Girls Camp

Do you love the outdoors and all the skills Girls Camp has to offer? Would you like to team up with others and be challenged? Campers will spend the first part of the week participating in a combination of archery, swimming, kayaking/canoeing, biking and running. At the end of the week, teams will complete the Adventure Race with the chance to see your name inscribed on the new Adventure Race board in the dining hall.

• Canoeing ORCKA Basic 1 (1 week option) – Tandem canoeing basics for beginners: parts of the paddle and canoe, launching and basic strokes.
• Canoeing ORCKA  Basic 2 (1 week option) – Intermediate theory and tandem paddling skills, including turns, circles and landings. Prerequisite: Flatwater A or equivalent canoeing experience.
• Canoeing ORCKA Basic 3 (2 weeks) – Refine advanced tandem paddling skills. Introduction to solo canoeing. Prerequisite: Flatwater B or equivalent canoeing experience.
• Canoeing ORCKA Basic 4 (2 weeks) – Application of canoeing skills from previous levels to solo canoeing. Prerequisite: Flatwater C or equivalent canoeing experience.

• Get Fit (1 week option) – Learn to set healthy personal goals for fitness and exercise incorporating running, stretching, muscle strengthening and other exercises. Set goals, watch your improvement and have fun! Activities will include: circuits, strengthening, stretching and many more ways to get active while enjoying the beautiful shores of Lake Clearwater.
• GC Track Team (1 week option) – For strong runners looking to improve or maintain fitness and endurance. No track team experience necessary – just a willingness to strive for your best! Train towards a possible ‘run around Pioneer Camp’ at the end of the session!
• GC Triathlon – For those who want to take their fitness to another level. You will gain greater experience in running, biking and swimming. The week will end with a GC Triathlon like no other! All participants will earn a spot on the GC Triathlon Board.

• Level 1 (1 week option) – Kayaking basics for beginners: entering and exiting the kayak and basic theory and strokes.
• Level 2 (1 week option) – Intermediate theory and paddling skills, including turns, pivots, draws, intro to hip flicks and bow rolls. Prerequisite: Kayaking Level 1 or equivalent kayaking experience.
• Level 3 (2 weeks) – More advanced theory and paddling skills. Bow rolls and advanced rescues. Prerequisite: Kayaking Level 2 or equivalent kayaking experience.
• Level 4 (2 weeks) – For very advanced kayakers. Eskimo rolls, hand rolls and more precise paddling. Prerequisite: Kayaking Level 3 or equivalent kayaking experience.

Pioneer Camp has over 50 km of trails to ride Explore the beauty of the forest on Pioneer’s trails while learning new skills. New in summer 2024, Campers will be placed in classes that allow them to complete levels in mountain biking. Beginners will learn to ride safely and gain confidence on trails that suit their level. More advanced riders will hone their skills on more challenging trails and visit the bike park that will challenge and build confidence. Campers of all levels will also gain skills in bike maintenance so that they can ride as much as possible.

• Level 1 – A great way for beginners to learn basic skills needed to ride safely on trails that have rocks, roots, and puddles. Skills in riding up and downhill, shifting gears, care of the bike will build confidence.
• Level 2 – Campers will need to have prior experience biking off-road trails. Skills such as track stands, riding over obstacles (rocks, roots, logs, puddles), and more challenging hills.
• Level 3 – Riders with higher level of experience in trail riding will practice drills that will allow them to develop extreme hill techniques, bunny hops and more.

• Level 1 (1 week option) – Perfect for campers who’ve taken sailing lessons at Adventure Camp or beginners who have never sailed. Covers parts of the boat, turning, capsizing. Sail with other campers and an instructor in the boat.
• Level 2 (2 weeks) – Introduction to solo sailing and more advanced theory. Prerequisite: Sailing Level 1 or equivalent sailing experience.
• Level 3 (2 weeks) – Advanced solo sailing and theory, including sailing a pre-planned course. Achieving this level often requires practice outside of activity time. Great if you really love sailing! Prerequisite: Sailing Level 2 or equivalent sailing experience.

• Basketball (1 week option) – Tie together team and personal skills to improve and have tons of fun! Whether you’re a pro or just beginning, there will be a place for you to improve in this activity.
• Volleyball – Learn and refine volleyball and team skills will be improved through drills and games. These include; passing, serving, and hitting along with strategy. All campers will have an opportunity to improve skills no matter what their level of experience. There is a place for everyone to have fun while working together.

• Swimmer 1 – Designed for the beginner swimmer.  (completed AQ 1 or continuing YMCA L’il Dippers: Floaters/Learn to Swim 1: Otter)
• Swimmer 2 – Camper can jump into water with and without PFD, open eyes and exhale underwater, get objects off bottom, float and move through the water on front and back. (completed AQ 2 or YMCA L’il Dippers: Divers/Learn to Swim 2: Seal)
• Swimmer 3 – Camper can jump into deeper water, fall sideways into water with PFD, support self at surface without an aid, do whip kick, swim 10-15m on front and back. (completed AQ 3/4 or YMCA Learn to Swim 4: Swimmer)
• Swimmer 4 (2 weeks) – Camper does cannonballs, dives and rolls into deep water, swims underwater, swims front and back crawl, and can do endurance swims of 25-30m. (completed AQ 5/6 or YMCA Star 1)
• Swimmer 5 (2 weeks) – Camper can do dives and stride entries, eggbeater kick 1 min, foot-first surface dives, front and back crawl, whip kick,breaststroke arms with breathing, endurance swims of 100-200m. (completed AQ 7 or YMCA Star 2)
• Swimmer 6 (2 weeks) – Camper can do shallow dives, eggbeater kick 2 min, foot-first sculling, surface dives with underwater swim 5m, front and back crawl and breaststroke over 100m, sprint 25m, head up front crawl or breaststroke 25m, endurance swims of 200-300m. (completed AQ 8 or YMCA Star 3)
• Swim Patrol Rookie (2 weeks) – Camper can do compact jumps, eggbeater kick for 1 min, somersault in water, head-up front crawl or breaststroke over 25m, 100m front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke, endurance swims of 200-350m, swim 100m in 3 min. (completed AQ 9 or YMCA Star 4)
• Swim Patrol Ranger (2 weeks) – Camper has completed Swim Patrol – Rookie. (completed AQ 10 or YMCA Star 5)
• Swim Patrol Star (2 weeks) – Camper has successfully completed Swim Patrol – Ranger (completed AQ 11 or YMCA Star 6)
• Bronze Star (2 weeks) – Camper has successfully completed Swim Patrol – Star. (completed AQ 12 or YMCA Master Swimmer)
• Bronze Medallion and Emergency First Aid/CPR B (double period, 2 weeks) – Swimming and basic rescue skills, spinal roll-overs, CPR, 500m timed swim. Exam at end of session requires a small additional fee. Prerequisite: Bronze Star OR 13 years old
• Bronze Cross (double period, 2 weeks) – Prerequisite for life-guarding certification. Includes swim/rescue skills, spinal roll-overs, rescue breathing, CPR, 600m timed swim. Exam at end of session requires a small additional fee. Prerequisite: Bronze Medallion & Emergency First Aid
• GC Swim Team (1 week option) – Are you a strong swimmer looking for fitness and endurance swim training? If you love to swim and want to improve or maintain your fitness, this is a great challenge for you! No swim team experience necessary, just a willingness to strive for your best! Train towards a possible ‘lake swim’ at the end of the session!

• Slingshot – Test your new found skill by plinking tin cans and learning safe trick shots. Slingshot also improves your accuracy in archery. The best part is the fun you will have while improving your aim!
• Ax Throwing – Learn to throw an ax and/or a throwing hawk. Practice your form and aim. The best part is hitting the target and getting a bull’s eye.
• Archery – Here is your opportunity to learn and refine your ability to safely aim and shoot arrows. As the week progresses you will consistently hit the target, play games, have a tournament. Become part of the Bull’s Eye Club!

• Nature – We come to camp for a week or more, but there are so many things that live here year-round. Join us each day as we discover and encounter what lives in the forest and lake at Girls Camp. Make wilderness tea, go salamander hunting, catch butterflies, observe & identity critters and more!
• Survival – Campfire & s’mores, build a fort, Wild hot chocolate, Forest Feast and an Ultimate Adventure are all a part of learning what it takes to safely survive in the forest around camp. We are excited to offer the Ultimate Adventure – an overnight experience with your camp friends. You will sleep in a tent, cook over a fire, sing songs and tell stories while spending time on our lake’s campground. Taking canoeing as an activity will make your adventure even better!

• Beginner A (1 week option) – Windsurfing basics for beginners: parts of the sail and board, rigging and introductory windsurfing skills.
• Beginner B (1 week option) – Opportunity to spend more time on the water practicing basic windsurfing skills such as tacks and jibes. Prerequisite: Windsurfing Beginner A.
• Advanced (2 weeks) – Learn how to work the wind in your favour! Advanced jibes, power tacks, high wind rescue, and more detailed theory. Prerequisite: Windsurfing Beginner B.

Note: All those in windsurfing classes must be at least 12 years old and have a BLUE lanyard.