Building Confidence and School Community with Climbing at Chingachgook

Jamie McQueen

Jamie McQueen

“On belay?” asks the climber.

“Belay on,” replies the belayer.

“Climbing,” the climber announces.

“Climb on,” responds the belayer.

Paul Petzoldt, founder of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), established the “Teton system of voice signals” used by climbers and belayers to communicate with each other prior to, during, and at the end of climbs. According to On belay!: The life of legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt by Raye Ringholtz, this system has been used for approximately 70 years and was still in use at Camp Chingachgook earlier this month when upper schoolers roped in to scale the climbing wall.

Using this standardized communication allowed students to acknowledge each other’s support, keeping them from injury. However, while on the face of the climbing wall, students were able to attempt, struggle, fail, attempt, struggle, fail, attempt, struggle, and succeed on their own. The system of harness, rope, anchor, and belayer was present to maintain safety, providing an arena for students to challenge themselves physically, by climbing a wall, and psychologically, by overcoming any fear of heights and failure.

While returning Upper School students were safely ensconced in their comfort zones of Whitby (some have been here for 10 years) and Chingachgook (on their second trip), three of the new-to-Whitby students roped in for the first time in front of new peers and new teachers, and at a new camp! A challenge even for many of us gray-hairs! Fortunately, returning Whitby students understand the value and strength of school community and encouraged the new classmates with calls of “nice job” and “you got this,” in addition to suggestions, “you’ve got a great foothold just by your knee.”

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One student “flashed” the climb, efficiently and gracefully moving from hold to hold to finally squeeze the squeaky dinosaur at the top without pausing or slipping. Upon a return to Earth the student was welcomed with “nice climb!” from new classmates. Another student seemed to break the climb into quarters, pausing between each section to exhale, identify the next route, and recharge focus and energy. In a few places, we observed slumping body language that might convey disengagement. We on the ground encouraged the climber through the pause and onto success. Lastly, a student who allowed others to go first roped in and began climbing. Struggling with handholds and footholds, the student cobbled together an effort up two thirds of the wall. At which point we heard, “I think I’m done,” and a request to be lowered. Reaching the ground, a smile on the climber signified a sense of achievement. Each student succeeded at their own level and pace.

The beauty of climbing is each individual determines and takes their own way to squeeze the squeaky dinosaur of their own goal. Some arms are longer. Some legs are shorter. Boys tend to climb with a focus on their upper body strength, while girls usually have better footwork. Additionally, one can see divergent (Edward de Bono….not the recent dystopian teenage thriller) thinking as climbers strategize and trial-and-error their way up the wall. Some track left. Some right. Some use the big bucket holds while others are comfortable with the micro holds. Still others use features of the structure rather than the holds to proceed. Like Fleetwood Mac might say in the past tense, they went their own way.

As we return to the classroom and other areas of daily life at Whitby, new and returning students know they are on belay and can take their own route to their own level of success, building confidence and forecasting the culmination of a different climb in the future….

“Off belay,” said the Whitby student at graduation.

“Belay off,” responded the Whitby community.

Link to download "10 Things to Look For In an Inspirational Classroom"

Jamie McQueen

Jamie McQueen

Jamie McQueen, an Upper School English teacher, is an international educator whose aim is to increase students' perspectives on the world and aid in their development as caring and principled members of our interconnected community.