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Outside Magazine April 2004

Outside’s Guide to Getting Schooled
Stick Together
Get cliquey at a specialty camp—a booming new trend in sports schools

By Cameron Walker


Intro | Climbing, Mountaineering, and Canyoneering | Snow Sports | Cycling and Horseback Riding | Water Sports | Paddling | Racing | Running and Wellness | Skydiving and Paragliding | Survival and Wilderness Skills | Specialty Camps | Post-Camp Routines | Beginner’s Schools | Soft-Adventure Learning Vacations

It's a Guy Thing
Big Mountain Resort, Whitefish, Montana. Ski the double-black Picture Chutes, then analyze your technique on video with expert coaches. Three-day men's workshop, $250; 406-862-2909, www.bigmtn.com
Real Men Cook, Annapolis, Maryland. Make like Mario Batali and learn to whip up a frutti di mare Mediterranean feast without looking like a sissy. Weekend courses for men from $695; 410-849-2517, www.realmencook.biz

Let Her Rip
Las Olas Surf Safaris, Mexico. Discover your inner wahine on beginner-friendly waves in a sleepy Pacific surf town 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. After your morning session, siesta on the sand. Women's six-day safaris from $1,995; 707-746-6435, www.surflasolas.com
Alison Dunlap Adventure Camps, Moab, Utah. World-champion mountain biker Alison Dunlap will put you through the paces on 100 miles of slickrock and singletrack around Moab. Five-day women-only camps from $1,295; 800-845-2453, www.alisondunlap.com/camps

Singles-Minded
Club Med Turkoise, Providenciales Island, Turks and Caicos. Little kids are outlawed at this Caribbean watersports paradise, so the big kids have all the fun: windsurfing lessons on Grace Bay, scuba certification off coral-ringed West Caicos, or acrobatic trapeze practice overlooking the palms. One-week vacations from $1,595; 800-258-2633, www.clubmed.com
Singles Travel International, Moab, Utah. Spend a week getting chummy with your belayer on this multisport sampler. Raft the Colorado's Class II–III Fisher Towers section, mountain-bike the Gemini Bridges Trail, and explore Medieval Canyon's red rocks. One-week singles camps from $1,999; 877-765-6874, www.singlestravelintl.com

We Are Family
Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center, Salida, Colorado. Dangle from a 5.9 route on Davis Face, near the Buffalo Peaks, while your daughter works her way up a beginner's pitch (or vice versa). Five-day family course, $488 per person; 800-255-5784, www.rmoc.com
Durango Mountain Bike Camp, Durango, Colorado. Seven- to 14-year-olds tackle singletrack for two hours each morning, then build balance by popping wheelies and playing bike tag. Five-day family camp, $250; 970-385-0411, www.bike-camp.com


Next Page: Get a shot of confidence at camp, then sustain the commitment at home with these six strategies.

Intro | Climbing, Mountaineering, and Canyoneering | Snow Sports | Cycling and Horseback Riding | Water Sports | Paddling | Racing | Running and Wellness | Skydiving and Paragliding | Survival and Wilderness Skills | Specialty Camps | Post-Camp Routines | Beginner’s Schools | Soft-Adventure Learning Vacations

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