Free access to outdoor gear and activities will bring the great outdoors even closer to reach for the Dartmouth community this winter. Warm clothing, ski passes and equipment, snowshoes, and ice skates are among the offerings.
鈥淕etting outdoors is a great way to support physical and mental health and well-being,鈥� says Chief Health and Wellness Officer. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to help students, faculty, and staff enjoy everything this special season has to offer.鈥�
The ongoing effort to increase access to outdoor activities and promote student health and wellness receives support from Garcia鈥檚 office, the , and the Outdoor Engagement Committee.
As part of President Sian Leah Beilock鈥檚 emphasis on mental health and wellness, Dartmouth last year brought an ice rink back to the Green following a hiatus during the pandemic, and over the summer, offered free gear rentals and outdoor education classes. Starting this fall, the fee for beginning swim classes was waived for all students.
Ice skates, snowshoes, and warm clothes for all
As in past years, undergraduates, graduate and professional students, faculty, and staff can borrow snowshoes, ice skates, and winter clothes at no charge from , in the basement of Robinson Hall.
鈥淭his includes warm coats, gloves, warm pants, and other items to make it comfortable to be in the cold,鈥� says Katie Colleran, director of the Outdoor Programs Office.
Dartmouth community members and the general public alike can borrow skates from Campion Rink for free. Occom Pond will also be open for skating, weather permitting.
Free ski lessons and equipment for beginners
At , cross country is free for everyone to borrow, and trail passes are free for all Dartmouth students. Special prices for season passes will remain in place this year鈥攗ndergraduate, graduate, and professional students pay $99, and members of the Class of 鈥�28 can ski all season for $59.
New this year, beginning ski and snowboarding classes are free for undergraduates. Taught largely by Dartmouth undergraduates who are certified ski instructors, the popular courses include seven lessons, equipment rentals, lift tickets, and transportation to and from Dartmouth Skiway in Lyme, N.H., or Whaleback Mountain in Enfield, N.H.
, senior associate athletics director for physical education and recreation, says that 鈥渟oup-to-nuts鈥� approach makes the ski program unique.
鈥淎ll you have to do is get your equipment to the bus in front of Dartmouth Hall,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he bus will drop you at the lodge at the mountain where you鈥檒l be greeted by your instructors and have the opportunity to learn to ski from there.鈥�
The physical education classes, expanded this year to accommodate more students, are filled to capacity. Of the 250 enrolled students, many are from places where it doesn鈥檛 snow, Weber says.
鈥淲e are thrilled to see students seizing the moment at Dartmouth, even during the winter,鈥� Garcia says. 鈥淪pending time outside is a powerful wellness tool, both in terms of boosting physical fitness and building community.鈥�
A 鈥榩ositive step forward鈥�
The support from across campus 鈥渉as been fantastic,鈥� Weber says. Eliminating the fees for pickleball, golf, fly fishing, tennis, and swim classes has led to 鈥渁 massive uptick in enrollment and participation鈥� in those physical education courses, which added spots or entire sections to accommodate the surging interest.
This summer, enrollment in outdoor physical education classes grew by more than 50% over the previous year, and in just two terms the number of students taking swimming lessons surpassed last year鈥檚 total of about 60 students, he says.
鈥淚t really is a positive step forward,鈥� Weber says.
