Georgia Southern University students can choose to climb mountains or raft down a raging river on one of the new Southern Adventures fall trips to be released on Oct. 14.

Southern Adventures has a wide variety of trips students can participate in, Jenn Velie, director of the Southern Adventures Trips program, said.

“[The trips] range in sports [such as] white water rafting, horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, caving, rock climbing, backpacking and scuba diving,” Velie said.

Students can sign up for trips at the Southern Adventures office located in the back of the RAC.

Day trips and weekend trips are available to students.

“Some of them will be gone Friday through Sunday and some will be gone one day,” Velie said.

Students attending the trips can experience more than just learning the skills needed for that sport or new tricks.

Some students go on these trips and come back with new connections and sense of self.

“A lot our participants come back from the trips [and] have met new friends, learned new skills and pushed themselves outside of their comfort zones,” Velie said.

Justin Yun, trip leader and junior outdoor recreation major, began taking trips with the Southern Adventures program as a freshman.

During his first trip, he had made new friends and found a new passion for the adventures.

“I sort of fell in love with it,” Yun said. “You go with a small group of people and get to know them a little bit better. Some of them you keep as friends.”

The trips Southern Adventures mainly focuses on are paddling and backpacking, Yun said.

The trips for paddling vary between different versions of kayaking and canoeing.

Students will also be able to go backpacking in different locations, Yun said.

Jessie Landes, freshman psychology major, took part in a surfing trip offered by Southern Adventures near Daytona Beach, Fl.

“The surfing trip was super fun, it was awesome. We did it all day from I guess ten-thirty a.m. to six p.m. at night so it was really fun,” Landes said.

Jake Boling, senior outdoor recreation major, decided to apply as a Southern Adventures leader after going on a canoeing trip.

“A year and a half ago I went on a canoeing trip to the Congaree Swamp and I just had a blast. I became really acquainted with Southern Adventures and it was what led me to apply to get the job,” Boling said.

Boling said, Southern Adventures is also pushing more trips that include paddle boarding, which has been a huge success in the past.