The Door’s Always Open at DU Outdoors

At the busy corner of University Boulevard and Asbury Street, a few doors down from the Ritchie Center, sit two 1930s bungalows connected by a garage space. The site, previously home to the Entrepreneurship@DU program, now has a simple black-and-white sign next to the front door that reads “BASECAMP.”

The new headquarters of DU Outdoors, Basecamp opened its doors in December, with the goal of being “DU’s one-stop shop for all things outdoor and wellness,” according to Nathan Page, DU Outdoors assistant director.

We wanted to know more, so we sat down with Page to find out what exactly DU Outdoors does and why students should make it a point to stop by.

What is DU Outdoors?

DU Outdoors was founded when DU acquired the Kennedy Mountain Campus in 2022. At the time, we were called the Outdoor Experience, and we served—and still serve—as the outdoor programming arm of KMC. The idea was that we would help facilitate experiences and develop the amenities there.

We helped build the trail system—about eight miles of sustainably built trail, which was finished by DU students—and we helped design and build most of the rock climbing areas on the property. The other big thing we did was help complete the via ferrata in the winter of 2023. We also built over four miles of dedicated mountain biking terrain, and we have a student-friendly campground set to open in the fall.

We also serve as the main connecting point between the Denver campus and KMC—and our mission is to build a whole ecosystem of programs, jobs, and experiences for outdoor-minded individuals at DU that help to reinforce the 4D Experience.

What programs do you offer?

First, we have outdoor trips and classes for students who want to connect with nature and learn something new. From the introductory, “never have I ever” programs to programs for those who came to Colorado because they want to ski, we want everyone to find opportunities that fit their needs and allow them to grow as outdoor individuals.

We offer cycling, climbing, and ice climbing classes at all levels. For example, our climbing class starts off very basic—learning how to manage the rope and how to belay, here on campus in the Coors Fitness Center. Then, in late spring, we do an anchor-building class overnight at KMC, where people build their own anchors outside as they climb. They learn how to how to climb from the bottom up—and people can enter and exit the class where they want to.

We also offer several certification classes, including Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace, and our 4D Outdoor Leadership Lab, which is a training program held at KMC for DU Outdoors Leaders and anyone who wants to go into the outdoor industry or is just outdoor curious. DU Outdoors Leaders are students who do everything from guiding the via ferrata and rock-climbing experiences at KMC to wrenching on bikes and renting gear at Basecamp.

And every fall, we lead the First Ascent program, which brings all first-year students up to KMC for a weekend of outdoor activities, connecting with other students, and learning about DU’s 4D Experience.

What goes on in the “garage” at Basecamp?

We’ve set up the garage as both a ski shop and a bike shop. In the winter, we rent ski equipment, and students can get their skis or snowboards waxed by our ski techs—or they can do it themselves, thanks to an ever-growing number of workshops and clinics. In the spring, we're opening up a bigger outdoor rental program, with bikes, backpacks, tents, sleeping bags—anything you need to go backpacking—and some water sports equipment, like stand-up paddle boards.

If a student doesn’t need to rent gear, why should they still come to Basecamp?

We want Basecamp to be a fun space for students to congregate freely and hang out with like-minded individuals. We have many student employees who are very experienced in the outdoors, so if someone comes here and says, “I want to go backpacking, but I don’t know where to go,” we have someone who can tell them everything they need to know. We have a dedicated lounge space known as the “map room”—known by some as the nap room!—full of outdoor guidebooks and maps of Colorado and its mountain ranges.

We’re also a gathering spot for several student clubs. Alpine Club, Climbing Club, Club Ski, Cycling Club, Club Freeride, Kayak Club, and more are able to hold their regular meetings and pre-trip meetings here or just hang out. DU’s one and only Coffee Club has even made Basecamp its home!

Do you hire students?

Yes, we have a student coordinator who helps manage the shop, and we have student ski techs and ski rental associates. In the spring, we'll also have bike techs; we work closely with Club Cycling on that because they obviously have that shared passion and skillset.

We want to establish an employment life cycle, where a student could start out working as a ski or bike tech, then take the 4D Outdoor Leadership Lab in the spring, and potentially work as a via ferrata instructor or youth camp counselor over the summer. Then, that person could become a DU Outdoors Leader or a 4D Peer Mentor for First Ascent.

What’s unique about DU Outdoors?

Other schools have similar programs, but what sets us apart is KMC. We don’t have to compete with a bunch of other people at a climbing site or a mountain bike park. We have our own spaces just for DU students and can design those spaces exactly how we want them. And now, we have Basecamp, a physical and programmatic connecting point with KMC—very few institutions that have that kind of format.

What are your goals for the program’s future?

One of the top reasons students choose DU is access to the outdoors and the mountains. So, we want to find ways to interact with and engage more students, especially those who haven’t found their place or community yet. That means expanding classes and trainings to meet the needs of more students and building more opportunities for involvement.

We also think there’s lots of potential to partner with units across campus—like Health Promotion, to offer programs at KMC for outdoor therapy or digital detoxing. We collaborate with the 4D Experience team regularly and continue to develop our suite of 4D Signature Experiences at KMC. We work regularly to offer experiential programs at KMC, but eventually we would love to find an academic home for DU Outdoors, thus enabling students to earn valuable credit for outdoor programs.

At the end of the day, everything we do is about creating a sense of belonging and purpose and nurturing well-being. In all of our programs, we are trying to build community and resilience, and help students see themselves in spaces and ways they maybe didn’t before.