AGE GROUP: 13-15
6 DAYS
$825

Skills Camps are meant to enhance your outdoor experience. Leaving behind the logistics of expedition travel, there is more time to concentrate on hard skills. Master that river roll, lay back that crack, or start a fire faster than you can say Tom Hanks. Take a camp on its own, or in combination with an expedition, and watch your skills levels take off!

Dates:
Aug 5-10, 2008
Spots Available: 10

IMPORTANT: All camps need a minimum enrolment of 6 to run. Each expedition has a maximum of 10 participants.

A WYLD EXPEDITION demands a lot from its participants. It asks you to lead your group and to follow, to be resourceful and creative and to explore and discover. It requires you to learn and master new skills, to build your level of fitness and confidence, and to work together with your team. In return, it gives you the opportunity to see and do things that you once could only dream of. It offers you the chance to push your self to the limit, and bring home more than you left with.

ROCK CLIMBING AT CREST CREEK CRAGS
The 6-day Vertical Horizons Skills Camp is designed to give students an introduction to the awesome world of outdoor rock climbing. All of your days are spent at the crags learning what it takes to climb rock efficiently and safely.

Like every WYLD EXPEDITION, your group fully participates in every aspect of your outdoor experience - including setting up and breaking down camp, planning and cooking meals, working together as a group, and learning about your natural surroundings. Expert instruction and guidance help you to achieve your goals. All of our instructors are highly qualified guides and outdoor educators, who endeavor to share with you their knowledge and experience as they teach you to live and travel in the wild.

ITINERARY

DAY 1
On your first day your instructors pick you up in Campbell River. From here, you travel to a campsite on Upper Campbell Lake for the night. As you will be camping, your instructors will teach you the Backcountry Basics. These include outdoor cooking, campsite selection, shelter building, and minimum impact camping.

DAY 2
Your first morning of camp is spent at Strathcona Park Lodge, on our High Ropes Challenge Course that is nestled forty feet off the forest floor. You'll face these obstacles, and with encouragement from your new friends, you can build confidence in your self and trust in your teammates, in preparation for the crags. Then you'll travel to Crest Crags where you set up a base camp for the week. You'll be introduced to some of the equipment that you will need for the week.

DAY 3
Your first day at the crags includes a lot of lessons to get you started. They cover the basics of climbing - including knot tying, rope systems, belaying and rappelling. Ropes, knots, carabiners, harnesses, and helmets are just a few of your tools to safe climbing. Mastering their use helps build the confidence needed to succeed. You learn to trust yourself and your teammates as you help each other to succeed.

DAY 4
Like most days, everyone gets up early and is busy packing up their tarps and sleeping bags, and preparing breakfast for the group. Once your group is ready, you head off to the crags. The better portion of the day is spent climbing. Teams of two, a belayer and a climber, tackle a variety of climbs, slowly increasing the challenges. At the end of the day you return to your Basecamp to prepare for the night. A delicious dinner must be organized and prepared and a fire lit for warmth.

DAY 5
By the end of the camp you'll have your chance to try that climb you have been thinking about all week, or to go back and finish a route that has challenged you.

DAY 6
Your last day sees you returning to Strathcona Park Lodge for a shower and lunch before you head back to Campbell River.

Rock climbing is a unique experience that is intensely rewarding and absolutely unforgettable. It's our hope that by the end of this week you have shared untold experiences with your fellow participants, learned many things about yourself and the people around you, and accomplished things you could have never done alone. The trust and teamwork that has grown between you and your group is an important key to the success of your course and ultimately, your experience.