Year 9 Outdoor Education – Mount Crawford Introductory Camp

In Term 2 Week 3, the Year 9 Outdoor Education class embarked on an introductory journey to Mount Crawford. This three-day experience provided students with a unique opportunity to develop their skills in campcraft, as well as take on the challenges of rock climbing, bike riding, kayaking, and orienteering.

Leading up to the trip, from Week 8 of Term 1 to Week 2 of Term 2, students engaged in a range of planning and preparation tasks to ensure their safety and enjoyment during the camp. This included developing a comprehensive and nutritional menu plan and creating personal and group equipment lists including the consideration of equipment for the various activities that they would be experiencing.

Mount Crawford is a perfect destination for students to learn introductory camping skills, including cooking on a Trangia, setting up tents, and managing their equipment to support their completion of the activities.

Rock Climbing

The first day of camp involved students travelling to Morialta Conservation Park for an introduction to rock climbing, where they learned how to belay each other while climbing as well as safely manage themselves in a cliff environment.

Kayaking

Students explored Warren Reservoir via sit-on-top kayaks and learned about the rich history from their knowledgeable instructor, Matt. Students were also challenged to swap kayaks, and the Year 9s demonstrated great levels of balance and teamwork to remain in their kayaks and out of the water!

Bike Riding

The emus of Mount Crawford got up close and personal with a few of our students while on their bike ride through the forest. Students were able to reflect on the adjustment of the animals’ behaviour based on the freshly logged area of the forest and considered the human impact on that particular environment.

Orienteering

Teams were challenged in their introduction to navigation, where students learned to orientate their maps, identify key features, and utilise basic navigational techniques to find markers.

Reflection

Students spent the final afternoon in the last hours of daylight sharing and reflecting on their experiences. They listened to and acknowledged each other’s various perspectives on the activities and celebrated the shared experiences of seeing native animals (koalas, kangaroos, emus, and kookaburras) throughout their trip. They also took note of the human impact on the area and practiced their ‘Leave No Trace’ principles throughout the experience.

Now, as the Year 9s reflect on their introductory experiences at Mount Crawford, they recognise their development and personal growth. They are keen to improve their skills and knowledge for their next experience in their Rock Climbing and Risk Unit. Excitingly, in Weeks 5 and 7 of Term 2, the class will undertake two more rock climbing days where they will explore the risks, mitigations, and techniques of rock climbing.

We look forward to seeing how our students continue to grow and thrive in the outdoors!

Monty Spackman
Teacher, Outdoor Education