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By: Jeanna Brown

 

Looking to quench your thirst for adventure?

PVCC offers recreational, or REC courses that allow you to explore nature have fun and meet new people.

 

Students looking to discover the outdoors and push their endurance by taking an unforgettable trip, look no further than signing up at school to do so.  Take a trip of a lifetime.  Feed your desire to venture into new territories.  You can expect to see all different kinds of wildlife, picturesque waterfalls, tranquil rivers and breath-taking canyons.

Recreational course Instructor Josh Parafinik says apart from his normal recreational majoring students he also obtains a wide range of students between 18 and 29 in search of relieving stress from their constant math homework schedules to experience a fun, exciting mini vacation they can receive college credit for.  Additionally to the courses are adult education seekers, that are not even students at all, looking for an adventure.  Larry Triplett, a 64 year old retiree, has embarked on several of the trips and says when he participated in the Grand Canyon White-water Rafting trip he was “fulfilling one of his longtime dreams.”  Jessica Teman a past student of Josh’s says of her experience, “[caving] is like an adult playground.” 

Such classes are offered through many of the Maricopa County Community Colleges.  PVCC and SCC offer weekend courses that are two days and one night with dinner, dessert, breakfast and transportation included.  Among the available excursions: Sedona Mountain Biking, Caving, Canyoneering, Rock Climbing, Outdoor Survival, Outdoor Cooking, Primitive Living Skills, and in the summer, a Repelling Zip-line Ropes course.  All weekend courses are $35, except Outdoor Survival, which is $65, excluding the cost of state accreditation tuition.  Also joining the REC hype GCC offers Scuba courses and other similar recreational activities.

Longer five day trips are offered as well and usually take place during spring break and summer time.  Available jaunts consist of San-Juan River-rafting, a Havasupai Canyon Hike, Lake Powell Kayaking, and Grand Canyon White-water Rafting.  Although pricier, these five day trips range between $350- $575, including most meals and travel, but exclude the additional state accreditation cost.

In addition, excitingly coming soon to the program will be a journey through Belize comprising kayaking, snorkeling, caving, sailing and exploring the countries native Mayan ruins.  Though pricing for this trip is still in development, along with the awareness of the higher cost of five day trips, the experience and the travel cost you would incur elsewhere do not come close in comparison.

Instructor Josh Parafinik says the most memorable experience in his 15 years “[was when] a Big Horned Sheep came up to the camp [on the Grand Canyon White-water rafting trip] almost close enough to reach out and touch and stood there for them all to gaze at… it was remarkable.” 

While on Josh’s caving trip, one group member Beth Brookhouse recalled seeing several deer in the mountains, while another, Eric Rollman a student of SCC, said he was more in awe of, “the unexpected, but beautiful architectural structures in all the rooms and tunnels in the cave.”  Eric says of the trip that he would have never thought to do something like caving had it not been for the class and he is glad he did so. 

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