By Andrew Mason

At the University of Colorado Boulder, students don’t have to travel far to find a hiking trail. But for those with little outdoor experience, getting started is as simple as joining the hiking club. 

With over 39,000 miles of hiking trails in Colorado, getting outside often feels intimidating. Hikers question if they have enough experience, equipment or a good enough group. CU Hiking Club offers options for beginners, making the organization an accessible starting point for students who want to explore Colorado’s outdoors. 

“In terms of hiking experience, you don’t really need a whole lot,” said Luke Brightmire. 

Brightmire is one of the club’s three executive leaders. He has been hiking for years, and tries to bring new people into the hobby.

Students who join the club do not need any prior experience, according to Brightmire’s co-leader, Andrew Senior.

“A lot of people are nervous because they’ve never been on a hike, and they don’t think they’re really good at hiking,” said Senior. “Part of the club’s mission is to get people into the outdoors who haven’t been in the past.” 

There are 4,500 people subscribed to the club’s email list, according to Senior. The club also sees between 500 to 800 people who join the club on hikes throughout the semester. Around 60 to 80 hikes are taken by the club each semester.

“We do stuff with all skill levels, and you only apply to the hikes you want to go on,” said Senior. 

While hiking brings students outdoors, club leaders said the relationships formed during the trips are just as important. Shay Ridge, the last of the Hiking Club’s three executive leaders, joined the club as a freshman, and her first hike helped form friendships that have lasted.

“We got to know each other over a fire and played some trail games going down and to this day some of them are still my best friends,” Ridge said. “We try to engage with everybody, and we all have social hours and hangouts.” 

Hikes vary in length and difficulty. Some take a few hours while some may take days for backpacking and camping.

“Most of the time they occur on the weekends, especially if it’s an overnight camping trip,” Senior said.

For students that are hesitant to join because they lack experience, the executive board’s message is clear: give it a try.

“Go for it even if you’re not a really good hiker,” Brightmire said. “There’s probably people similar or better than you at hiking.”