Monday, March 28, 2011








On Monday, March 21 the girls and women of Climbing Toward Confidence pushed their limits at the high ropes course at the Asheville School. It was a gorgeous, sunny day to be outdoors.

To start the day, the group discussed the value of moving outside of one's comfort zone and embracing challenge. After making a strategy for completing various elements of the high ropes course, the group moved on to the challenge course, where they learned the requisite safety skills. Then they were ready to climb.

One at a time, the group members entered the ropes course through the rope ladder. Once on the initial deck, they departed in mentor pairs to complete different tasks. Nine index cards had been hidden throughout the course; the team had to collect them all to reveal a scrambled message. In some cases, the adults were more timid than the girls -- but all of the mentor pairs worked to encourage one another to meet their goals despite understandable fears. They walked across tight ropes, jumped for trapezes and flew on a massive swing through the trees. Most importantly, each person took a step outside what felt comfortable and gained new confidence in her abilities.

Just as dusk was settling in, the group completed its tasks and returned to the Lodge to eat dinner and reflect on their day. The group appreciated one another for their courage, trust, communication skills and positive attitudes. They brought their nine cards together to reveal this message:

Jump into the middle of things, get your hands dirty, fall flat on your face, and then reach for the stars!

All in all, it was a successful day! The group left tired, confident and proud! Here are some images from the day:



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