As the cold of February melts away into March, the winter-fearing public have reclaimed their bravery and are ready to start venturing out beyond their fireplaces and furnaces. With the change in the weather and the sparkles of sunshine every other day, people are warming to the idea of new adventures in parks and on beaches.

The only thing lacking is an available outlet for this new stir of energy throughout the campus. Fortunately for Sacramento State students, the Peak Adventures Challenge Center is ready and willing to provide a helping hand.

Peak Adventures, a local company serving Sacramento since 1989, is an activity commissioning firm specializing in such endeavors as full moon kayaking, wine tasting and downhill mountain biking.

When looking for something special to do, Peak Adventures offers activities ranging from everyday outdoor recreation to extraordinary thrill trips at reasonable costs.

“We offer so much for the community,” said Jael Barnoske, director of the Peak Adventures organization. Staying true to the program?s mission statement, the center helps introduces students to new activities and help rent the gear needed for such an endeavor.

“We are more than just a sporting shop. Yes, we do offer rentals and trips to the river, the snow and local mountains, but we do so much more. The group atmosphere and the saving in transportation alone are great reasons to use our services,” Barnoske said. “Through our diversity there is something for everyone.” “I went on a Salt Point camping trip for a night,” said student Erin Pace. Pace went on the trip with her Recreation and Leisure class. “I had a great time with the people and I wouldn?t mind doing it again,” Pace said.

Many programs offered by the center are taught at the introductory level, and Barnoske assures that the instructors are “very patient.””I guarantee you will learn something from one of our outings,” Barnoske said.

Still, with all the thrills Peak Adventures offers, the campus community seems relatively unaware of this goldmine resource for adventure planning.

In an unofficial State Hornet poll of 200 students, only eight of those students had used the Peak Adventures program. Of the rest, 78 students knew what Peak Adventures was, but have yet to used its services, and 114 students were completely unaware of the center at all.

Most students who were familiar with the organization knew only about the challenge arena that Peak Adventures offers ? the Ropes Course. The orientation, communication and recreation classes taught on campus use the course in many of their curricula.

“The course helps to form communication skills and builds relationships,” Barnoske explains.

Although the thought of climbing false mountains on the Ropes Course may be tempting to some, it may also strike fear into the hearts of others. Keeping those people in mind, Peak Adventures has created a variety programs for different interests.

“For those people who are look for something other than rock climbing and kayaking, we offer trips through the wine country, trips to the Shakespearean Festival in Oregon and much more,” Barnoske said.

Students like Ronnie Caluza have used the center for its more practical educational resources.

“I took a clinic on layering clothing for winter activities. You learn a lot about layering and the types of material to wear. I liked it a lot and it was only 10 bucks,” Caluza said.

Many of the programs and trips Peak Adventures offers are relatively inexpensive. With a subsidy from Associated Students, Inc., the adventure center is able to keep its prices lower than commercial firms. These inexpensive trip fares and cheap rental fees make the organization attractive to the average starving college students.