Outing Club

The Allegheny Outing Club left campus on April 14, 2007 for a caving adventure. Harlansburg Cave, located about an hour south on I-79, was the destination for this day trip. This was the first trip for AOC to the Harlansburg Cave and little did the group know the surprises that this cave had in store! Thirteen participants and guide from the Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy entered the cave through the road-cut entrance. A little over two hours was spent wandering throughout the maze-like passageways of the cave. The unexpected muddy and wet conditions slowed down the group a little bit, but it was still a lot of fun! The cave was fairly easy to maneuver through with very few challenging passages which was ideal for beginners. The group saw several bats that were still in the cave as well. The guide provided information about the cave such as bat inventories that are completed in the winter and clean up initiatives for the cave. Overall, the trip will remain as a particularly enjoyable and memorable experience for all of the participants.

It was a sunny afternoon on September 23, 2006 when twelve Allegheny students sacrificed their chance at a free Wingfest t-shirt, piled into vans and made their way toward an adventure in a deep, dark abyss. Their destination: Bear Cave. Saturday evening the group enjoyed time aboveground tossing a Frisbee, eating yummy fajitas, sitting around the fire and playing an intense game of Marco Polo. The night turned wild when the rain began to fall and the tired campers crawled into their tents. The day dawned bright and wet and after a few wrong turns, the adventurers arrived at the cave. What followed was an indescribable discovery in which bounds were tested, mazes unraveled, bats slept, and darkness prevailed. Emerging from the cave into the bright sunlight, the explorers looked around and realized how much laundry there would be to do!

On Sunday, April 8, 2006 a group of Allegheny students went caving. The group climbed into a tiny hole in the ground to reach McAlisterville Cave. Using new headlamps, flash lights, and climbing gear students journeyed through the cave. The guides helped the cavers learn to move across the slippery terrain and to scale across drops. In addition, they watched to make sure that the spelunkers didnâ??t fall and also had a great time. Overall, the trip was more intense then expected but it was definitely worth the long drive and the muddy cloths.