Hello dear readers !
Garance here to tell you about our latest adventure : We have been really lucky recently with the possibility to facilitate a climbing camp ! The title might have give it away, but let me give more details ^^
At first we did it ourself as participant, all the 6 of us together, then as facilitator in two team of three for two different climbing camp.
So how did it go ?
Being a participant in a climbing camp :
Two days of camping in the nature, next to a river, between friends/colleagues/flatmates, with a nice weather, discover new experiences and having our own journey… not bad !
We had to get ready in the morning to finish everything and take the train at 7:15, install our camping spot, then go prepare food, and some activities on our way to the climbing spot. In short we had some trust game, exchange and all before climbing, wich can be a great challenge when half of your group have fear of high !
It made it all feel like a team building, Carmen giving incredible warm-up, the group cheering and encouraging the one climbing before having some nice snack. All of that in a beautiful place (the name is Suncuis if you want to give it a go). It was a nice moment of our ESC program, showing us a different side of Paula and Ovi of Minte Forte, giving us all the tool on how to facilitate our own climbing camp without telling us everything but by showing it. Taking care of the time, food, sun, security, group energie and mood, creating some trust, connections and communications.
And even if I (Garance) was sick for the first big part, I survived ! I climbed and saw the group challenge itself, discover climbing for the first for some of us. Fear becoming curiosity, stress becoming pride, the sound of nature next to the laugh.
We where always in the safety of knowing that Dan, a climbing specialist was there, but also always thinking of “how to facilitate it and being a support for other if it’s already hard for me ?”. But that is the point ! If we challenge ourself, experience it differently but understand the fun and difficulty of it, then, we understand the other who will go after us.
So what about the camp, the one we have to make for others, the goal of all that ?
Being a facilitator in a climbing camp :
Two different camps, two different mood, one having less participant making it more intimate, the other more energic.
Knowing how they might feel helped a lot, but the participants where quite independants, surprising us on some level and showing that they are better climber sometimes ! We had some trust actities, games, camp-fire in the nature (with chocolate banana in the night), exploration of cave, relaxing time by the river, great conversations. We even met some mices during the day and got visited by an adult and a young fox, in our camp at night, joining our fire-light.
Click here for some climbing picture 😉
Even if we try, our Romanian is still on his way, but most of them knew english and with a bit of communication we had some volunteer for translating when needed !
Amoung us, facilitator, communications was great, different mind to find the best solution to different situation.
In the end, participants where happy, proud, tired (a bit like us), it was challenging but giving us great energy. We took a bit of it, communication, understanding how to take care of teenagers, trust your partner, ask for help when needed, humility, and overall experiences. In way, not only did the participant learn and changed, but we changed with them.
Click here for another climbing picture !
Kitty is afraid of hight but now like climbing (and she hate that idea). Tero keep running in forest and doing sport and stuff all the time like if he had to much energy in him and loved it. Beatriz took holidays (good choice). And for the rest of us, we take time to reflect on it and how to use it in our coming workshops.
We had a long debriefing together after all to say what was good, what we would improve, and yes, we see what to improve, but we remain glad, proud and satisfied of our work.
So now let’s see what will be the next adventure, hoping you will join us, or keep reading our little stories.
With love and care,
Garance