The Johns Hopkins Outdoors Club
The Johns Hopkins Outdoors Club (JHOC) is a student organization devoted to fostering a culture of adventure, environmentalism, and leadership on the Homewood Campus of The johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Founded in 1972, JHOC is one of the oldest student outdoors clubs in the mid atlantic region. Run entirely by undergraduate club leaders, JHOC offers day and weekend long trips in the areas of caving, trail running, backpacking, hiking, orienteering, canoeing, rock climbing, mountain biking and rappelling.
JHOC is a member of the Intercollegiate Outing Club Association.
History
Since its founding, JHOC’s role on campus has shifted through the years. At one point, all Pre-Orientation activities, in which incoming freshmen spend a few days bonding in the woods together, were run through the club. Pre-Orientation has since become a separate organization and is, like JHOC, run through the Johns Hopkins Experiential Education department.
In 1997, the club opened the first rock climbing wall at Johns Hopkins, at that time a rarity at undergraduate institutions in the United States
In 2002, when the club was temporarily suspended by the University in order to ensure proper risk management, it was running 40 trips a year and engaging over 400 students on campus. The club was later reinstated by the university.
In 2011, after a participant became trapped in Schetromph cave in Washington County, MD, JHOC leaders assisted firefighters in their efforts to rescue the stranded caver. The participant was unharmed.
See also
List of university outing clubs