Issue #1

A fun weekend of

camping & climbingat Rattlesnake Point

with family & friends

Buc

ket

Kic

kers

For the past few days, I’ve been walking around like Robocop (despite warm Epsom Salt baths to relieve sore muscles) and I couldn’t be more proud about it! Filled with first times and accomplished milestones, our family camping trip to Rattlesnake Point is one I will always look back on fondly.

A couple of weeks ago, my older sister

Rittel contacted me and my younger sister

Duany, to tell us that her friends from her

homeschooling community were organizing a

group camping trip to Rattlesnake Point. She

wanted to know if we wanted to join them.

“You want us to go camping WHERE?!”

was my initial reaction. I wasn’t too keen on

the name of the campground, so I did some

research. I learned that, though nearly extinct

in Canada, Massasauga Rattlesnakes are still

around.

After verifying that there were no

rattlesnakes at Rattlesnake Point, I was

excited to go for the awesome group rate of

$10 per night, per person. A great deal for

such a gorgeous place to spend a weekend

getaway with family and friends.

Having had an adventurous day of

climbing there, I thought ‘Lookout Point’

would be a more fitting name for the park,

because of all the beautiful lookout points

there are at the top of the cliffs. On the plus

side, it couldn’t sound more badass saying I

tried climbing at Rattlesnake Point. Actually,

the cliffs there are pretty awesome, so if you

have climbed or attempted to climb them, I

say you ARE pretty badass! If you managed

to make it to the top, then I applaud you.

My nine year old niece earned

everyone’s admiration for making it all the

way to the top on her first climb ever. Looking

up in awe, my sisters and I were so proud of

her! She even inspired her brother to try

climbing, which is amazing, because he is

very much afraid of heights.

Climb On!

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My niece, excited about

climbing for the first time

Written & photographed by: Karill Diaz

“I’m so proud of you! You’re OK. See?

You made it down safely.”

Most new climbers feel fear before they

even begin their climb. But not my niece.

She was super excited and couldn’t wait to

get climbing. This was of no surprise to my

sisters and I, because our little girl has been

a daredevil since the day she took her first

footsteps.

Just last May, my niece broke her wrist

while monkeying around at home with her

older brother. The very next day, she was

pulling off little stunts – despite constant

warnings to “please

be careful!”

This made her mom

nervous for the two

months she had her

cast on. I’ve always

said, “That girl

knows no fear,”

which at times can

be alarming.

With a freshly

healed wrist, my

niece’s joy while

climbing echoed

through

Rattlesnake Point. I

was amazed that

she wasn’t even

phased during her

climb. She managed

to make it swiftly to

the top, using her

instincts like a pro.

I was beginning

to think my niece

wasn’t human, until

she panicked once

she made it to the

top. She realized

how high she was

off the ground and

was too afraid to

come down. It took

us a good fifteen

minutes to coax and

guide her safely

back to us. Slowly,

but surely, she finally touched down on the

ground.

As soon as the safety rope was

unclipped from her harness, my niece ran into

her mother’s arms and broke down in tears.

In return, she received a huge bear-hug and

comforting words from her mom.

“I’m so proud of you! You’re OK. See?

You made it down safely. Go give Bonnie a

hug, too.”

Removing her helmet and wiping away

her tears, my niece reached out to collect her

congratulatory hug from Bonnie, who had

done a wonderful job of coaching her.

What goes up, must come down!

“How do I come down? I’m too scared to come down.”

What to do if you panic during your climb:

• Take a break for a minute or two, so you don’t burn out.

• Take slow, deep breaths.

• Listen carefully to instructions from your climbing instructor.

• Trust your instructor. They have taken intensive training and know what to do to guide you to safety.

A soothing hug from a

proud & relieved mom

A congratulatory

hug from instructor

Bonnie

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My niece made climbing that cliff seem

so effortless that, shockingly, her brother

wanted to try it too. Usually, he is afraid of

trying any activity that seems too risky,

especially anything that has to do with

heights. I marvel at how siblings of the same

blood relation can be such polar opposites.

But my nephew surprised us. He

struggle a little bit, only making it to the

quarter point. Yet having conquered his fear

of heights, reaching that point was equivalent

to reaching the cliff top.

In the meantime, Duany was giving it a

go on the cliff face next to us. Feeling

exhausted after failed attempts, she returned

to see if she would have any success on the

cliff my nephew was climbing. She had to

wait her turn patiently though, because like

my niece, my nephew also panicked when he

looked down (which was expected) and

needed some coaxing to help him get down.

When it was finally her turn, Duany

quickly learned how much work it was to

climb the section my nephew had just tried.

Determined to make it to at least one

platform, she pushed herself hard to reach

her goal. She did it. She made it to the

quarter point.

Feeling tired from her effort, she was

about to call it quits, but our instructors

weren’t going to let her off the hook just yet.

Receiving words of encouragement from

everyone below was enough to give her an

extra boost of energy to keep going... just a

little bit further.

Knowing that she needed to reserve her

energy for the scramble back up to our camp

site, she decided to stop before burning out.

It was a smart decision, because the

scramble on the way back up was quite a

workout for those of us out of shape!

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The team, helping to give Duany a boost

through words of encouragement

Climbing is a lesson in faith: “It is not enough to see the rope and believe it will hold you.” Until recently Rittel didn’t find camping all that appealing. In

contrast, Duany and I are kindred adventurers. We have bonded over

camping and crazy stories of “how we lived to tell the tale.”

In the past few years, we have broken Rittel into the

camping scene, by going on short road trips to campgrounds

with beaches, which she really enjoys. All we need to work on

now, is her tent-building and camp-cooking skills.

I had never been camping with both my sisters at the

same time. It’s the first time in the history of our family

vacations that the three of us have bonded over the same camping

trip. It’s awesome to be able to share the same memories of outdoor

adventures with them both!

Being there to witness Rittel’s first climbing experience was

priceless. I actually managed to capture a hint of fear on her face the

moment she realized how steep the cliff was (though I think she tried

her best not to show it). She said the scariest part for her was

the scramble to get to and from the climbing site.

Just moments before I snapped the photo of Rittel climbing,

she was breaking a sweat, her arms and legs quivering.

“HOO! This is a workout! I’m feeling muscles I never knew I

had!” she exclaimed while holding on tightly to her rope.

Seeing her do that reminded me of when I worked as a climbing

instructor (many, many moons ago) at a Christian summer camp. Our

motto was: “It’s not enough to see the rope and believe it will hold you.”

EDUCATION THROUGH CLIMBING: FAITH SELF-ESTEEM PHYS-ED SCIENCE

You quickly learn the importance of having faith. You must have complete trust in your partner – that they won’t let you fall – while your life is literally hanging on the line.

Doing this activity takes a lot of courage, but results in a great sense of accomplishment. It is a great way to build your confidence!

Climbing is a very physically demanding activity. It involves a lot of cardio, as well as toning and stretching pretty much every muscle in your body.

Climbing provides a great opportunity to learn about the local ecosystem and its geology, as well as the laws of physics – all while spending quality time in the great outdoors.

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“HOO! This is a workout!”

Too Cool for School!The wonderful thing about home-schooling is the classroom you are in.

It is always fun when you spend time in good company

specially with two of

the coolest families

around. It is thanks to

them that my family and I got to a enjoy a

camping trip packed with fun and adventure.

With us were Murray, Bonnie, their two

boys and their kid friend. Also with us were

Erica, her boyfriend, her three boys and their

adorable family dog. We couldn’t have asked for

a better group of people to hang out with. The

added bonus to camping with this group:

Bonnie and Erica happen to be climbing

instructors, and Murray is a very skilled climber.

I was blown away by their children, who are

expert climbers themselves, including the

youngest of the bunch who is just five years old.

He was so adorable climbing in his onesie! In

Bonnie’s words, “You gotta start them off

young!”

Hearing Bonnie say that made me smile,

because my sisters and I were raised so

differently. My mom did everything in her power

to keep us safe from doing anything remotely

dangerous.

Poor mom! To her misfortune, Duany and

I, were always drawn to the “dangerous”

outdoor activities she didn’t want us doing.

Surprisingly, she was supportive of my

decision to enroll in college to pursue a career

in outdoor recreation.

At age eighteen, I became a certified

climbing instructor. It was an awesome job,

which I really enjoyed. Sadly, I had an

accident and fell about 30 feet from a zip line.

I was fortunate to have landed on my feet, but

ended up with a compression fracture in my

lower back (Thoracic 12 and Lumbars 1 and

2). It sucked having a broken back for a while,

but I think my mom and dad suffered a lot

more than I did.

That was fourteen years ago. I

experience severe back pain occasionally, but

have been able to do pretty much everything I

used to before my accident. This was the first

time I had tried climbing since, so I was very

glad for Erica’s great support on belay.

Despite my best effort, I couldn’t get

myself off the ground. Even that was a hefty

workout for me. It made me realize just how

much I had taken my body’s agility before my

accident for granted. My body still rocks!

This failed climbing attempt has served

to motivate me. I’m determined to get back

into shape. Next time I climb, I will succeed!

Our Guides

MURRAY

BONNIE

ERICA

4 perks of having friends who are climbers:

• They are good pep talkers when you need a pick-me-up.

• They will motivate you and whip you into shape.

• They are so chill, not much phases them, helping to calm your nerves.

• You are guaranteed to have an adventurous time with them.

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Climbing is Sexy!

Highlights in Snaps

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Photo Credit: Duany Diaz

Photo Credit: Rittel Diaz

Bucket Kickersis a publication for The Bucket of Life (lifestyle

blog), sharing stories of inspiring individuals who

work hard to live their dreams. We are excited

about our next feature story on Becca

Ballantyne, an action sport athlete (snowboarder,

wakeboarder and wakeskater) on the rise!

Have an interesting story to share? Please visit

our webpage to learn how you can contribute.

The Bucket of Lifehttp://thebucketoflife.tumblr.com

About the AuthorKarill Diaz is a

commercial and editorial

photographer, and is the

founder of The Bucket of Life. She is fascinated

by adventurous people who actively pursue their

dreams; and enjoys sharing their stories, to

inspire others to do the same.

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“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.”

– ANDY ROONEY