This summer, one Lumberjack who spent almost every day at the climbing project decided to push himself out of his comfort zone. Working with the climbing staff, he planned to climb the wall 100 times in six consecutive project periods. That’s just over three and a half minutes per lap on the wall for six hours!
If you haven’t seen our climbing wall since it was constructed in 2009, you should know that it is really tall. 50 feet, to be exact. When campers look up at the wall for the first time, it can be daunting and it can take some time to get comfortable maneuvering dozens of feet above the ground. Ascending the wall once, let alone 100 times in a row, obviously requires a significant individual effort. It takes perseverance, problem solving, and skill development. Campers often spend many project periods working towards climbing ranks, gaining competence and confidence along the way.
At the same time, scaling the wall is a team effort. Behind every climber is a belayer completing their checks, ensuring safety on the wall, and guiding their partner towards optimal next moves.
One of the coolest parts of the climbing project at Nebagamon is that campers can learn to belay, and then belay their friends up the wall. As the Lumberjack prepared for his marathon, his first order of business was selecting a belayer. It was an easy choice, a cabinmate who shared his passion for climbing. His buddy was all in.
As the challenge commenced, the climbing project was the place to be. A crowd amassed at the bottom of the wall, cheering on the climber and the belayer, watching in awe as the tandem remained totally in sync, hour after hour. The Lumberjack flew up the wall, finishing some ascents in less than a minute! As soon as he touched down, he’d head right back up again. Meanwhile, his belayer kept up with his friend, pulling the rope through the Grigri belay device, shouting out words of support to his partner as he negotiated the wall above.
As impressive as their individual efforts were, the standout performance was their teamwork. When the 100th lap was completed, the two celebrated together.
During our final Keylog ceremony of the summer, a ninth grader in his closing message to the camp family described Nebagamon as his “oasis.” He talked about the challenges of growing up in 2026 and how, in his camper career, he had found refuge at Camp Nebagamon. He pointed out that the oasis exists because of the people in it. Our camp experience is shaped by those who join us on the journey. Behind all of our individual accomplishments, supporting all of our growth, sharing our joyous camp memories, are friends and counselors who walk with us along the way.
Those relationships we build know no bounds. They extend high above our climbing wall and far beyond Paul Bunyan’s gaze. Our camp friends belay us through life, providing guidance, support, and sharing in all the joy that life brings our way.