Because we all have mountains to climb.
Archive for August, 2012
Luis Benetiz’s Inspiring Story
31/08/2012Small VT School Uses Debriefs to Foster Classroom Wellbeing
10/08/2012
Article on Bullying and Communication
Thanks to Laura Jean Whitcomb, publisher of Kid Stuff for letting us reprint this article about a ground-breaking move by a small school in central Vermont, The Willow School. One look at the their website almost has me rethinking our departure for New Zealand this fall, and instead, having our young son attend the school!
Outward Bound mandatory for all young people?
Like legendary Headmaster Dave Fowler at Proctor Academy in Andover, NH where he pioneered incorporating Outward Bound principles of experiential education and community building into the school’s fabric in 1971, it sure looks like the founders of the Willow School are doing the same thing for younger students. The article below covers what will hopefully be incorporated in many schools across the U.S. and abroad. In New Zealand as well, (where we’ve been living), bullying appears to be a problem.
Proctor’s experiential model
I’m reprinting this article in hopes that it will fall into the right hands of school teachers and administrators. During my 15-plus teaching years at Outward Bound, the debrief and reflection were key to a successful outcome for the students, and helped insure some strong “takeaways” that they could use as life skills. In fact, Outward Bound Professional Development courses also incorporate these basic techniques (more…)
NZ Alpine Club’s Nice Cover Shot
10/08/2012New Zealand Alpine Club‘s Climber magazine, sports John Taficuk climbing the Temple Buttress at Temple Basin on the South Island at Arthur’s Pass. What do you think?
Mixed (?) climbing on New Zealand’s South Island
Ed Webster’s “Everest the Hard Way”
04/08/2012
Ed, at a book signing
I happened by the Kittery Trading Post last month, and there was climber, Ed Webster doing a book signing. I had never met him, but certainly knew of him. I was instantly drawn to his book-signing table, as he talked with a family of four who wanted to know more about getting started in the sport of rock climbing. He seemed engaged and affable. Ed authored a rock climbing guidebook to the the White Mountains area which I carried with me on my early climbs in New Hampshire. It sits on my bookshelf, beat up from use. He’s also got quite a reputation as a climber.
Ed was recently in the Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee region presenting his slide show, Everest the Hard Way. His 1988 Everest Kangshung Face new route, (more…)
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