Rock Climbing & Backcountry Adventure
Combine backcountry hiking with rock climbing for a challenging outdoor adventure. Build strength, technical climbing skills, and wilderness confidence while exploring areas with excellent climbing opportunities.
Building your Award:
Find Bronze Award examples to support activity planning
(Completed as a team. Participants will work together to plan and complete their journey.)
Example Activity: Combined backcountry hiking and rock climbing adventure in a wilderness area with climbing opportunities.
Example Team Goal: Our team will hike to a climbing area, complete climbs matched to our skill levels, practice safety protocols, camp overnight, and debrief about our climbing progress and teamwork.
Example Assessor/Supervisor: Certified climbing instructor, outdoor education teacher, or Award Leader
Example SMART Goal: Rock climbing demands strength! I’m hitting the gym three times a week for 13 weeks, focusing on upper body and core exercises that will help me climb better.
Example Assessor: Gym instructor, personal trainer, or recreation center staff
Example Log: Did pull-ups, deadlifts, and core work today. Managed 8 pull-ups in a row. That’s up from 5 when I started! My grip strength is noticeably better on the climbing wall. Adding more weight to deadlifts next session.
Example SMART Goal: Over 13 weeks, I’m studying wilderness rescue techniques, knot tying, and first aid through courses and videos. Safety first!
Example Assessor: Outdoor education teacher, climbing instructor, or wilderness first aid trainer
Example Log: Learned five essential climbing knots today: figure-eight, bowline, clove hitch, prussik, and double fisherman’s. The figure-eight is becoming automatic. Practicing anchor systems next.
Example SMART Goal: Trees are essential! I’m volunteering for tree planting and maintenance activities over 13 weeks, helping plant native species and care for saplings in conservation areas.
Example Assessor: Conservation authority staff, city parks volunteer coordinator, or environmental organization supervisor
Example Log: Planted 15 native oak saplings today along the restoration corridor. Learned proper planting depth and how to stake young trees. Mulching protects roots and retains moisture. Returning to water and check on our trees next month.
