One of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is you're never far from a multitude of outdoor activities. The lush forests, lakes, rivers and mountain ranges provide a supple environment for a variety of activities, no matter what time of year.

But for those new to the region, getting to know what's available to you can be a challenge.

That's where the Olympia Mountaineers come in. The group serves as the South Sound's connection to the Mountaineers, a Seattle based group whose mission is to enrich the community by helping people explore, conserve, learn about and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest.

The Olympia Mountaineers offer many activities and educational outdoor courses. Branch members hike, scramble (a non-technical form of climbing that involves off-trail travel, often over rock, snow or brush, to mountain summits), climb, cross-country ski, backpack and explore the waterways of Western Washington by kayak. Branch meetings are held quarterly at the Olympia Center (222 N. Columbia St., Olympia).

There is a $35 fee to become a member, but once initiated, it opens the door to an entire world of outdoor adventures.

Members can take classes on a variety of subjects to learn or enhance their outdoor skills. The class on scrambling, for instance, teaches the basics: how to navigate in the backcountry, how to select the proper food, clothing and equipment for a scramble route for the current season, how to recognize and avoid mountain hazards; how to practice wilderness ethics, and how to become proficient in snow and rock travel, self-arrest and other basic mountaineering skills.

There is also a climbing class geared toward teaching the fundamental skills necessary to safely climb most rock and glaciated peaks in the Pacific Northwest with an experienced leader. The course includes instruction and practice in alpine travel, as well as in the technical aspects of roped climbing on rock, snow and glaciers. The course emphasizes basic climbing and mountaineering skills, including navigation, rope handling, knots, crevasse rescue and belay and rappel techniques. Throughout the course, students gain an appreciation for wilderness ethics and conservation.

And how about navigating in the wilderness? There is a class for that as well, consisting of two evenings of instruction, exercises and discussion, followed by a day of outdoor exercises and testing. Students learn about maps, compass use, coordinate systems, terrain association, route planning and navigation in a group setting.

For those who would like to take to the water, there is also a class for sea kayaking-providing a basic introduction to sea kayaking. Graduation from the course permits members to sign up for Mountaineer Sea Kayak trips with any branch. No prior knowledge or experience is required. All instruction is in single kayaks. For those who don't own a kayak, rentals are available.

For more information on membership and times and dates for the classes, visit www.olympiamountaineers.org.