The Class of 2009 began the 2007 – 2008 school year with the traditional seventh-grade adventure trip to Camp Glen Brook in New Hampshire. Through a series of activities during the week-long trip—from high ropes courses, to challenging walls and impossible ladders—students faced personal fears and found creative ways to work together to overcome obstacles. Below are students’ personal accounts of how they pushed beyond their supposed limits to achieve feats they’d never dreamed of. Through these exciting and adventurous activities, students were challenged physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. They arrived back at school with a stronger sense of connectedness and ownership, and an expanded idea of what is possible to achieve, both alone and together.
My brain registers my fast breathing and shaking limbs, but my mind wanders. I look down, wideeyed, at the ground far below me. The ropes swing precariously beneath my legs. But I’m determined to make it to the top where Mrs. Palmer is waiting with a big smile. I start to lose my confidence as I climb higher. It seems like with each new step more certainty slips from my back and falls to the ground. The rational part of my brain, which can still think clearly, knows that there is a rope holding me up in case I fall, but my subconscious mind keeps drumming, “Hold on tight or you will end up down there, flat as a pancake.” I look up and am surprised to see Mrs. Palmer grinning at me from the platform, just inches above me. I finally make it to the top and take a well-deserved break (for now). Next I have to jump off the edge of the platform onto the Zapline!
At Camp Glen Brook there were ropes challenges with names like Zapline, Pirate’s Crossing, Burma Loops and Giant’s Ladder. When I was on the tree where the Zapline began, I felt like I was on top of the world, and when I jumped from the platform thirty feet high up in the trees onto Zapline, I felt like I was flying. I think each of us overcame some kind of fear during the week. I know I overcame my fear of heights.
Not long after breakfast, we went over to the high ropes course. First we had to climb some ropes that looked like rigging on an old sailing ship. At the top, there was a balance beam 40 or 50 feet off the ground. I decided not to do that and went straight across the Zapline. I then repelled myself down from the trees in time for the macaroni Chef Ash had prepared for lunch.
After lunch we could climb a rope ladder, some staples in a tree, or the Giant’s Ladder, which was huge and had rungs that were sometimes five feet apart! I took staples up the tree and went across the Postman’s Walk, a small tightwire up in the trees. Then I crossed the Burma Loops and took the Zipline down from the trees and across a field to safety.
“Iolani, first you must climb that tree on those staples. When you get to the top, stop and I will tell you what to do next.” That’s Mr. Bullard, our high ropes teacher, speaking. I begin to climb up the tree by stepping on the staples, steel loops that protrude about two inches from the tree. When I reach the top I call, “Mr. Bullard, what do I do now?” He answers, “OK, now choose your direction.” “I think I would first like to try the Pirate’s Crossing,” I say. The Pirate’s Crossing is just two ropes, which, at both ends, are about five and a half feet apart and which cross in the middle. “OK, first you must attach the carabeener to your life loop and then show me that it is screwed on properly.” So I hook the carabeener to my life loop and screw it tight. I am attached to a rope by a strong wire that means, if I fall, I will only fall about two feet. So I begin. “Iolani, you need to push the ropes apart as far as possible,” says Mr. Bullard. I push the ropes apart, look down, and scream. I am so high above the ground. I begin to shake. I am coming to the actual crossing and the ropes are now about two feet apart. I sit down, turn around and start scooching further. Finally, I am unable to stand so I use my opportunity to begin slowly inching my way to the other side. I reach it! I jump off the platform and feel like I am flying! This experience was amazing. It helped me to overcome my fears and trust my friends.
Ben and I decided to give the Giant’s Ladder a go. Oh, and did I mention that the whole thing swings, and that the rungs roll and twist a bit? We started out simply. Ben would jump up onto his stomach on the first rung and I would help him up to a sitting position. Then he would pull me up and we’d carefully stand up. Using this method, we made it up the first couple of rungs, but as they became farther apart, it became more and more difficult. Every so often one of us would fall back a couple of rungs (no worries, we had harnesses and were roped in) and the other would come back to help. But finally we came to the last rung—a square, sturdy beam—and easily pulled ourselves up; we had made it! Climbing the Giant’s Ladder showed how when we work together we can accomplish much more than we can on our own.
Seth and I are about to climb the Giant’s Ladder. The first rung—which is six to eight inches in diameter—is close to the ground and we easily accomplish that. The rules are that, as you climb, you can’t use the cables on the sides. We can both reach the next rung. Chin-ups are out of the question because the logs are so thick. Seth kneels so I can stand on his knee and swing my leg over the next rung. Between falling, groaning, pulling and pushing, we make it up! Finally we reach the cross beam and descend rapidly on a zipline. We were the only team to make it to the top of the Giant’s Ladder!
Some people say climbing a ladder is easy, but let me tell you, when the rungs are four or more feet apart and you can’t use the sides, it is extremely difficult. Fay-Lee and I climbed up to the second-to-last rung of the Giant’s Ladder with no less than ten new bruises each.
The seventh grade faced many challenges at Camp Glen Brook, whether it was working as a class, or working individually. One challenge we all had to face was The Wall. The Wall was 13 feet tall with no handholds. How were we to get up? By trusting each other and working as a team. After we hoisted the first six people up, it became much more simple. At the end, it was hard to believe we did it.
We are not even on belay! I look up at The Wall and think, How are we going to get our whole class over this? After Mr. Bullard, the counselor, tells us the rules, we begin to discuss how we can achieve this feat. Finally we decide we are going to try a human pyramid. Sadly, the pyramid idea fails. We think more and realize we have to get Emily (one of our taller classmates) up first. We manage to hoist her up with a little help from Mr. Bullard. The rest of the class makes it over, including me, but we still have Robin at the bottom. We think we might be able to hoist Seth down by his wrists and Robin could jump and grab his ankles. Robin makes it, and with all of our effort we pull up Seth and then grab Robin. We rejoice. We did it!
At Camp Glen Brook, we had many challenges as a class, but the wall was the hardest. The challenge was to get everyone up over the 13-foot wall. From our shoulders we pushed people up to the top where from above they could pull others up. Every time a third person went up, the first had to go down, leaving only two people to help at the top. We did it! It was a wonderful experience.
The most intense and extreme high ropes experience was the Balance Beam. The beam was a log about five inches wide and 40 feet high in the air, secured to two trees. As I got on the beam, I held onto a tree and took my first steps. As I slowly walked along the beam, I felt my legs shaking violently. When I finally got to the other tree, I felt excited, but then I realized I had to walk back. Luckily the way back was much easier.
We had a lot of fun at Camp Glen Brook, but like everything else, good things must come to an end. So on the last day, one of the counselors took us to a 13 foot wall in the middle of the woods. It seemed like Mission Impossible that we could get everyone over this block of rectangular, completely flat, wall. Finally, with a lot pushing, pulling, standing on backs, standing on shoulders, and hanging in very painful positions, we made it over!