THE FIRST STEP IS THE LONGEST… “CAMPER STONE ON RAPPELL!”

Strapped in to at least a mile worth of bright blue safety harnesses, campers made their way up the inside steel stairs leading to the top of the 30-foot rappelling tower. As they lined up atop the tower awaiting their turn– a column of 8 on both the north and south sides – each camper gazed out over the 143-acre campus and prepared to deal with what was before them, all in their own personal fashion.  Some joked amongst themselves, some didn’t…each stepped forward and gratefully acknowledged the extra couple of minutes the instructors took checking their gear once again. 

Once cinched to perfection and feet set the prescribed width apart, each looked downward and called to the Cadet Instructor situated 30 feet below holding the rope taught, “Camper (last name) on RAPPELL!” to which the CI would holler back, “CI Moore on BILET!” Grasping the rope firmly with gray suede gloves, each camper then assumed the high dive position. The Rappelling Instructor directs, “Lean back…way back…more, more, more…now start marching, yeah, you heard me – I said MARCH, right down to the ground!”  And march each and every one of them did…and as they did, the look of tight-lipped concentration was replaced with a great big satisfied grin as they neared the ground. Both feet planted firmly aboard Mother Earth, all took a moment to cast a triumphant, proud glance upward, taking in what they had accomplished.  It was most definitively an accelerating morning for all campers (and all those who had the opportunity to observe) on rappell!

It’s ALWAYS a GREAT day aboard MMA Summer Camp, and we’re wishing YOU an equally-SPECTACULAR day and week ahead!