Clubroom

Location

In the clubroom in the basement of the AMS Nest (NEW Student Union Building), next to the Grand Noodle Emporium, or, more importantly, just around the corner from The Pit. The room number is LL201 if you really want to know. This map will guide you.

Open Hours

The clubroom is open for specific gear hours, executive meetings, clubroom workhikes, and general hours. Check out the Gear Rental page for info on how and when to rent gear or else read below to learn more.

Executive Meetings

The elected Club Executive meets once a week to discuss upcoming events and generally make the Club run as smoothly as possible. Sometimes this involves mostly putting out fires, and sometimes it involves far-ranging philosophical discussion. If you would like to attend an Exec meeting you are welcome to come. They are open to all VOC members. Email info@ubc-voc.com if you want to learn when the exec meetings are. If you have something to present, talk to the president or secretary before the meeting so it can be scheduled.

If you just want to renew your membership, probably this can be done without interrupting the meeting and you should do it after in most cases. If you want to take out gear, this is not the time to do it.

The minutes from past exec meetings are available for members to read. They are found on the VOC's internal message board.

If you're interested in what the exec did the previous years, you could check out the exec reports.

Clubroom workhikes

Often exec will be working on a variety of tasks during open clubroom hours. If you are interested in sitting on/helping out you are welcome to (it also counts as a workhike!). Below is a list of some of the things we might be working on:

• Maintain the club gear, such as ski tuning, fixing bindings, inspecting equipment, etc.
• Doing research through the archives, reading old journal articles, organizing and documenting what we have.
• Planning big trips such as Rock Party, Glacier School, Longhike, the Winter Formal and the AGM.
• Working on expanding the information and content structure of the VOC Wiki
• Project work for Huts & Trails, such as design work, project briefs, grant writing, construction scheduling, and budgeting.
• Developer tasks, such as upgrading the VOC Main Website, the Hut Registration system or the VOC Wiki.
• Edit trips reports for the next VOCJ
• Committees sometimes meet during the open clubroom times and you are welcome to join in and help them out, or even better, join the committee!

General hours

If there is someone in the clubroom, it is appropriate to ask whether you may:

• read a book from our Library
• activate your VOC membership
• buy swag or pay for other things you might need to pay for
• get advice for how to do things, like organizing a trip, how to pack better, how to reduce faff, etc.
• wax/sharpen your skis (bring $5 to cover the cost of wax/base cleaner/ptex you use)
• do other gear maintenance stuff with the equipment we have
• just hang out with other VOCers!

NOTE: It is at the discretion of the exec member in the clubroom whether these things are possible. Execs try to be accommodating but we also have things to do. It is generally NOT appropriate to ask to borrow or return gear. Please email the quartermasters if you cannot make any gear hours (gear@ubc-voc.com).

Gear Rental

See Gear Rental

If you would like to contact the quartermasters, you can email: gear@ubc-voc dot com .

If we aren't busy with gear, we can help you out with VOC membership or VOC library loans, etc.

Club Gear

• Objectives: to make gear available to all members, to not lose gear, to keep gear in good condition, to maintain a gear plan, to find good deals on gear.
  

• Club gear is managed by the Quartermasters, who are elected members of the VOC Exec. We appreciate getting help with gear; if you would like to help out, please volunteer to be a Helper. Quartermasters and Helpers follow gear policy
  

• As Club gear is maintained by the quartermasters and club members, it is subject to the time constraints of busy students. This means the gear you receive may not be in the best condition. You must examine and/or test borrowed gear before you take it on a trip. Report damage to the quartermasters. Usually you can earn a workhike by maintaining or repairing the club gear you borrow.
  

• Club members (Student Members and Associate Members, but not Honorary Members) can borrow gear for free if they leave a deposit. In addition, after a 3 rental grace period everyone is supposed to do a workhike before borrowing club gear.
  

Gear Rental Rules

• Using Club gear is one of the privileges of being a fee-paying (Student or Associate) Member. Honorary Members don't pay fees and are not entitled to use Club Gear; presumably by the time you get to be an Honorary Member, you have bought your own gear.

• Members are entitled to use one set of gear at a time, not gear for yourself and your friends (unless they are Members). If your friend needs a beacon and you need a beacon, your friend should join the Club.

• After a 3 rental grace period you are supposed to have completed a workhike. See Workhikes. If you haven’t done yours yet, discuss this with the Gear Person. Usually you can earn a workhike by maintaining or repairing the club gear you borrow.

• Rental is free, but a large cash deposit is required to take out Club Gear. The cash is returned to you when you bring back the gear.

• Gear rental period is for a week. Please bring it back during the week following the week you took it out. Bring it back as soon as you can, as others may be waiting to use it. There may be penalties for bringing gear back late.

• If you need to take out gear for longer than a weekend, discuss this with the Gear Person, who may let you take it out for longer, especially over the Winter Holiday, or Reading Break.

• If you need gear for two consecutive weekends, you may be able to renew your rental for the next weekend, if demand for the gear is not high at the moment.

• Don't try to reserve gear. If you need something, take it before somebody else gets it.

• Look over your gear carefully to ensure it is all there and it will work for you. Check for loose screws in the bindings. Make sure your boots both fit your feet and the skis, and that your skins fit. Check both halves of the pair. People have managed to borrow two left boots, or two boots of different size.

• Return gear in good condition. Boots should be dry. If something broke, tell us about it. If you lost something, be prepared to replace it.

• Don't hog the gear. If you find you are having trouble with returning Club gear, or it has been sitting in your closet for a while, this is an indication that you are using the Club gear without respect for the needs of the other Members. Maybe it's time to get your own gear.

• It is not appropriate to leave gear outside of the clubroom when there are no gear hours.

Deposits

All gear is borrowed on a deposit system. When you return the gear, you get your deposits returned. The above tables show the deposit amounts. We don't accept personal cheques for deposits, and we don't do cards or coins, so that leaves paper cash only. Deposit amounts are high to encourage you to bring the gear back.

Other Gear Rental Locations

Mountain Equipment Company is probably the best source of rental equipment. More information can be found on their MEC's rental page (Vancouver store)

Another place you might go to rent gear is Sports Junkies (they have winter clothing, tents, other camping gear, plus we get 10% off) or Valhalla Pure Outfitters