Activities
The YMCA aims to provide opportunities to explore your full potential through the facilitation of unique outdoor adventure experiences. We have a range of instructor led activities that encourage teamwork, personal challenge and serve to bring your group together and create shared experiences that add to the success of your camp.
High Ropes
Cat Walk
Vertical Challenge
Canoeing
Abseiling
Bush Walking
Mountain Biking
Archery
Mountain Biking
Bush Walking
High Ropes Activities
Howmans Gap has three High Ropes activities. If a group chooses this activity we encourage all members to have an attempt. Each individual has their own threshold; it is important that the group respect these and encourage each other to do their best.
- Cat Walk
- The Cat Walk involves climbing a ladder and then pegs up the tree. With arms outstretched you then walk across the pole before being lowered to the ground.
- Vertical Challenge
- Three climb this activity at a time whilst the rest of the group are involved with belaying their team members through a belay bank.
- Scramble up the cargo net, cling to the twisting poles, climb up the climbing board and clamber over the horizontal poles.
- The three climbers can be attached by a loose cord. The aim is to: work together and get to the top conected or go at your own pace.
- Multi Vines
- Move across the wire to the far end holding on to the dangling ropes.
- The first rope is just out of reach, everything jiggles and shakes, many don't make the distance. This is a challenging activity that is usually offered as a choice to those who dare when time / program allows.
Canoeing
Canoeing is run down on Lake Guy at Bogong Village -12 km from Howmans. It is a much protected lake (from the weather) and offers an interesting paddle. Paddle around the island, manoeuvre between trees, paddle out to the pontoons, look up at the dam wall from the water and paddle up to the river. Depending upon the river height and level of the lake, we can sometime play in the moving water.
Canoeing often runs in conjunction with a walk around Lake Guy. An interesting walk: through the inside of the dam wall and explore the forest and lakes shores.
Abseiling
It's just a short walk down to our spectacular 12 meter abseiling site which over looks the crystal clear waters of a high country stream.
Archery
With quality equipment archery as an activity that most people enjoy. It gives the 'not so athletic' an opportunity to excel and run as a team event gets everyone involved.
Tying balloons to the targets adds volume to the activity, the cheers ring around the camp.
Low Ropes/Initiative Activities
- Challenge Trail
- Designed to develop team work and co operation amongst the group. The group needs to solve the problems presented and work together to complete each activity. We encourage the group to listen to each other ideas, look after each other and encourage each other.
- Activity involves: Trolleys, All Aboard, Draw Bridge, Wobbly Wires, Aussie Swing and Swamp
- Mohawk Walk
- A continuation of the theme from the challenge trail - team work. This activity includes: Balancing platform, Mohawk Walk and Criss Cross.
- In addition to these activities we have other challenges that can be added in depending upon time / age / ability. All our team building activities can be modified to suit different group's aims and ability. We have designed a competitive scoring system for pre season sporting teams; most groups opt for non competitive sessions.
Bush Cooking
We teach participants how to safely operate and cook pancakes on a Trangia camping stove” Also everyone gets the opportunity to build their own bush shelter using building materials found in the natural environment.
Orienteering
- Orienteering
- We have 10 permanent orienteering courses around Howmans Gap. Courses and maps are colour coded; each marker has a letter which needs to be written down.
- These courses rely on map orientation (do not require a compass) and are suitable for primary through to adults.
- This activity can be run with or without a competitive challenge.
- Night Navigation Courses
- We have 2 night navigation reflector courses.
- With a torch the group reads the clues on the sheet and walks their way around the camp searching for colour coded reflectors. Some of the clues are a little cryptic.
- Groups of around six work best. The group has to stay together, look after each other and enjoy being out in the dark. Ideal for primary through to adults.
Bush Walking
The Bogong High Plains are magnificent at any time of the year. At the end of winter snow drifts are a high light, during summer the wild flowers are spectacular.
Walks can be tailored to suit any group's fitness level and interest: historic cattlemen's huts, views to Mt Bogong and across the plains, study of flora or watch fish in the aqueducts.
Mountain Biking
Howmans gap has a fleet of modern mountain bikes that we use to tour the many kilometres of aqueducts and cattleman’s huts. Combined with “Bike Ed” and bike familiarisation it’s a great way to explore the high plains.
