Grinnell Outdoor Recreation Program

Adventure Trips
GORP offers a variety of off-campus outdoor adventure trips for Grinnell College students. GORP trips are free and include transportation, equipment rental, any camping or park entrance fees, trained trip leaders, and meals. GORP trips are a great opportunity to travel, learn outdoor skills, and meet new people. No previous experience is required to participate on a GORP trip. GORP trip leaders will teach you all you need to know. All participants must sign a trip terms, assumption of risk, liability release and indemnification agreement.

Fall adventure trip schedule:

Saturday, September 6: Sunset Bike Ride on the High Trestle Trail
Sunday, September 7: Canoe at Rock Creek State Park
Saturday, September 13-Sunday, September 14: Canoe, Hike & Camp at Backbone State Park
Saturday, September 20: Sunset Paddle & S'mores Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve
Saturday, September 27-Sunday, September 28: Cave & Camp at Maquoketa Caves State Park
Saturday, October 4-Sunday, October 5: Hike & Camp at Pikes Peak State Park & Effigy Mounds National Monument
Sunday, October 12: Hike at Ledges State Park
Saturday, October 18-Thursday, October 23: Fall Break Canoe & Backpack Buffalo National River
Sunday, November 1: Hike & Campfire at CERA
Saturday, November 16: Hike Uhlenhopp Arboretum

Find more details for September adventure trips here and more details for October and November trips here.

Pre-Trip Meetings: Each trip has a designated pre-trip meeting the week before the trip to help you prepare for the trip and to allow you to meet your fellow adventurers. Pre-trip meetings are mandatory and are held in the GORP Equipment Room in the Harris Center.

Registration: In order to increase accessibility for more students and create a more equitable registration process, trip registration is managed through a weighted lottery. The lottery application for September trips and the Fall Break trip has closed. Join the waitlist for September trips here: https://bit.ly/F25triplottery1waitlist. The lottery application for October and November trips will be open through September 24 and can be found here: https://bit.ly/F25triplottery2.

Cancellation Policy: Individuals who cancel within 5 days of the trip or do not attend the trip without prior communication will lose one entry per trip in the next trip lottery. If this occurs a second time, individuals will not be able to enter the lottery and will forfeit their spot on any future trips for the remainder of the academic year.

Outdoor Equipment Rental
GORP rents out a variety of outdoor recreation equipment for your personal adventures! GORP staff can help you determine what type of equipment you need and can show you how to use the equipment. Equipment is free to rent for Grinnell College students, faculty, and staff and community members with a Bear membership. The GORP Equipment Room is located in the Harris Center.

How to Rent:
Make a reservation to rent equipment by completing the GORP Equipment Rental Request form: bit.ly/gorpequipmentrental.

GORP Equipment Room Hours (September 1-October 17):

Sunday: 5:00-6:30 PM
Monday: 5:00-7:00 PM
Thursday: 5:00-6:30 PM
Friday: 4:00-6:00 PM

The GORP Equipment Room will be closed for Fall Break from October 18-26. Reduced hours will begin on October 27.

Climbing Wall
The climbing wall, located in Bear Recreation & Athletic Center, offers bouldering, top rope climbing, and auto belays. A Pcard is required to use the climbing wall. All climbing wall users must sign an assumption of risk, liability release and indemnification agreement.

Climbing Wall Hours (August 28-December 12):

Monday, Wednesday, & Friday: 4:15-6:15 PM
Tuesday & Thursday: 6:30-8:30 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 2:00-4:00 PM

The climbing wall will be closed for Fall Break from October 18-26.

Belay Certification:
Belay certifications are required to belay at the Grinnell College climbing wall. Belay certifications must be renewed each academic year. There are two options for becoming belay certified:

If you've never belayed before or are unfamiliar with our belaying procedures at the Grinnell College climbing wall, you can participate in a belay clinic. The two-hour clinic is free and will equip you with the knowledge and skills to top rope belay. After completing the clinic, you must pass our belay assessment three times to become belay certified. Belay clinics are being offered at the following times:
- Thursday, September 4 from 4:30-6:30 PM
- Monday, September 15 from 6:30-8:30 PM
- Tuesday, September 30 from 4:30-6:30 PM
- Sunday, October 12 from 4:00-6:00 PM
- Wednesday, October 29 from 6:30-8:30 PM
- Thursday, November 13 from 4:30-6:30 PM
- Wednesday, December 3 from 6:30-8:30 PM
Sign up for a belay clinic at https://bit.ly/f25belayclinics. Pre-registration is required. Registration will close at noon on the day of the clinic.
If you have belaying experience or have previously been certified at the Grinnell College climbing wall, you can take a belay assessment with a climbing wall staff during open hours. If you pass, you will be belay certified. If you fail, you will be required to take a belay clinic.

Want to stay up-to-date on GORP events? Submit this form to be added to our email listserv.

Questions?
Contact Amanda Preperato, Director of the Grinnell Outdoor Recreation Program, at preperato@grinnell.edu or 641-269-3816.