Dingoes: The Dingoes did stellar on all their hikes; they were the toughest yet and they crushed them. The first hike entailed the group saddling a mountain and was afforded a gorgeous view. Students were more open during gatherings, one was led by a member of the group which revolved around conflict resolution. The same Dingo shared his placement letter despite feeling uncomfortable doing so which was well received by the group. We played a game which combined pictionary and telephone which the boys really enjoyed. We also spent a couple hours playing a game called camo in a sage field. The fire making culture in the group is at an all-time high, all members are able to bust a coal and blow into flames! The group enjoyed passing around a number of therapy books including: The Alchemist, The Four Agreements, Touching Spirit Bear, Anatomy of Peace and Leadership and Self-Deception. Many members of the group received tokens including: Peace Walker x2, Vital Fire, Brightness, Openness. Also a group member received his trail name, Fearless Kodiak.
Gnowees: This week, the Gnowees completed three challenging hikes and handled them wonderfully. With two new additions to the group, the students did an excellent job of supporting and helping the new arrivals while maintaining first camp boundaries. The older Gnowees were extremely good leaders to the entire group – they were encouraging, knowledgeable and mature. The Gnowees also awarded two tokens and two trail names this week, with plans for more next week. They also completed and participated in successful and enlightening gatherings throughout the week, some led by staff and some by students. Two Gnowees connected with their parents this week while two others were processing their next steps; each of them handled their respective situations beautifully by sharing their emotions and processing with the group, allowing for a collective emotional growth. Overall, the group continued to grow emotionally and mentally while supporting and caring for each other.
Goannas: The Goannas grew this week to include new members of the Brumbies. The group merge went beautifully as all members were inclusive, kind, and excited for their new Outback journey. There were days filled with splashing in streams and working on mindfulness, days of hiking and learning about bodies and perseverance, and days of finding new ways of being. There were three ceremonies with two trail names and two tokens given. Mysterious Sunrise and Spontaneous Tide are honored and distinguished members of our great group of Groannas! (Goannas and Brumbies, a new and thriving family!)
Ulurus: This week we focused on our busting sets and the everlong goal to make fire. This challenge included finding spindles and making toprocks. The group also went on many night hikes throughout the week in order to avoid the heat. One of our group members (Persistent Mountain Goat) led us on a journey throughout the cosmos with his star chart and a reading from Carl Sagan. We ended the week with a group ceremony where 5 tokens and a trail name was given. The kids also welcomed two new members out of first camp and into the Ulurus. All and all we had a really great week filled with a lot of games and great talks.
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Check Out What’s Happening in 1st Camp @ outBACK
First Camp got to hike this week; which was amazing. The students handled the hike so well given their recent arrivals into the program. They began making their packs with leather straps and yoga mat pads. All of the students made spoons out of juniper wood, and some of the kids began using bow drill sets to create fires. Most students progressed very quickly in their process of settling into the program. Overall spirits were high in first camp and the week went great.
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PEAK Week – Adventure Therapy @ outBACK
This week on peak we started off with a cool day hike in the Desert Mountains and went over the basics of climbing. The group progressed into the climbing day with each student crushing and accomplishing the goals they set for themselves. Although they reached the tops of all our climbs, the experience did not come without it’s share of challenges and fears. Part of the beauty and intention of climbing days during PEAK is to allow for the students to be faced with “new” challenges that invoke old and all too familiar thought patterns and behaviors. It is, however, in those particular moments, that our students are reminded and recall how they possess the skills to look at what is ahead and navigate through it to see what is on the other side of fear. We had the chance to head to the base of Black Crook Mountain that was covered in shade with a lovely stream going through it. There, we made drums and worked on other projects close to our heart and prepared ourselves for the next day’s adventure of peaking Black Crook (the tallest mountain in our desert). We also had the opportunity to craft miniature rafts at a nearby reservoir and tested them on the water.
The Peak Week crew spent time reflecting on their stay at Outback. The reflections brought out thoughts of how they had shed parts of them that were no longer serving them, the many accomplishments made, the fun and fond memories with fellow group members, as well as both the anxiety and excitement that comes with preparing to move on to their next chapter in their process. Over all, they worked tirelessly their entire stay and gained so much from their respective journeys. On the last day, each of them were honored with their group Tokens and Peak Patch
