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What is RockSchool?
RockSchool began back around 1998 with the ideal of providing an environment for people to practice and develop their vertical rock skills under the guidance and supervision of other experienced leaders.
A cooperative of leaders provide appropriate rockcraft training, practice and assessment for members of Guiding and Scouting. It is a joint program between Southern Cross Adventurous Activities Scout Fellowship SCAASF (NSW Branch) and Girl Guides (Sutherland Zone) Noorumba Camp Staff.
Who can come to RockSchool?
We run two parallel programs at RockSchool.
- One is for Cubs, Scouts, Junior Guides and their Leaders. This is the OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITY PROGRAM. Click the link for more information.
- The other is for Venturers, Rovers, Senior Guides, Leaders and other adults in Scouting. This is the ADVANCED VERTICAL SKILLS WORKSHOP PROGRAM. Click the link for more information.
How do you get to RockSchool?
The usual location is Noorumba Guide Camp. The site used is Crown Reserve near Woronora (Sutherland Shire, Sydney) and administered by Girl Guides Assoc NSW.
Map link: Google maps
Travel: participants arrange their own travel to the site.
To access Noorumba, several tracks reach the valley from rail stations at Sutherland and Loftus.
Cars can be parked at Prince Edward Park, in Thorp Road, Woronora, or Kingswood Rd Engadine.
*** IMPORTANT NOTE: No RockSchool visitors cars are allowed on site. They will need to be left at one of the previously mentioned locations, and you and your group must walk along the fire trail to the RockSchool site. ***
When is RockSchool held?
- It is run on the first Saturday of the month (we don't meet in January, or when the first Saturday of the month falls on a public holiday long weekend).
- The OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITY PROGRAM is booked out several months in advance. All Activity visitors must book via the website so that the volunteer roster can be sorted, and all appropriate equipment can be sourced.
- The ADVANCED VERTCAL SKILLS WORKSHOP PROGRAM is also run on the first Saturday of the month, but different arrangements may be made.
How is Scouting Adventurous Activity Training different to other vertical training?
The goals for Adventurous Activities in Scouting differ from those of commercial trip operators and rescue board employees and volunteers in the following ways:
- In Scouting, the Scout Method provides progressive learning by practice, experience, self-evaluation, skill mastery dictates progression and expectations of skill development relating to age, section and maturity.
- In the outdoor recreation industry commercial trip operators emphasise the experience, safety to the lowest common denominator, and is less focussed on development of skill of the participants.
- In rescue operations the locus of control has shifted entirely to the operator who controls all aspects of rigging, ascent and descent while the participant is passive.
