Pomfret School's Outdoor Adventure Program is a fall term sports option that shares mission and purpose with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Outward Bound. Through the term students learn technical skills, are given numerous opportunities for personal growth and leadership development, and play an active role in developing positive and productive group dynamics.
This season summary describes well what we do:
The Outdoor Adventure group had a great 2014 season! While the majority of the group was made up of new members, with the help of the two veteran seniors, it quickly melded and gelled into a cohesive whole. The trail runs and high ropes course sessions set the tone for the season early on - endurance, teamwork, and developing boldness through successive personal challenges were the themes of the season. Students learned to belay each other on the high ropes course and before long took on that role on the ropes course as well as on the rock climbing faces, requiring only adult supervision. We started preparing for our whitewater canoe trip in the first week, practicing strokes while playing vibrant games of ultimate Frisbee between two docks and learning how to rescue flipped boats in the middle of a lake. Though our first attempt at paddling whitewater on the Deerfield River ended with an ascent of Sugarloaf Mountain in Deerfield, MA due to a flat tire, the group made the best of it and thoroughly enjoyed the back-up plan that came with inspiring views. Ultimately, the overnight whitewater canoe trip on the Deerfield River showed us the best and worst of New England autumn weather - bright, warm sunshine and cold, foggy rain. The group once again made the best of it - working eddy turns, ferrying across the current and displaying the teamwork needed to successfully navigate a rapid without a single flip! As an added bonus, we enjoyed an evening of candlepin bowling and ice cream followed the next evening by a rowdy game of "Bean Boozled" where you were never sure if your jelly bean would be tasty or disgusting. Once the canoeing ended, we turned our attention toward more rock climbing, trail running, ultimate Frisbee, hiking, and camp craft. We summited Wachusett Mountain (near Worcester, MA) three times and Mount Monadnock (in southern NH) once over the course of the season. We ran trails, followed compass bearings over long traverses of woodland, and played fast-paced games of ultimate Frisbee. Our endurance was growing! We moved from rock climbing on the starter cliffs in Wolf Den Park to the higher and more challenging cliffs of Ross Pond. We were getting bolder and stronger! We learned how to make fires, pack backpacks, and set up tarps, tying the necessary knots with our eyes closed since our backpacking trip would start in the dark. We were getting smarter and more skilled! The final backpacking trip was a tremendous success! The weather was cold but clear at night, and Saturday was sunny and bright as we climbed Mount Alander in western, MA... twice! The views across the Housatonic River valley were stunning, and we had a wonderful time enjoying them over lunch on the summit. The trip ended with a diner breakfast that tasted oh so fine as we turned toward home! The group gave a recommending vote to the coaches for the Outdoor Spirit Award that recognizes the group member with the most noteworthy combination of leadership, technical abilities and enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits. Congratulations, JJ Lim! In the end, the coaches were incredibly pleased with the progress this relatively young group made this season and look forward to building on those successes next fall!
This season summary describes well what we do:
The Outdoor Adventure group had a great 2014 season! While the majority of the group was made up of new members, with the help of the two veteran seniors, it quickly melded and gelled into a cohesive whole. The trail runs and high ropes course sessions set the tone for the season early on - endurance, teamwork, and developing boldness through successive personal challenges were the themes of the season. Students learned to belay each other on the high ropes course and before long took on that role on the ropes course as well as on the rock climbing faces, requiring only adult supervision. We started preparing for our whitewater canoe trip in the first week, practicing strokes while playing vibrant games of ultimate Frisbee between two docks and learning how to rescue flipped boats in the middle of a lake. Though our first attempt at paddling whitewater on the Deerfield River ended with an ascent of Sugarloaf Mountain in Deerfield, MA due to a flat tire, the group made the best of it and thoroughly enjoyed the back-up plan that came with inspiring views. Ultimately, the overnight whitewater canoe trip on the Deerfield River showed us the best and worst of New England autumn weather - bright, warm sunshine and cold, foggy rain. The group once again made the best of it - working eddy turns, ferrying across the current and displaying the teamwork needed to successfully navigate a rapid without a single flip! As an added bonus, we enjoyed an evening of candlepin bowling and ice cream followed the next evening by a rowdy game of "Bean Boozled" where you were never sure if your jelly bean would be tasty or disgusting. Once the canoeing ended, we turned our attention toward more rock climbing, trail running, ultimate Frisbee, hiking, and camp craft. We summited Wachusett Mountain (near Worcester, MA) three times and Mount Monadnock (in southern NH) once over the course of the season. We ran trails, followed compass bearings over long traverses of woodland, and played fast-paced games of ultimate Frisbee. Our endurance was growing! We moved from rock climbing on the starter cliffs in Wolf Den Park to the higher and more challenging cliffs of Ross Pond. We were getting bolder and stronger! We learned how to make fires, pack backpacks, and set up tarps, tying the necessary knots with our eyes closed since our backpacking trip would start in the dark. We were getting smarter and more skilled! The final backpacking trip was a tremendous success! The weather was cold but clear at night, and Saturday was sunny and bright as we climbed Mount Alander in western, MA... twice! The views across the Housatonic River valley were stunning, and we had a wonderful time enjoying them over lunch on the summit. The trip ended with a diner breakfast that tasted oh so fine as we turned toward home! The group gave a recommending vote to the coaches for the Outdoor Spirit Award that recognizes the group member with the most noteworthy combination of leadership, technical abilities and enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits. Congratulations, JJ Lim! In the end, the coaches were incredibly pleased with the progress this relatively young group made this season and look forward to building on those successes next fall!