17

Caving Connections

26 – 27/5/15

Wee Jasper again

Caving

Two more days guiding abseiling and intro caving. Perfect autumn weather. The Wee Jasper valley is beautiful. Deep green, blue hills, early morning mist. In the evening Canberra’s light reflects over the mountains in a faint glow as we exit the cave with pupils fully adjusted to the dark.

On the second day we negotiated access to the 30m abseil into the Daylight Hole entry to Dip Cave. Another school had taken first shift led by a teacher who I had taught at college as a student and then mentored through outdoor guide training. On exiting another bus drove in with a group from Victoria. It turned out I had trained the teacher in abseil guiding about 25 years previously. Driving back to pack up at the shearers quarters we passed the bus from my old college. They were heading up to abseil at Devils Punchbowl. You guessed it, guided by a fellow who I had taught at college. Time made one final circulation on itself over that morning as I chatted with the teacher from the school I was working with. He was just starting out with a deep interest in gaining qualifications in outdoor education. I felt humbled to be in this valley with others who shared the desire to take on responsibility for giving young people opportunities to experience the place and the excitement of roping and the underground world.

The sun shone a golden warmth as we synched together through the valley.

Campbell High School

Wodonga Secondary School

Lake Ginninderra College

Gold Creek School