Sara Warner, the CRC’s assistant director for communications, said the number of students participating in this trip has nearly doubled since last year, and that the trip is as much about getting to know other freshman and making friends at Tech as it is getting to explore Alaska. A second Tech Treks group will take a rafting trip in the southeast for those who might prefer a less remote destination.

The CRC offers travel opportunities throughout the school year, to locations both domestic and international. As part of its China summer program, a group of students participated in a weeklong leadership and adventure trip earlier this summer where they hiked undeveloped parts of the Great Wall. Other groups have scuba dived in Cozumel, Mexico, during spring break or skied in Breckenridge, Colo., during winter break. Students, faculty and staff are all welcome on the CRC’s trips, many of which are organized and led by Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech (ORGT).

“We work with travel agents to make the packages something worthwhile on all trips, and definitely make sure it’s cheap enough that students want to do it,” Warner said. Many trips are all-inclusive, and trip itineraries outline almost every aspect of the journey, leaving almost nothing that needs independent planning but still allowing for personal time and providing options for side trips or activities.

Follow the freshmen students on their Alaskan journey through Sunday, July 24, via the CRC’s Twitter and Facebook pages, and visit crc.gatech.edu to learn more about travel opportunities throughout the year