Practice your map and compass skills in the park

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map and compass class

“I think we should be about there,” someone said as we approached an indistinct corner of Prospect Park. We were a few hours into a navigation class and we were lost.

“Um, I don’t think this is right,” someone else mumbled. We glanced at the map of the park we had plotted our course on beforehand to try to make sense of where we were. Our instructor gave us a few minutes to figure out our error before setting us back on track. We held up our compasses and marched on by following the azimuth we had recorded on our maps when we had planned our route. Continue reading Practice your map and compass skills in the park

Social climbing: How outdoor activities can help a new city feel like home

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Outdoor Community in a new city

This week we bring you a personal essay from contributor and Sorta Outdoorsy pal Allie Lee. If you have a Sorta Outdoorsy story you’d like to share, email us at hi@sortaoutdoorsy.com.

When I made the New Year’s resolution to “be more spontaneous,” I had no idea that I would actually keep it. But soon, I found myself, with just a few weeks’ notice, moving from New York to London. Although I was excited to move to a new city and get out of my comfort zone, I was nervous about leaving the close-knit climbing community that was a big part of my life in New York. Continue reading Social climbing: How outdoor activities can help a new city feel like home

Snow day: Another chance to enjoy the best winter activities in the city

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Snow day NYC

We didn’t check the weather last night before we went to bed so we were pretty surprised this morning when we woke up to what looked like at least an inch of snow collected on our fire escape. While we were excited to start planning for our spring adventures, we’re psyched about getting at least one more day of winter. We’ve rounded up our favorite ways to enjoy snow in the city (indoors and out) below. Let us know how you’ll be spending one more snow day.

Continue reading Snow day: Another chance to enjoy the best winter activities in the city

Talk to strangers: a few of our favorite outdoor meetups

Posted on by Sorta Outdoorsy

Most major cities have plenty of meetups that host various outdoor activities for all different levels of enthusiasts. A few of our local favorites are New York City Archery Group, NY Ski and Snowboard Club, Hudson Valley Hikers, Ghost Skate New York, Crux Climbing and Outdoorfest.

One of the best parts about getting involved in an outdoor activity is that most of them are designed to be done in groups or with partners. Whether it’s climbing, camping or canoeing, signing up for trips and classes are great ways to find new friends, no matter where you are. Check your local REI for a range of courses like Snowshoeing Basics or Solo Backpacking.

To read more about finding your outdoor community, check out our newsletter from a few weeks ago which includes an essay from Sorta Outdoorsy pal and recent London transplant Allie Lee.

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