absolutely unforgettable. And as I write this, on a Wednesday morning, I can finally say that I have recovered from the weekend. I hope you have, too.
Climb on, everyone!
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Have you been to a fun event, or on an epic adventure lately? Send me a brief write-up and I will fit it into the next available edition of the Members' News.
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