Climb with Care 2026

Climb with Care

On Monday the 11th of August our Year 11 Outdoor Education class set off and made our way to Woodhill Forest. There we set off into two groups, one was mountain biking and the other did tree adventures or high ropes.

I was in the Tree Adventures group, where we started by putting on our harnesses and having a safety briefing. I was super excited to get started and try all the different levels. Throughout the day we did a variety of obstacles which included swinging bridges, ziplines and balancing ropes. The swinging obstacles were definitely the most challenging for me because they were harder to balance on and required more concentration. One of the biggest parts of the activity was buddy checking, as we had to communicate with and trust other people in our group. This showed me that outdoor activities are not always about relying on yourself, but also about trusting the people around you. We also went to WestWave Pools during the trip, which was another fun part of being away with everyone.

After finishing at Woodhill, we headed to Karanga Camp. The camp was really cool, especially the recreation room because it was warm and became a great place for everyone to hang out. One of my favourite parts of the trip was the atmosphere at camp. Everyone was having a good time and it felt nice being able to spend time with my classmates outside of a normal school environment. One of the funniest parts of the trip was getting seven limos to Pizza Hut, which made the night even more memorable.

The next day we went to Glen Eden Vertical Adventures for rock climbing. We started with another safety briefing, got our harnesses on and learnt how to belay. The climbing was a lot different from the high ropes at Woodhill. I found rock climbing tougher on my legs, while the high ropes were more challenging for my upper body. There were different walls that ranged from quite easy to more intense. One of the hardest challenges was doing the jump from one wall to another. After completing two of the tricker walls, I felt proud of myself because I had pushed through the harder parts and managed to complete them. Bela, Rylee, JT and Charlee-Rose were also really encouraging, which helped make the experience more enjoyable.

One of the biggest things I took away from the trip was the importance of trust and teamwork. I realised that it is a team effort and that you need to trust not only your buddy, but also yourself. Even though safety was an important part of both activities, I also learnt that communication and encouragement can make a big difference when someone is trying something challenging and possibly new.

Overall, Climb with Care was one of the best trips I have been on. It was exciting, challenging and a lot of fun, and I would not change anything about the experience. The combination of the outdoor activities, camp, WestWave and spending time with everyone made it a trip that I will remember for a long time.

-Ciara van Heeckeren Year 11