Do or Do Not. There is No Try.

“The equipment makes all the difference in an emergency, whether one survives or …not” is one of the sentences Mr. Dan Norman preaches to the Outdoor Pursuits group like a prayer. Not that an adventurous excursion into Canada’s endless wilderness is very dangerous if the group takes care and knows what they are doing. But still: gear is key!  Especially when ODP goes white water kayaking like they did April 17th to 19th. On Friday afternoon the bus left Brentwood’s campus full of students who switched their uniforms – school polo-shirts and dress pants or a kilt - to more practical, waterproof clothing heading to one of their adventures. The first stop was a swimming pool to practice for reality (also called the spring-swollen Cowichan River).  Still with the scent of chlorine in our noses, the ODP members pitched camp at Cowichan Lake trying to get some rest in their tents for the next day. Even though the Cowichan River is not the Zambezi River –a stretch below the famous Victoria Falls, popular for rafting –it is lot of fun and a challenge for everyone.  After a whole day of working with and against the currents with a lunch break in between, the roasted marshmallows at the bonfire were well deserved and tasted ten times better. One more night under the starry sky, a day spent kayaking and the weekend was over again. Everything was well stowed and packed so it was time to go back to Brentwood. Back to normal. Apropos normal: As usual in third term the focus in ODP is on whitewater kayaking or rock climbing and student can choose their preference and there are going to be a lot of upcoming trips which are possible thanks to Mr. Norman and Mrs. Josie Olszewski.  Although Outdoor Pursuits is not a competitive sport, under the direction of Mr. Norman, a former Olympic whitewater kayaker, it is endlessly challenging and the participants learn a lot for life. Alva S, Hope ’17; Photo by Joe K, Whittall ‘16