It all started on the Wednesday before camp – all budding climbers went to Gisborne hall for a safety briefing and knot tying instruction. As we drove to the hall we all thought “how boring, more knots!”

How wrong we were, we learnt how to fit harness, helmets, tie new knots, and then got to try out the belaying system on one of the Venturers from Gisborne with a rope hanging from their roof. We drove down to Mt Stapleton on Friday night – Macca’s on the way – “important camping food”, arriving about 10.30 in the rain, and then set up camp. Got to bed about mid night and maybe talked a bit longer.

The next Morning we had breakfast and fitted our harness and helmets and headed down to the rock climbing wall. There were 8 different grades of climbs all set up ready to go and the day could not have been better.

It didn’t look too challenging until you took your first couple of steps up the wall then it was a bit daunting. But the rock climbing team talked us though the climb and before we knew it we were half way up the wall. They even managed to get the most nervous scout climbing like spider kids.

We all learnt how to climb and belay and operate the prussic safety system. Every scout agreed this was a fantastic adrenalin rushing day we could not thank the climbing team enough.

On Sunday we hiked around the local area and saw all the spectacular scenery.

Lachlan Sutton
Patrol Leader, 2nd Woodend Scouts