About
The LSESU Outdoors Society brings students together for frequent hikes and events both within London and further afield throughout the year.
LSESU Outdoors society was created in 2020, but due to Covid-19 restrictions initially had very few events. In October 2021 a new committee (President Guido Rowe; Vice-President Sara Taaffe; Secretary Lauren Tilley; Treasurer Vishal Lohana) took over and has been running it since. We plan hikes, socials, and other events such as Outdoors-related workshops (navigation, first aid etc). Events tend to be on a weekly or a bi-weekly basis with most hikes taking place on a Saturday or Sunday. We hope to get more students involved so that they can take a well-deserved break from their studies! Joining is a great chance to meet new people and enjoy the great outdoors.
Recently, we formed a sub-committee of roughly half a dozen 'hike leaders', they act as a point of contact between members and the executive committee. Importantly, they also help us to plan and lead hikes. Dependant on the route, we will often split off into groups of between six and twelve.
What to expect:
We want to involve as many people as possible and therefore plan a multitude of hikes/ walks with varying difficulties. We are privileged to have some really experienced hikers in our midst and for this reason cater to them by offering challenging hikes and multi-day expeditions. Our first flagship expedition will be on the 19th to the 20th of February as two teams of six will attempt to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge. The teams will be covering 40km in 12 hours in addition to summitting Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough with a total climbing elevation gain of 1,400m.
So far this year we have been on hikes at Box Hill, Epping Forest, and Seven Sisters. In addition to hikes, we are planning to host more frequent pub socials and picnics!
How will you hear from us:
To keep updated with our weekly weekend hiking events please follow us on Instagram! For members, we also send out updates and details via email in addition to our members-only WhatsApp group (our main method of communication). To join, please purchase membership so that you can be the first in the know! In terms of registering for hikes, we will now be using the LSESU online registration system, this will enable us to streamline our sign-up process and charge for some relevant events (such as when accommodation costs are included).
Membership:
Membership for the LSE Outdoors Society costs £2 and is available to all. Becoming a member ensures you're informed of all our hikes, events and socials and you will gain access to our members-only WhatsApp group and email updates. Our hikes are free, with members only needing to pay for their personal transport (train etc) to get to the start/ finish location of each hike. For overnight and multiday expeditions we group book accommodation to keep prices for members down and then pass on this charge via the LSESU website as detailed above (the society takes no commission).
Contact us:
We would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have! Send us an email at outdoor@lsesu.org or get in touch via our Instagram- @lsesu_outdoors.