Students trek through Kananaskis Country

Times Contributor

 

A tradition begun at Rockyford School is continuing in Standard as teacher Steve Wiewel took students on a camp and hike in Kanaskis Country last week.

Over the last ten years, Wiewel started off the school year for Rockyford students in Grades 5-9 with a four-day fall camp.

It quickly grew into a community event with many parents travelling with the students to enjoy camping and bonding with the various families that attended. Parents brought their trailers while the kids and teachers camped in tents.

When Wiewel moved over to Standard School this year with the Grade 7 and 8 students, he brought with him his passion for hiking and love of the back-country. After discussions with the staff of Standard and Rockyford schools, under the direction of Principal Karen Smith, it was decided that the trips would continue and be kept simple to start.

The Grade 5 and 6 class from Rockyford, with their teacher Kathy Gerritson and Wiewel, camped at Paddy’s Flats for a total of three nights and four days. On their third day students in Grade 5 and 6 from Standard School joined them in a hike on the Canyon Creek Trail to Ing’s Mine. The round trip hike that day totaled 12 km with 25 students and approximately a dozen adults.

The students, parents and teachers were driven by bus to the trailhead and they walked 6 km down the closed road. At the end of the road, they were within 1 km of Ing’s Mine, a fun, non-technical cave to explore. After crawling across a skree (a steep slope of loose rocks) one can see that the “access to the cave mouth is up a steep incline that can only be negotiated on all fours.” 

Following huffing and puffing and a lot of encouraging words of “you can do it,” hikers came upon the cave mouth (about 4 metres wide and 15 metres tall). 

Some students and chaperones ventured inside the damp and dark cavern where a few ignored the wet, icy floor the deeper they went in. 

With flashlights in hand and mittens on, some even had to belly crawl through spaces to explore this natural wonder.

While the 6 km hike up the road and mountain was strenuous and at times grueling, those who made it to the top and into the cave were rewarded by this unique experience and definitely overcome with a sense of accomplishment.

Breathing became easier on the way back down the path after the break of exploring the cave came to an end, but thighs, hips, knees and toes sure got a workout especially after the 6 km walk back to the beginning of the trailhead.

The group was picked up by bus and driven back to Paddy’s Flats where they were treated to burgers and a break from all their hard travelling that day.

Wiewel will be taking the Grade 7 and 8 students from Standard School on a one night and two day campout and will be exploring and covering much of the same territory later this week. 

“Each year I have looked forward to these trips and I am looking forward to starting a new tradition here at Standard School,” said Wiewel.