Outward bound helps focus attention inward

By Kim Adams

No watch, no bed, no shower! Life at the North Carolina Outward Bound School is simply living in the moment concerned only with the weight of the fifty pound pack on your back and the dull ache of your legs and as you summit the mountain peak.

Dana Evans, associate director of admissions, and I enjoyed five days during the Easter break with eight Furman seniors hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, camping and rappelling in the Pisgah National Forest. For students, this was a capstone experience for their participation in the Furman Leadership Summit Program – a perfect time and place to reflect on their past four years as a college student.

As a three-time Outward Bound veteran, I believe there is nothing better for renewing one’s heart, mind and soul than time in the wilds of God’s amazing creation . Dana had read about the OB experience from the applications of Furman students and was curious to know what it was all about.

Our adventure began with an empty pack, a plastic bag called a "Happy Sack" to keep important things dry (like our sleeping bag and clothes) and a pile of food and supplies so we could survive in the wilderness for five days. Outward Bound is a school, so each day we learned wilderness survival tips including; lightning drills, how to set up a tarp, proper campsite selection, navigation skills, and the importance of minimum impact camping.

Our first full day was tough. It was freezing cold, windy and the threat of a storm circled ominously above as we wearily ascended the mountain in search of the Outlaw Cave, our final destination for that day. Darkness came, we escaped the storm and ended the day much more unified as a group. Dana helped cook black beans and tortillas for our evening meal as we huddled in the cave trying to stay warm. The next day we were freed from the burden of our backpacks and enjoyed learning how to belay, rock climb and rappel. We rappelled out of a place called the Attic Window, down a 100-foot rock face. It was probably an amazing site, but who could see anything, the sun had long since set when we embraced that adventure.

Adventure and new knowledge of technical skills is only one dimension of Outward Bound. The school philosophy also teaches the importance of solitude and reflection. We had the opportunity to spend one full night and part of a day on a solo experience, away from all other group members and completely alone with only our thoughts and our journals. Quality time alone with one’s self opens the door for life to rush back into the void, richer, more vivid and fuller than before.

Outward Bound stretched our comfort zones, changed us and also gave each of us an opportunity to be a significant group member. Daily we were challenged to give and receive compassion from others and were reminded of Louis L’Amour’s words, "The thing to remember when traveling is that the trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for."

Kim Adams is director of leadership programs at Furman