It’s the summer of 2002. A dark-haired, wiry, fifteen-year old boy stands at the base of Seneca Rocks in West Virginia. “Barry”, not his real name, is a little out of breath from hiking up the popular West Face Trail which winds through the pine forest and rhododendrons of this wild and wonderful state. He drops his pack and begins to retool, which is climb-speak for making the necessary preparations for a multi-pitch climb. Off go the clunky hiking boots, and on go the sleek, gummy-soled climbing shoes. He meticulously lays out the carabineers, ropes and other climbing hardware like a doctor preparing surgical instruments for an appendectomy.
There are four other boys in the teen’s climbing party along with three experienced adult guides. When one of the guides asks who would like to go first, Barry declines and chooses to go last. He wants to see which routes the others choose so he can learn from their mistakes. It’s a long way from the climbing gym back in Virginia Beach where “topping out” is a manageable 32-foot route on an artificial climbing wall. Just the A to B portion of the infamous Old Man’s route here at Seneca is about 150 feet. The summit itself is a dizzying 900 feet straight up.
Barry feels confident, but he knows getting to the top will take more than individual strength and determination. He will have to put his trust in others, specifically the fellow climber who has him “on-belay”. This means Barry will be secured by rope to another climber and in the event he slips, it will be the sole responsibility of the other climber to make sure he doesn’t fall.
This level of trust is foreign to Barry. His life has been pockmarked with incidents that have conditioned him not to trust adults. He’s been in foster care since he was 10. Now at 15, he’s terribly rebellious, has a short-temper and is on the hunt for someone or something on which to take out his frustrations. Today, it just happens to be a huge chunk of Tuscarora quartzite.
Barry is part of a unique group of climbers with Encompass Adventures, a Virginia Beach-based company which specializes in Adventure Based Counseling (ABC). His foster parents requested that he be assigned to the program through the Family Assessment and Planning Team of Social Services. They hoped getting him involved in this type of counseling could, in some way, exorcise the demons of his past and improve his seditious attitude.
Encompass Adventures is owned and operated by Bob Callahan and his son Shawn. I caught up with them at their offices in an unassuming office park off London Bridge Road in Virginia Beach. Maybe the word “office” isn’t the most accurate description. Sure, there are two computer desks up front and the requisite copy machine, but just behind the door in the back is a cavernous garage full of mountain bikes, kayaks, and climbing gear. It’s every outdoor adventure-junkies dream garage. The only thing that’s missing is a Star Trek transporter room capable of whisking you away to the wilderness location of choice.
Today, like most any other day, Bob is sporting Tevas, running shorts, and a short-sleeve polypropylene shirt. He looks a little out of place sitting behind a desk, and he will be the first to tell you he’s more comfortable paddling local waterways, searching for elusive check points in orienteering competitions, or simply running through the woods with friends. He doesn’t look or act like he’s 50. Sure, there are a few random flecks of grey in his goatee, and his face shows signs of wrinkles from a life spent outdoors. But, he’s built like a 30-year old athlete: slim, fit, tan and well toned. By far, his greatest attribute is his full-throttle, youthful exuberance and a generally infectious attitude about life.
Bob explains that the concept for Encompass Adventure’s ABC program was created originally back in the 70’s when he worked for the Juvenile Court System. At the time, he referred to it as “wilderness probation,” and he has been involved in this noble profession ever since. Aside from the difference in names, the program concept is basically the same. “Adventure Based Counseling engages youth in a variety of outdoor adventure experiences as metaphors for developing everyday life skills,” Bob explains. “For example, if you are in a tandem kayak and you’re not paddling in synch, it’s hard to get to where you want to go. There’s a lesson to be learned there.”
The Encompass Adventure program is best suited for at-risk kids who are either in foster care, on probation, struggling with school or substance abuse, or suffering from low self esteem, low self confidence, or ADD/ADHD. Encompass Adventures is the only locally-approved vendor by the Criminal Justice System to operate an ABC program. There is arduous application and approval process, and the program’s strict guidelines are housed in an official-looking binder a good two-inches thick. Kids are assigned or referred to the program by the court, social services, schools, doctors or mental health organizations.
Dawn Barron, case manager team leader with Division of Mental Health Substance Abuse for the City of Virginia Beach, says that Adventure Based Counseling is an excellent way for kids to develop self esteem, learn a lot about themselves and interact with others. They’re outdoors having fun, enjoying new experiences and don’t realize they are learning important life lessons at the same time”
The ABC groups that Bob and Shawn run consists of two age groups, 8-12 and 13-18. Group sizes range from six to eight kids. Upon entering the program, the kids draft a personal goal contract (PGC) and responsible behavior plan (RBP). These two documents outline attainable goals and expected behavior during the course of the program. Each week they participate in “action-based activities” like biking, kayaking, or trips to the climbing gym as well as monthly wilderness outings to places like False Cape State Park or the Shenandoah Mountains. The program then culminates in what Bob likes to call a "peak" experience -- a wilderness outing of significant challenge to the group. In year’s past this has included climbing Longs Peak in Colorado, kayaking in Florida, and hiking the Appalachian Trial.
The activities that create the most dynamic learning for the kids are the ones where they have to give up total control and trust another person or peer. “Rock climbing, especially multi-pitch climbing is all about trust,” Bob explains. “When you have a kid on belay, he is putting his trust in you that you will help see him to the top.” Climbing is also about setting a goal for yourself and working to achieve it. Bob admits that for most people looking up at a summit can be a bit intimidating. Either it looks too hard, too far away or simply just impossible. But again, there is a lesson to be learned here. “Achieving something you think is impossible is a major self discovery event. Helping kids put that experience into a metaphor they can take home and use has always been one of our top responsibilities.”
Back on Old Man’s route, the long, hard climb continues for Barry. A third of the way up, the teen enters a sketchy part of Seneca Rocks that will test his skill and mettle – a technical traverse across the rocky wall on the west face of the north peak. His inherent stubbornness is put to good use, and he conquers the traverse. His pent-up anger serves as fuel for muscling his way up the remainder of the climb. After about an hour he summits. The teen, Bob, Shawn and the other climbers sit on the dining room table-size summit, enjoy the view, and revel in their accomplishment.
Barry’s journey of self discovery began at the foot of Seneca Rocks. In many ways, it was a turning point -- an opportunity to experience something new; to start the difficult task of putting his trust in others; and in a symbolic gesture, climb away from the troubles of his past. He went on to kayak at Cape Canaveral, hike the Appalachian Trail, and shoot the rapids in West Virginia.
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