News
Beyond the Gates to Mount Washington
The Beyond the Gates program faced some challenges in making the annual trip to Mount Washington work this year, but they pulled it off on the second attempt.
The trip to the ski resort near Courtenay typically takes place in January, but it had to be postponed this year due to poor skiing conditions. Over the weekend before the second try, the mountain received an astonishing 108 cm of snow, and actually had to curtail some operations on Sunday. It was fully open on Monday, but Islanders eager to take advantage flocked to the mountain, so just getting the students to the lodge was a bit of a struggle.
“It was challenging to get started,” outdoor education instructor Mr. Devin Ryan admitted.
Once they got to the mountain, however, things went great. Of the 75 Grade 9 students who travelled to Mount Washington, 20 opted to try their hands at biathlon – a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. The rest of the group had a lesson in skate-style cross-country skiing – the first time trying that style for most of the students, even though many had cross-country skied at Ski Week earlier this month.
“We usually do the Mount Washington trip before Ski Week, but because they were already exposed to classic style at Ski Week, we went for the harder of the two styles,” Mr. Ryan explained. “They enjoyed it, but it was different.”
In the afternoon, a group that did skate skiing in the morning took their turn at biathlon, while the rest of the students did a snowshoeing workshop, which included learning the history of snowshoes and how they are made.
As a bonus, Mount Washington has enough bilingual instructors that the French Immersion students were able to have their lessons in French.
The students were joined on the trip by 11 staff members, including Head of Academics and Leadership Development Mrs. Sharon Klein, who is a longtime biathlon coach. Biathlon has been a popular part of the Beyond the Gates visits to Mount Washington in recent years, and this was no exception.
“If we could have done it with all of the students, we would have,” Mr. Ryan said.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
