Wacky Hair Day and a Whole Lot More
August 5, 2015 by Don Gentle
Wacky hair day sure was a good start to the morning. Zoob and a couple of her assistants opened the “salon” just after breakfast was started. The boys filtered out slowly to have the hair properly “wacky” for the day. Like most social experiences, there are always a few to jump in first, then the results reveal to others that they should give it a try as well. In the end it made for a lot of fun and some great pictures.
Rock Climbing at High Rocks is one of our most popular activities. Like all of our activities, climbing follows a very purposeful progression. The boys all learn how to put on their harness and helmet. They learn the knots, safety calls, and rules. Finally, they get right to the climbing on our 50 foot tower. Our tower has six different sides, each with different features and difficulty. The focus of the program is to get them out on real rock. We have numerous locations locally right in Pisgah National Forest. We also make use of several other climbing locations within the state and local areas. During their lessons at the tower, they learn all sort of techniques and maneuvers to help them get up the tower or rock. They will also learn how to rappel down a rope from the top and learn how to ascend the rope. The oldest age group of boys in the longer sessions even learn how to belay. We also have an 800 square foot bouldering cave where boys learn very difficult moves at lower levels. It is a good way to build strength and learn new techniques. Lead by qualified staff, the program offers all sorts of challenges and adventures for multiple years.
So does camp have to be fun all the time? It would be easy to say yes, but the magic is in the truth that it isn’t always fun or easy. It sure is worth it. What I am trying to say is while camp life at High Rocks is awesome, it is also educational. Sometimes that education can be frustrating and even difficult. For some of the youngest boys, the hardest part was getting out of the car on opening day. The learning continues everyday as they not only learn skills in their activities, but they also learn how to interact with one another. The challenges of living with six other people that are not your family members is not to be overlooked. The cabin experience also holds some of their greatest memories. You can’t have one without the other. In their activities the boys work hard everyday to learn new skills and attempt to get better.
The biggest contributing factor to success at camp outside of the parents’ willingness to send their child, is the staff that mentor them. We spend a lot of time hiring and training our staff. They are a hard working group of young adults that enjoy educating young children and adolescents. The biggest edge they have over parents is that the boys think they are the coolest. Add some fun and a cool location void of the distractions of electronics and you have an opportunity to overcome all sorts of what life will throw at you.
Sure it’s a lot of fun, but camp is also a great place to learn that you are capable of way more than you thought.
I will add some reminders and details about parents’ day tomorrow. One thing I will add tonight is that you can still order a USB jump drive of all the photos to have ready on closing day if you did not pre-order one. If you like all of the photos and would like to purchase a cool little jump drive of high resolution versions of these photos, drop a note to our office manager, Stephanie. She will add one on the list for you and have it in your envelope for closing day. You can email her at office@highrocks.com.
I sure hope you enjoy the pictures. Thanks again for letting us guide your boys for a few days. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Don