On the crisp morning of Wednesday the 23rd of July, the Year 8 students from Upper Yarra Secondary College arrived at The Summit, ready to begin a three-day journey of challenge, growth, laughter, and memories.
After settling into their accommodations, the students gathered in the Stadium, where they were officially welcomed by The Summit coaches and their team leader. Coach Ant introduced them to the Five Keys of Camp, a powerful set of values that would guide them throughout their experience:
The Five Keys
- Have Fun
- Play All In
- Make Lots of Mistakes
- Get Uncomfortable
- Don’t Go Home Wondering ‘What If’
With those in mind, the students headed to the BBQ Shelter, where they were shown key areas around the park. Coaches Maddi and Cam demonstrated how to safely put on harnesses and helmets, and Coach Sam introduced the Target, Stretch, Super Stretch goal-setting strategy, encouraging students to challenge themselves while breaking things into manageable steps.
Activities & Initiatives
The first challenge of the day involved two rounds of initiative games, interactive puzzles designed to build teamwork, communication, and creative thinking. Groups tackled activities like Half Pipe, Treasure, Tiles, Go Go Stop, Spider Web, and Keypunch, quickly discovering how to rely on one another’s strengths.
From there, it was time to dive into the activity rotations, where students would test their courage, teamwork, and determination. The rotations included:
- Bag Blitz with Sam
- Snowy River Challenge with Maddi
- Giant Swing with Ant
- Inflatables with Dailigh
- Tash’s Ladder with Cam and Tash
- The Cave with Christopher
After the first full day, everyone gathered again at the BBQ Shelter, where Maddi introduced GMICs ( Great Moments In Camp ), a special tradition where students write affirmations and shout-outs to recognise each other’s awesome efforts and kind moments. With dinner time on the horizon, the students were briefed on the evening schedule and then enjoyed some well-earned free time.
Day Two — Intention, Grit & Mud!
Day Two began in the Stadium with a powerful session led by Coach Sam, focusing on setting a morning intention, choosing who you want to be for the day and what you can control. The students then played a game of 50 Up in the park to get the blood flowing and energy high.
With minds focused and bodies warmed up, the students powered through three more activity rotations before lunch. After refueling, it was time for some full-year level games, Clap Ball and Jockeys, designed to build hype and team spirit before tackling the infamous Monster Course.
The Monster Course
A true test of perseverance, grit, and unity, the Monster Course had students navigating 11 wild and muddy obstacles:
- Holy Buckets
- Charades
- Tarp Catch
- Sleds
- Ball Puzzle
- Big Cargo Net
- Snowy Cargo
- Brucey
- Ball Pit
- Barbed and Dangerous
- Mud Mounds and Mud Angels
Students worked together to get their entire team through each station, and just when they thought they were finished, they learned the real challenge had only begun: a second lap. Why? Because the true victory wasn’t speed, it was about improvement. The team with the greatest time reduction between laps would be crowned the winner. It was a beautiful lesson in resilience and striving to beat your own best.
After the mud run, everyone rinsed off, warmed up with a campfire, tucked into dinner, and enjoyed a relaxing movie night before heading off to bed.
Final Day — Gratitude & Celebration
The final morning began with gratitude in the Stadium. Christopher read out a round of heartfelt GMICs, followed by Coach Sam leading a reflection on the people, experiences, and opportunities the students were thankful for. It was a grounding and emotional way to wrap up their Summit journey.Before heading home, students completed their final two activity rotations, but not before a fun group warm-up game of Jockeys to shake off the sleepy faces.
Reflections & Rewards
Before lunch, each group gathered for a debriefing session, using a tool called Rock, Stick, and Leaf:
- A Rock , something that rocked at camp
- A Stick , something they’ll take with them
- A Leaf , something they’re ready to let go of
Each tribe also voted for a Values Winner, someone who truly embodied the Five Keys across the three days. These students were recognised in front of their peers and rewarded with an epic hot lap in The Summit’s very own Army Tank!
Values Winners
- Riley , Tyrone and Turtles
- Lincoln , Smoking Ducks
- Dash , Bananas
- Cohen , It’s Freezing
- Piper , It’s Cold
- Ruby , Pink Fluffy Kittens
Challenge Results
Snowy River Challenge
- 21:04 , Smoking Ducks
- 25:15 , Tyrone and Turtles
- 25:39 , Bananas
- 28:23 , It’s Freezing
- 29:10 , It’s Cold
Monster Course (Most Improved Times)
- 10:29 , It’s Cold
- 10:12 , Pink Fluffy Kittens
- 6:40 , Tyrone and Turtles
- 6:30 , It’s Freezing
- 6:11 , Bananas
- 6:04 , Smoking Ducks
Thank You, Upper Yarra!
From racing another school at washing dishes, to singing Hakuna Matata during Bag Blitz, your energy, teamwork, and humour made this camp unforgettable.
On behalf of the entire Summit team, thank you for playing all in and giving camp everything you had. We wish you all the very best for the rest of your school year, and remember…
Don’t go home wondering “What if?”
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