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Program Courses, Opportunities for All Students
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Climbing Glossary
There are many forms of climbing: traditional,
sport climbing, ice climbing, bouldering and indoor climbing
are among them. As your interest in climbing grows, it’s
worthwhile to learn the language of climbing. Here are some
terms to get you started:
Anchor: Any piece of protection used
to secure climbers to a cliff face for belaying or rappelling.
“Fixed anchors” are left in place for all climbers
to use.
Belay: To safeguard another climber
with the rope. Also used as a noun, as in “the belay
was solid.” Most climbers today use friction-creating
“belay devices” that attach to their harnesses
and allow small climbers to stop the fall of much larger climbers.
Carabiner: Aluminum ovals with spring-loaded
gates, used to clip two pieces of gear to a rope. Sometimes
called “snaplinks.”
Harness: A nylon harness, buckled
around the waist and thighs, providing a safe, comfortable
way to tie into the rope for climbing, rappelling and belaying.
Lead: Going first on the rope. Because
the leader climbs above the protection, and therefore risks
a fall of at least twice the distance to the last piece of
protection beneath him, leading is more risky and demanding
than seconding.
Scrambler: A person who is not a trained
climber and is not using climbing protection on a cliff.
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The mission of the Outdoor Program is twofold: to support students
for whom outdoor life is as important as “regular life;”
to instill in interested students a lifelong appreciation for the
value of our natural environment and the pleasure that it can bring.
As part of a diverse group, students learn how to lead and follow
with confidence and competence
The Right Stuff
The Outdoor Program attracts students with the chance to have fun
outdoors, learn new skills, and gain confidence meeting new challenges
with friends and faculty. New England’s mountains, rivers,
quarries and forests are the program’s classrooms. Outdoor
education at Milton focuses on excellent preparation and on using
the right tools for hiking, climbing or kayaking.
The Academy boasts an indoor climbing wall. Outdoor
gear includes a fleet of eight kayaks, mountaineering boots, rock-climbing
shoes, tents, four-season sleeping bags, outdoor cooking equipment,
as well harnesses, ropes and other climbing equipment.
The Weekend Program
The weekend program is recreational in nature and great for beginners.
Weekend trips are open to Upper School students on a first-come,
first–served basis. They include hiking, climbing, snow-shoeing,
backpacking, and sea kayaking. The weekend trips are free and the
gear is provided. Students need only to come dressed appropriately
for activities.
Trips over spring break are also open to all students—not
just those enrolled in a course: These trips have included trekking
and rafting in Costa Rica, sea kayaking in the Bahamas and mountain
biking in Utah; limited student financial aid is available.
After School Programs
 The
after school programs, parallel athletic seasons, and take advantage
of Milton’s proximity to the Blue Hills and coastal waterways.
In the fall, students hike, rock-climb and orient themselves in
the Blue Hills. In the winter, they use Milton’s indoor climbing
wall to learn the basics of climbing. In the spring, students use
nearby lakes, bays, the ocean and indoor pools to test their sea-kayaking
skills.
The rigorous after school program builds skills
in a logical progression students become competent in harnesses,
knots, and in belaying, for instance, before they move on to basic
climbing skills. Throughout the season, they practice skills and
techniques in preparation of the season’s culminating trip,
usually a weekend in Maine or New Hampshire. In addition to learning
the correct terms for equipment and techniques, how to set up a
tent, what to pack for a hike, how to dress, go to the bathroom
in the woods, and stay hydrated and hygienic, students also work
on concepts of group cohesiveness and leadership. Students contact
Matt Bingham, program director, to sign up. Participation in any
of the three seasons earns physical education credit.
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