Rock climbing was a part of an activity in CAS experience where strength, power and resilience was tested. As a part of the rock climbing session, I attended all four sessions which were organized by the school. It was a fun, exciting and challenging experience I had where early in the morning we used to climb the rock until the high end. I have not much participated in sports for 2 years and hence it was quite difficult for me but by getting out of my comfort zone I was able to do it.
LO 1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
Some of the strengths I already had was balancing and grip because I have been on such adventurous activities before and hence I was good at it but on the other hand, the scope of improvement was focused on physical strength and endurance which was one of my weaknesses. On the first day, I climbed till half way but then I was ready to give up as my hands were in pain but I didn’t give up until the very end and climbed a little more. After a few sessions, I was able to easily climb up the whole wall without any hurdles in the way which was an improvement that I made throughout.
LO 2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken,developing new skills in the process
One of the most challenging things was maintaining stamina where I lacked. Putting all the strength to pull myself upwards when the rock was beyond my reach was something where I faced difficulty but by applying strategies, learning different tactics and navigating my route, I was able to overcome this challenge. It needed a lot of stamina and arm strength which was out of my comfort zone but I pushed myself by not giving up but doing the best that I can which ultimately has a good result where I was able to touch the top of the wall at the end.
LO 4. Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience
The rock climbing sessions were during the early in’s of the school when we had to wake up early in the morning and attend the sessions before our school starts. This required a lot of commitment and perseverance as I am not habituated to waking up early, especially because it was winter time and when we reached school our hands were freezing but we had to climb up. For the same, we did running and warmed up before climbing so that our body gets a little warm. During this process, manier times it felt like not attending the session on the day but ultimately I remained consistent and completed the experience.
LO 7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
Safety is the most essential element of rock climbing. During the process, I learned the importance of harness, using safety equipment and following the instructions given by the teacher. I always double checked the harness and tightened it to the maximum limit, used all the safety equipment including helmet and trusted the belayer who was holding the rope. These decisions and choices made by me had a positive consequence on the outcomes where I was comfortable and had a trust that I won’t atleast fall down.
To conclude, the rock climbing experience was one of the most fun, exciting and challenging experiences I had. It tested my strength, power, balance, resilience, grip and perseverance. This experience not only challenged my physical strength but also helped me to grow stronger mentally and overcome my fear.
