The best place to meet guys at Berkeley, a roommate of mine once said, is in a Cal Adventures course. When you're tired of Sierra Club singles hikes and can't find straight guys at the comedy clubs, she said, a fly fishing or rock climbing class will never fail you. She would be crushed to know Cal Adventures held a sea kayaking class last month without a man in sight. And it was planned that way as part of a new series of courses for women only. Run by Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports, Cal Adventures is an affordable way to enjoy the wilds and waters of California while learning skills in such sports as mountaineering, rafting, sailing and skiing.
Classes are open to the public.
Traditionally, Cal Adventures classes tend to be 60 to 70 per cent men. To balance the program, courses were designed and launched this year to provide a more supportive atmosphere for women. Sea kayaking comprehensive debuted in May and white water kayaking starts June 19. A climbing class is scheduled for fall. Women can feel pushed to do it the way men do it, but that isn't necessary.