Thirty Liston Boys navigated their way through four days of continual self-challenge at the High Ropes Leadership Course based at Te Whare Wanaga o Wairaka, Unitec Institute of Technology, 11-14 April 2022.

Two separate high ropes programmes were run by Adventure Works instructors, all professionals in climbing.  Year 13 students bravely completed the level 3 programme, whilst just as bravely, Y12 students completed the level 2 programme.

The first of the four-day programme saw the boys mainly inducted into the dos and don’ts of rope climbing and familiarity with equipment and climbing apparatus.  Goal setting, leadership, and collaboration were vocabulary constantly repeated by the instructors to drive home the fact that they had each other’s safety in their hands, teamwork was to be paramount.  The boys got the message and conducted themselves accordingly, with vigilance.

Days two to four of the programme constantly pushed the boys to overcome and conquer their fears and successfully complete more and more complex maneuvers to ever growing heights.  By the time the four days were over the boys had become tight units, grown in self-belief, and achieved their individual best, pushing past their initial perceived limitations of what they thought they could and could not accomplish.   They left the course tired, but smiles were everywhere to be seen.  An excellent educational journey had by all!