Year 8 Snow Camp

Students in Year 8 enjoyed a wonderful week away from the 25-28 August at Mount Buller for our Snow Camp. On Monday, we travelled to Mansfield to retrieve our skis and snowboards before driving students to the campsite at Charnwood. After students unpacked we were given a briefing from Auscamp which included a lesson on how to put on the ski/snowboard boots, and how to move around with your equipment on. Students then got to practise sliding down synthetic grass on their skis.

After an early wake up on the Tuesday morning, we set off on the bus to the mountain. When we first saw the snow at Mount Buller, there was a collective gasp from the students, a great sense of anticipation and excitement for our adventures to come. We started with an hour ski lesson where students learnt the basics of skiing or snowboarding. After that, students split into small groups and had some free ski time, learning from teachers, Auscamp staff, and from trial and error. We had the same timetable for Wednesday, except one big difference was that we got to see snow fall! The students’ beanies were frosted with white snowflakes, and it was a sight to behold! Some of the students’ favourite memories included riding on the chairlift, throwing snowballs at teachers, learning how to ski/snowboard, attempting some intermediate runs, racing down the mountain, eating marshmallows, and spending quality time with their friends.

On Thursday, we packed up the campsite and spent some time learning campcraft skills from navigation, to setting up a bivouac, building a fire and cooking with a Trangia.

It was fantastic to see our students persevere through many bumps, falls, and some incredibly cold conditions. We hope to continue to support our students to build their resilience and perseverance as they enter Term 4.

Joshua Gaschk

Secondary School Teacher