Up We go !

Up We go !

Self-discovery and overcoming personal limits

Self-discovery, teamwork, fear, overcoming personal limits, leadership. The project sparked my interest due to the unconventional combination of the course theme with sports activities in a rope park. We met truly diverse personalities there.

Those who work closely with youth, hold a managerial position, or like to be led by others, brave and timid, confident and withdrawn. Yes, everyone spoke a different language and had a different reason for participating in the project.

Organization, transport, accommodation, cooking

The project was designed by the Latvian non-profit organization Opensence, which has experience in training workers in various fields through non-formal education. We were led by a total of four trainers and together with representatives from six countries: (Latvia, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Romania, Slovakia)

The first meeting took place in the capital of Latvia – Riga, from where we collectively traveled by bus to Bērzaune. For a week, we mainly stayed in one cabin, slept in sleeping bags in two rooms, and regularly took care of the fire, without which we would surely have frozen there. One toilet, one shower 100m from the cabin, otherwise nature provided. But we had a sauna!

In the information package before the project, we were told to bring warm clothes, a hat, and gloves for one night spent outdoors. If only it were just one. Under normal circumstances, early July in Latvia is supposed to have pleasant weather, but we were clearly unlucky. I think it rained for at least 6 out of 8 days, and we could easily have worn a hat almost daily. We probably only enjoyed the sun on the first day.

The idea of living together in a cabin also involved communal cooking, which was a great experience. We cooked for ourselves, or rather, a pair always took turns cooking for all of us. We had to plan what to cook in advance and estimate the amount of food. In addition, it was necessary to consider the regular (at least once a day) meat intake for some individuals and entrust this information to the pair who would shop twice during the entire stay. Communal dining also involved some deprivation. The amount of food was limited. It was then that certain characteristics began to manifest, because a hungry stomach hardly thinks of the other 21 people who have to take from the same dish. Even the schnitzels were exactly 22 pieces. At that time, we sometimes lacked teamwork, but at least we experienced what it was like firsthand. No one died of hunger.

Activities, program, learning methods

On the first day, we arrived at the cabin in the evening. The program itself started the next morning and was exclusively in English. It involved introductory activities around the cabin; we discussed our personal goals and reasons for being there.

We also defined areas we wanted to change about ourselves, what we wanted to improve, and what we wanted to learn about ourselves, as the project was also focused on self-development. A separate part was the definition of leadership and our own idea of what type of leader we represent.

Just discussing it was interesting, because we shared our feelings in this area with people who were strangers to us at the time. An exceptional activity right on the first day was one in which we, as a team, completely failed. We found that there were too many leaders in our group and we couldn't listen to each other. Perhaps room for improvement?

On the second day, we set off for the rope park, where we spent 3 days and 2 nights. We completed a full-day trip with simple rules. Get from point A to point B. As a three-person group, we had 1 backpack, 1 mobile phone without data, a map, and about 15 tasks. The distance was supposed to be about 15km, but it could easily have been extended, which was our story. It rained almost non-stop, we went off track and literally waded through the forest and mud. During the whole time, we met about 5 living beings, of which 1 was human (the others had 4 or more legs). And that was only because we knocked on the poor man's door asking if we could cook soup in his garden (one of the tasks). It wasn't funny, as it was really cold, we were wet, but together as a team we had to figure out what, how, and when to do it to complete the tasks and reach the goal. In the end, we made it. The goal was the highest peak in Latvia – Gaiziņkalns (312 m.n.m.)

We enjoyed the two nights spent outdoors. There was a choice of a tent or an even greater challenge – a hammock. My first night under the open sky. That is, with a rain cover, which didn't last the second night, so it was a night in a wet sleeping bag. After such an experience, one is truly more resilient to everything.

We then practiced other activities on low and high ropes. Low rope activities focused on team trust, cooperation, and communication. On high ropes, one had to deal with oneself to overcome the fear of heights and trust those who belayed them from the ground. The team of people was put together by our trainers, always differing according to the activities. By then, we already knew each other's weaknesses and limits a little and knew who could endure how much and how they behaved outside their comfort zone. Overall, the activities were exhausting. Some of us were on ropes for the first time. The wood was almost always wet, we were afraid for ourselves, but on the other hand, we had to be responsible for other team members when belaying. Communication, motivation, and the will to overcome one's own capabilities were important. I personally had the greatest experience climbing to the top of a wooden pole, where two other team members and I had to stand and then jump down.

Even though we were trembling, we didn't want to show that we were scared; we had to motivate each other. The reward for completing the task and the jump itself was an unforgettable rush of endorphins.

Results already at the end of the project

At the end of the course, as a whole group, we felt a special bond between us. After consulting with the trainers, we repeated an activity in which we had completely failed at the beginning of the course, and we were curious to see how we would manage it.

It turned out that we had learned to listen to each other and fight together to achieve a single goal. We did it!

Nothing prevented us from jointly planning the last day, which was the main output of the course – to prepare a program for children from a local school and take care of them. We fully embraced the roles of trainers, divided into groups, and passed on a piece of what we had learned to Latvian schoolchildren. The children had to cooperate in overcoming low obstacles and fight with themselves to achieve the set goals. I am sure they took away unforgettable experiences from us, just as we, the participants of the UpWe Go course, did. Personally, I was more than satisfied with the course. It was my first experience with an international project, even though I had used the Erasmus+ program several times for studying and internships abroad.

The experiences and knowledge I gained cannot be learned from books or a computer; you have to experience them.

I myself was surprised how challenging it is to share your feelings with strangers, how difficult it is to estimate the strengths and weaknesses of your (now) friends, but most of all, how simple it is to be open to your surroundings, listen to others, trust them, and not be afraid to share your opinion aloud. That's what I want to stick to and what this project showed me. If it sounds like a cliché, then I apologize, but it cannot be described in words.

Many thanks to the Opensence organization, and also to YouthfullyYours SR, without whom we would not have had such an opportunity. I was very satisfied and would definitely do it again, even tomorrow.