Over the last two terms in Lock we have explored a whole bunch of different activities to do with Outdoor Education such as kayaking, rock climbing and bush cooking.
Rock Climbing + Knot Tying
Our first skill that we learnt in class was rock climbing and knot tying. We started off in class learning the basic knot tying styles in preparation for our knots test later on in the term. We had to learn around about 10 different styles of knot tying and spent the next few weeks learning how to do them in a set amount of time. I found the knot tying quite challenging as I had no previous experience in learning how to tie knots, but over the course of the term I found them progressively easier to do.
We started rock climbing a couple of weeks into the term when we had learnt most of the basic knots we needed for rock climbing. The first thing we learnt about was the 7 H’s of rock climbing and all the right ways to connect all the ropes and harnesses to the climbing wall. We then learnt the correct way to beelaying people up the climbing wall and then we were able to try it in small groups. I found beelaying people up the wall quite easy but the climbing part was a lot harder then suspected. Over the entire first term 1, I could only get about 1m past the top of the first term, but It was pretty good since I haven’t really rock climbed before.
For rock climbing we had to have really good communication with the people around us to ensure everyone stayed safe. This meant that we had to constantly express how we felt with our partner if we needed less slack or our partner to slow down. I found this quite easy since my partner and I were constantly talking the entire time someone was on the wall which made the process a lot easier for us. Next time I go rock climbing I’m really going to focus of effective communication with my partner since it made the whole process a lot safer and everyone more comfortable whether they were beelaying or climbing.
Kayaking
We started kayaking a couple weeks into term 1 and on the first week we bussed down to the Shelley Foreshore and started to learn the basics of kayaking. The kayaking group that taught us was Paddle WA and the instructors taught us how to put on a skirt and size us for kayaks, to then hop onto the water. The first thing we learnt was how to paddle and the different strokes we needed to go different directions, with right strokes to turn left, left to turn right and both to go straight. The first lesson we had for kayaking was very challenging as I couldn’t sit up right and kept on falling into the water, but overtime I started to like the sessions more and it became my favourite.
I tried to be as resilient as possible when we started kayaking since I knew it was something completely new to me and it would only take some time to get used to it. Everytime I fell in the water and then when I got back up, I knew what not to do the next time and how to stay more balanced in my kayak. This happened quite a few times over the course of the term and by the end of the unit I could go the entire class without unintentionally falling in the water. The next time I go kayaking I want to try and be as resilient as possible since I now know I am actually quite good at it, even though I may fall in a little at first.
Bush Cooking
We ended term 1 by learning about all the different types of materials needed for fires and the most effective ways of lighting one. So by the start of term 2 we started our bush cooking unit since the fire ban was lifted and we were able to light open fires. We started by getting our cooking groups, to then plan out our meals for the upcoming term and what we needed to bring for the upcoming classes. When we started cooking we really struggled to start the fire since it wouldn’t catch onto the larger sticks. We eventually started some really good fires going but it took a few classes to figure out what worked best.
The first full meal we cooked in class was spaghetti and meatballs that went surprisingly well considering the setbacks we had. We found it really easy to prep all our meatballs and start cooking them but when it came to the pasta we hit a few struggles. Our pasta found its way into the fire by accident so we decided to collaborate with another group who only had pasta. With a few tweaks to out recipes we split our meatballs and pasta with each other and in the end we made one big meal that ended up tasting really nice.
Leave No Trace + Sustainability
On our 1-day camp we really focused on leaving no trace wherever we were. When we went kayaking we focused on leaving the river as it was and not damaging the nature around us. We had to push our kayaks down the steps to get to river instead of going down the bank. This was to ensure that we didn’t alter the environment around us and tamper with the water as the river supplies water to many towns and vegetation around it.