Calgary Outdoor Club
The organization, run by volunteers, is free to join (members pay for events they attend) and open to adults living in Canada. The club was founded in 2003 and has more than 6,800 members (as of March 2010) interested in getting together for adventure sports activities, social gatherings and trips in Calgary and beyond. Club members range in age from 20 to 85, but most (55 percent) are 20 to 39 years old. The club sponsors hiking excursions throughout the year, ranging from easy to strenuous and lasting a few hours to several days. Most hikes are in Calgary but the club also organizes longer trips to other locations throughout Canada and the U.S. In addition to hiking, the club offers a variety of other sport outings and trips, including camping, backpacking, mountain biking, paddling, skiing, skating, snowshoeing, as well as social gatherings and events.
Calgary Outdoor Club
calgaryoutdoorclub.com
Calgary Weekend Hikers
The longstanding Calgary-based hiking club has been around since 1980. The club has about 400 members and organizes several hikes each month, totaling about 125 hikes a year, as of March 2010. A variety of hikes are organized and each is rated as easy (less than 10 km in length with elevation gains of less than 300 meters), moderate (about 10 to 15 km in length, 300- to 500-meter elevation gain), difficult (15 to 25 km in length, 500- to 1,000-meter elevation gain) and extra difficult (more than 25 km in length and/or more than 1,000 meters of elevation gain). Most hikes are in the Calgary foothills and the Rocky Mountains. The club also hosts workshops, club meetings, trail clean-up days, training sessions and social gatherings.
Calgary Weekend Hikers
calgaryweekendhikers.com
Calgary Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts (C.O.R.E.)
Day hikes are the main activity of this small hiking club based in Calgary. Hikes are usually organized on weekends. The club also sponsors midweek walks around the city, an easy way for members to get together, exercise and learn more about the city and each other. During the summer, the club may also offer multiday trips to other locales in Canada and the U.S., like the 2010 hiking trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. In addition to hiking, club members also get together for cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, backpacking, biking, canoeing and more. Social events, including potluck dinners, slideshows, picnics and barbecues are also held. Meetings are held the last Thursday of the month (public welcome) at the Old Firehall, 1111 Memorial Drive N.W. in downtown Calgary, as of March 2010.
Calgary Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts (C.O.R.E.)
c/o CAOC
1111 Memorial Drive N.W.
Calgary AB
Canada T2N 3E4
corehike.org
Article Written By Pamela Wright
Pamela Wright is a freelance writer, author of more than two dozen guidebooks, and hundreds of articles. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including "National Geographic Traveler," "Family Circle," "Family Fun," "Backpacker," "Hemispheres," "Cooking Light," "Yankee" and more. An active member of the Society of American Travel Writers, she holds a Bachelor's from Michigan State University
