Trips Every Weekend
Every normally scheduled weekend of the academic year WilSkills takes a group of students on an adventure consisting of whitewater canoeing, sport climbing, backpacking or caving. Get the most out of your weekend.
Whitewater Canoeing
Join WilSkills as we explore some of the finest rapids in the Southeast. On trips, we will travel down rivers ranging from Class I to Class III, providing the perfect balance of excitement and safety.
Sport Climbing
The mountains are calling! WilSkills visits a variety of climbing destinations including the world-class Red River Gorge
No Experience Necessary
WilSkills’ mission is to make the outdoors accessible to any Vanderbilt student willing to enjoy them. For that reason, WilSkills provides all the necessary gear and instruction for anyone to participate in our trips, regardless of experience or means.
Entirely Student Run
WilSkills is run by a dedicated corps of Vanderbilt students. We lead the trips, give the lectures, maintain the storeroom, and turn all the other gears that keep the WilSkills machine whirring along.
Backpacking
Tennessee has a huge selection of trails right at our fingertips. On our backpacking trips, we frequent Fiery Gizzard, Virgin Falls, Big Frog Wilderness, even the Appalachian Trail!
Horizontal Caving
When it comes to caving, Tennessee is the place to be. Escape from the world above and explore some of our state’s most stunning subterranean wonders with WilSkills.
Implausibly Cheap
With trips for only $40, the ability to go on unlimited trips for $135 (Technically not infinite trips, we only go on ~11 per semester), discounts for returning students, scholarships, and financial aid, WilSkills is financially accessible to everyone. You would be hard pressed to go on a cheaper trip with anyone else, even just buying gas and food for yourself.
Weekly Lectures
Every Wednesday at 7:00 PM in Buttrick 102 WilSkills has its weekly lecture. But these are nothing like those you’ve been suffering through during the day. Come see fellow students present on anything from backcountry cooking to treating hypothermia. These are the perfect way to break up the mid-week grind.
Guest Speakers
Every semester WilSkills features at least one guest speaker to deliver that week’s lecture. These range anywhere from park rangers to Vanderbilt professors, to sustainability executives from international corporations. Only time will tell what is in store for future lectures.
Community
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Social Events
Every other Thursday evening, WilSkills hosts a social event where anyone is welcome. These range from parties, to movies, to functions around Nashville. They are a great opportunity to get to know the people of WilSkills without any significant commitment.
Climb Nashville
After almost any Wednesday Lecture, WilSkills members will head over to Climb Nashville for some evening exercise. We’d love to coordinate rides, share belay partners, and encourage newcomers to give climbing a shot.
Semesterly Potluck
This is the only occasion where you can unleash the full wrath of your culinary wizardry. Bring a dish of your creation or an ambitious collaboration to the WilSkills Potluck where you will surely leave satiated.