This is my third time teaching Intro to Outdoor Rock Climbing. Every time comes with its unique joys and challenges. The joys are usually to do with the climbing and the challenges are usually the students. Kidding, just kidding.
What I love about teaching outdoor education is the single minded focus on tasks. There is nothing to do but the things in front of you that need doing to move the day forward. There’s packing and organizing, keeping track of people and things and there is no room for anything else. It’s nice to have your brain and activity so completely in line to go in a single direction. I don’t feel like that exists in any other part of life. There’s always distractions, chores, work, people, pets, obligations, your brain goes a million places, your attention is divided, your focus is split.
The outdoors, I think, is so good for us because it makes us whole, at least temporarily. There’s no split, no divided attention. We do the things in front of us and nothing else.