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Text Version of
"The Fort Lewis Difference" Slideshow

This five-minute slideshow features commentary from Chris Nute, director of Outdoor Pursuits, the largest student-funded organization on the FLC campus.  Photos show OP members involved in a broad range of activities, including trail running, hiking, skiing, kayaking, rafting, and mountain climbing.  

Here is Chris Nute's commentary:

What is Outdoor Pursuits?

"Outdoor Pursuits is one of the key threads in the fabric of Fort Lewis College. I think that really says a lot about Outdoor Pursuits' place on the Fort Lewis College campus.

"Outdoor Pursuits is the largest student-funded organization on campus. We have over 900 members from year-to-year. We are a backcountry, recreation and co-curricular based program. Our trips include rafting, climbing, mountaineering, peak climbing and ice climbing. We also offer clinics for back country safety, including avalanche safety. We do just about anything and everything that involves backcountry human-powered avocations.

"One of the key gems of Fort Lewis College is our geographical locations. What Outdoor Pursuits attempts to do, and I think we do quite well, is facilitate the students' discovery of the Four Corners region."

What mountain climbing expeditions do you facilitate?

"Over the last several years, Outdoor Pursuits has initiated major expeditions. We initiated these expeditions in 2002, although historically Outdoor Pursuits has been involved in other expeditions around the world -- namely to Nepal and Tibet.

"Over the last several years, we have been varying that and getting in different and far reaching corners of the earth.

"It started with the Denali expedition in 2003. We went and climbed the highest peak in North America, which is Mount McKinley. Then the students said, ‘Let's do South America's highest peak.’ That led us to Aconcagua, Argentina, which is the highest peak in South America.

"After climbing the highest points in North and South America, students said, ‘Let's check out other continental highpoints.’ That led us to Russia and Africa.

"In Russia, we climbed Mount Elbrus, an 18,510-foot peak in Russia. Then we went to Tanzania in Africa. Our main objective was to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa, at 19,563 feet."

Did you learn about the culture of the areas you were climbing?

"On the whole expedition, we deliberately went out to do Service-Learning while we were abroad. We worked in a small village for five days and helped build a net ball court at a school.

"We facilitated the donation of retired ski patrol and ski school uniforms from Durango Mountain Resort to the porters on Kilimanjaro so they would be properly equipped. Finally we worked with the Shiri Tumaini women's group. All of our projects were incredibly, culturally valuable experiences along the way. "

Why do students choose Fort Lewis?

"It's well stated and well researched that one of the reasons students choose Fort Lewis College is the location and its geographic place to recreational opportunities. What we do well is facilitate students' recreating in the back country, and doing it safely, doing it co-curricular, doing it healthy. We provide a nice co-curricular program on the Fort Lewis College campus.

"One thing Outdoor Pursuits does well is create communities. There is a community of kayakers, a community of skiers, a community of trail runners. We're a clearing house and we bring students together. Friendships are bound by what students have done with Outdoor Pursuits or on backcountry adventures on their own."

What does Outdoor Pursuits offer students on campus?

"We have just about anything a student would need to go into the back country. Literally, they don't need to own anything and we can outfit them for the weekend. We can give students tents, sleeping bags, backpack, skis, crash pads, boats, lifejackets, beacons, probes, shovels. We have just about anything and everything, except, I always like to say jokingly, surfboards.

"Other services we provide:  We have a professional ski and snowboard tuning shop. And we offer a professional bike shop in our back repair area. It's totally open to Outdoor Pursuit members.

"We're proud to be a part of the Fort Lewis College Campus community."