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ORC Global Adventures
Travel is the world's greatest teacher.
It teaches us courage, compassion, patience, resilience, and most of all, it teaches us that we are all a community.
These are necessary lessons to learn during our college careers and will benefit students beyond their days at Mines.Â
We all desire the freedom to roam and are impacted by people we meet. These encounters make our lives better.
So, our desire is to imagine a new way to experience the world. One built on meaningful encounters and new places,
making connections with knowledgeable local guides, and opportunities foraged through human connections.Â
Imagine travel built on exploration, possibility, learning, and fun. Imagine changing the world simply by meeting its people,
giving back to their community, and exploring their land. Our mission at the Outdoor Recreation Center is just that.
We want to provide students with the ability to travel to all 7 continents during their time here at Mines.Â
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Upcoming Global Adventures Trips
Summer Skiing in Chile (Aug 10 - 18, 2026)
Join us for an unforgettable skiing adventure in Chile! Spend five days skiing at Valle Nevado, one of South America's premier ski destinations, and explore the culture and sights of Santiago.
       Cost Breakdown:
           - Total Cost: $1800
                  - ORC Payment: $950 (Pay at the ORC Front Desk - non-refundable)
                  - Flights: $850 (Pay online after initial deposit)
           - Lift tickets are NOT included in the registration fee, so participants are encouraged to have a 2025/26 Ikon Base Pass.
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Registration opens on March 26th, 2026 at midnight
Email the Director of Outdoor Recreation, Austin Dyer, at adyer@mines.edu to REGISTER.
SOLD OUT | Spring Skiing in Andorra (March 20 - 29, 2026)
This spring break, join us for an adventure combining world-class skiing and European exploration!
Nestled high in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain, the tiny country of Andorra is one of Europe's hidden gems - just 180 square miles in size, making it smaller than the city of Denver. Despite its small footprint, Andorra boasts Grandvalira, one of the largest ski resorts in all of Europe, with an incredible 210 kilometers (130 miles) of interconnected slopes across seven sectors.
After a week of skiing and snowboarding through the sweeping alpine terrain of Grandvalira, we'll spend two days exploring Toulouse, France, a vibrant city known for its pink-brick architecture, café culture, and youthful energy.
SOLD OUT | Explore Antarctica (Dec 26, 2026 - Jan 6, 2027)
Open to students, parents, and students! We're going on the trip of a lifetime to Antarctica! This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands Cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Designed for travelers who want to feel immersed in the history and landscapes as a full-sensory experience, busy by day and comfortable by night from the 170-passenger polar expedition ship, MV Hondius.
Visit painteddogtravel.com for a detailed itinerary and to complete our interest form.
Check Out Where We've Been!
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A Note to Past Donors from the Director of Outdoor Recreation
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  The ORC is off to a new year of exciting adventure, but I wanted to take a moment to reflect and to express my deepest thanks for your contribution to our Gold Mine Campaign. With your help, we traveled to Costa Rica with 14 students, Spain with 8 students, and Peru with 21 students. For each trip, we were able to subsidize the trips, and we could offer these trips for $1500 for Costa Rica and Spain and just $1000 for Peru.Â
        These trips have truly been a positive impact on the lives of the students who attended. Each night we have a debrief meeting. A portion of this meeting is dedicated to reading a journal entry from the day before, often reminding the students of details of the trip. Two or three students work together to recount the day and translate it to paper. When you read these, It is easy to tell what these trips mean to students and how they have produced discovery, connection, and achievement within each student. I welcome you to explore the attached scans of the journal from each trip. I hope you see the value in your pervious donation. We have recorded each trip via Instagram. You may also explore the collection of stories from each trip on the Mines Rec Sports (@minesrecsports) Instagram account. The story collection is titled "ORC INT. Trips."
We were able to raise just shy of $7000 to help subsidize our Global Adventure Trips. This sum has helped us keep prices on our international trips to a minimum. I am excited to announce we will be able to continue this subsidization through future years.
We were able to offer the Chamonix trip (which includes flights, transportation, lodging, meals, PA class credit, and an IKON Ski pass) for $1500. The Bali trip, which has all of the same inclusions minus the ski pass, for $1500. And, probably the most exciting news, we offered the Kilimanjaro climb, with flights, meals, guides, permits, etc. for $1800.Â
As you can imagine, trips continue to sell out. Each trip has 6-8 people on the waitlist. Students are thrilled at this chance of a lifetime! This has been made possible with the help of you! So thank you!
We are well on our way to meeting our goal of providing opportunities for students to travel to all seven continents during their time at Mines. I aim to raise $10,000 this year to continue to make this student service as available to as many students as possible. We still have so many more opportunities to go.
We're grateful for your support!  Give a gift here by selecting the cause "Other" and writing in "ORC Global Adventures".
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Austin Dyer
Director of Mines Outdoor Recreation CenterÂ
2025 - 2026
PHOTOS COMING SOON | Diving in Belize & Skiing in Japan - Winter Break
2024Â -Â 2025
Exploring Thailand - Spring Break
Diving in Honduras - Winter Break
Skiing in Austria - Winter Break
2024+
Exploring Costa Rica - Spring Break 2022
Gallery: (10-10-2022) ORC Global Adventures - Costa Rica
Exploring Spain - Summer 2022Â
Gallery: (10-10-2022) ORC Global Adventures - Spain
Oredigger Camp Abroad: Exploring Peru - Fall 2022Â
Gallery: (10-10-2022) ORC Global Adventures - Peru
Skiing in France - Winter 2023
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Bali Yoga Retreat - Spring Break 2023
