I met with Michaela Reist, one of the presidents of the Student Leisure Outdoor and Wilderness (SLOW) club at UFV to talk about the club, upcoming events, and what students can expect from the club.
When did your club form?
It started this September. It’s very, very new. We have been trying to get ourselves out there. Unfortunately, neither one of us, myself and Sandeep Dosanjh [who is the other co-president] could be at the Abbotsford U-Join but we managed a table at the Chilliwack U-Join.
What is the purpose of the SLOW club?
We wanted to make it accessible to people of all skill levels and fitness levels. A lot of people, we found, felt really intimidated to join an actual hiking or outdoors club if they’re a new hiker … or have literally never done it. We don’t want it to seem intimidating. So we wanted SLOW being like, “Don’t worry, we’re not running up the mountain. We take our time and are mindful about it.”
How often does the club meet?
We try to do a hike every two weeks. It probably will [change once the weather gets worse]. But when winter comes, we want to shift into snowshoeing and skiing trips and tobogganing. Just getting people out.
Are there any safety precautions taken?
In all of our events, we state the elevations, we state how many kilometres it is, we state how many hours it should take us, and then we make sure the participants actually have proper hiking boots and ankle support. [We warn them if] this one has a lot of boulders, or if they shouldn’t bring dogs. We make sure they bring enough water, at least a litre and a half of water, and enough food to sustain them. I always bring bear spray with me and then also a first aid kit. I was a lifeguard for a really long time, so I am trained extensively in first aid.
When is the club’s next event?
Our next event should be in a couple weeks. For updates on the next event please look on our Facebook page: UFV Student Leisure Outdoor and Wilderness Club-SLOW or @SLOWUFV.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
