Trust and inner strength were the key themes of Squamish Girls Rock! - a program aimed at teaching young girls techniques needed to survive outdoors and in life.
The five-day adventure wrapped up Friday (Aug. 31) when the dozen or so girls hike back from their overnight camping trip in Brandywine Meadows to relax with a swim and barbecue.
Rowan Oloman, one of the program's organizers, said she is pleased to see the girls putting in the effort to learn and grow, all while working as a team and bonding as friends.
"All the girls have been really into what we're doing," said Oloman.Oloman said she's been to similar programs where participants are less enthusiastic about being there."All these girls chose to be here so they obviously have something inside they want to develop," she said. "And they need a place or an outlet to do that."
Over the week-long program, six girls built endurance, confidence and skills through rock-climbing and maneuvering up and down mountains. They also went through a high ropes course, which can be described as an obstacle course built in the trees requiring teamwork to achieve.
"You learn a lot about trusting yourself and trusting others," said participant Lillian Avis.
The girls were also treated to an evening of First Nations storytelling, courtesy of a First Nations teacher named Splash. Participant Tara Dudley said all the girls agreed First Nations storytelling was an enlightening experience that gave them new insight into life and nature.
"It was a good balance of storytelling and teachings you can use throughout your life," said Dudley.
The final days of the program involved an overnight camping trip, giving the girls a chance to relax and build on the friendships they developed through their adventure.
"The girls like having that time together -they don't always have to try and shine," said Oloman.
The program encourages a supportive rather than competitive environment, said Oloman, which helps the girls increase their confidence and sense of independence.
"I think when you have boys and girls together, some of the girls will sit back because they don't want to appear stronger than the boys," said Oloman. "Here it's okay for them to be good."
What keeps the instructional parts of the program fresh is the variety of techniques taught by the organizers, said Dudley. Squamish Girls Rock! was launched in honour of the memory of Rowan Oloman's sister, accomplished mountain guide Aidan Oloman, who died in an avalanche in January of 2006.
Aidan's commitment to teaching and the outdoors is what inspired friends and family to create the program."It's not just the strength of Aidan [but] all women who feel that desire to be adventurous and want to go out and live their lives," said Rowan.
