A Day of Rock Climbing with Laguna Verde

On June 3rd, the kids of Laguna Verde traded in a routine Friday surf session for an afternoon at a climbing gym in Valparaíso. Due to the cold winter waters, the VSP team determined it would be a nice change of pace for the students to focus their energy on an indoor sport.

The group arrived at the Tornamesa gym excited for the challenge ahead of them. Although many of the kids initially expressed concern about the height of the colored rocks that lined the wall, they soon found it as a way in which they could encourage one another to make it to the top. With mental perseverance and the cheering voices from their friends below, each student attempted to either climb the wall or tackle the giant boulder. Many learned that although they may have not successfully reached the “peak” on their first or second attempt, with determination it was possible to achieve the goal set out before them.

After scaling the walls and playing a few games of ping pong, the students headed outside to savor the sunshine. The group enjoyed eating lunch and ice cream on a dock that overlooked the Valpo skyline alongside the water. Because the community of Laguna Verde is about 30 minutes outside of the metropolitan area of Valparaíso, this isn’t a landscape that many of our students see on a daily basis.

The VSP team would like to thank the Tornamesa staff for their help and for yet another experience in which our students can try something new and continue encouraging one another.