Enjoy this farewell photo montage of the students who pioneered the Outdoor Adventure program at Fay School!
Download Fond Farewell
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23
May
thank you…
Enjoy this video of our overnight adventure in shelters that student constructed themselves!
Download Who’s House
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21
May
an open letter
“Hello!I just wanted to share with you how proud I am of the Outdoor Adventure kids. As many of you know we had our on-campus overnight on Friday night (May 16th). I have heard a number of students joking that OA had to sleepover on campus, but I want to make sure that people fully understand what they did.
Each student was provided three 8’ to 10’ staves, twine, and a blue tarp and was asked to work with a peer or by themselves to construct their own shelter for the overnight. They did not have tents with floors to separate them from the ground or specialized rain gear. These students utilized their knowledge of lashings, knots, and shelter construction they learned over the course of the term to build structures that would weather the eventual storm. You may recall that a steady rain began falling at about 4 pm and kept falling straight through until 8 am the following morning! The students started a fire without matches or lighter in the pouring rain, cooked their own supper, and then proceeded to stay out the entire night despite the fact that it was a cold and wet 45 degrees!
While this display of acquired skill makes Dan and me very proud… the upbeat attitudes and sunny dispositions that the students wore through the entire event was truly a credit to their individual and group spirit.
To quote the kids- “Huzzah OA!”
Thanks!
Mr. Mertz”
(click on thumbnail for larger image)
13
May
Climb Away
The ropes course was a lot of fun. We started on the low ropes course and then later in the week moved on to the high ropes course. We completed many obstacles including crossing an imaginary acid river using only a rope to swing between two platforms. On the high ropes course we went on the Burma Bridge which had one wire in the middle and two ropes on the sides to hold onto. We also went on another with “vines” or ropes hanging down that we could use to cross a second wire. The ropes course was a lot of fun and I hope I’ll be able to have an experience like this again.
12
May
“try not to look down”
Enjoy this video of some footage from the High Elements on our school’s ropes course!
Download Don’t Look Down
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“Rising above the surrounding forest to a height of 2006 feet, Mount Wachusett stands as a unique landmark within the central New England landscape.”
The students undertook a difficult climb on a cold, very rainy New England day. The trail was the most steep they had encountered and the blowing rain obscured any possibilities of a view from the summit. Despite the difficult conditions, the students hiked with vigor and navigated a complex trail system on their own. Though opinions varied a bit, most participants were excited about getting out and trying something a little ‘bigger’ than the local Southborough area offers! (… and what would our Friday hike be with out rain!?)
click on the thumbnails for larger images
follow this link for more information and trail maps
12
May
up, up, and away
click on the thumbnails for larger image
10
May
Acrophobia Much?
This week, we worked a lot on the high ropes course. We started last Friday on the Swingshot and worked are way through the week with elements such as Burma Bridge and Hanging Vines. When trying these elements, we soon learned which one of us possessed acrophobia. (I am definitely one of them.)
Acrophobia: an abnormal fear of high places (definition from dictionary.com)
Until you’ve tried it, you can’t even begin to imagine the adrenaline and fear that you get from hanging by a rope about 40 feet off the ground. It’s exhilarating and stressful simultaneously. When you finally get onto the wire, it suddenly starts to shake in the breeze and you can’t let go even though you want to get to the ground desperately. All in all, I am thankful for all the support that everyone gave me (and for making me finish Burma Bridge). Even if it takes years to get over my fear, this is a pretty good start.
