The Experience

8 weeks. One day each week in the mountains. Climbing, outdoor skills, character, and an ethic of care — each week building on the last.

Parent drop-off

Meet at Dogwood Climbing in Dayton. Drop-off at 10:00, pickup at 4:00.

Expert instruction

WFR-certified guides trained in backcountry first aid and risk management.

Small group sizes

14 kids max — with two staff on every outing.

What we're really teaching

The mountains are our classroom.
Character is part of the curriculum.

Through the season, students meet situations that naturally demand courage, patience, humility, responsibility, perseverance, good judgment, and service. Character is not a side lesson. It is how we climb, how we treat a partner, and how we leave a place.

Students do not simply learn how to climb. Our hope is that they become more capable, responsible, confident, and thoughtful young people — rooted in the mountains of Dayton, Chattanooga, and the Southern Appalachians.

Pursue excellence without pride
Meet difficulty with courage
Practice stewardship
Look after your partner
Tell the truth
Serve others

Each week's character theme is named at the start of the day and revisited when the rock, the trail, or a partner on the other end of the rope gives students a chance to practice it. The goal is not a lecture. It is formation through real choices.

Nine Weeks in the Mountains

Climbing, outdoor skills, and character. Week one is welcome and stewardship. Week nine is a graduation adventure — climb, navigate, lead, and reflect.

01
Welcome to the Mountains
Stewardship & Respect
Southern rock climbing · Ethics · Leave No Trace
We have a responsibility to care for places, people, and things entrusted to us.
02
Trust & Responsibility
Reliability & Responsibility
Knots · Belaying · Anchors
Be reliable in small things. Do your job carefully because other people are depending on you.
03
Learning to Move
Humility & Perseverance
Footwork · Balance · Reading the rock
Failure gives us information. Growth often comes through patient effort and repeated attempts.
04
Becoming a Climber
Integrity & Excellence
Tying in · Safety checks · Climbing together
Do the right thing carefully and completely, even when nobody is reminding you.
05
A Different Kind of Climbing
Courage & Judgment
Bouldering · Falling · Spotting
Courage is not recklessness. We can act boldly while still exercising wisdom and good judgment.
06
Bouldering Adventure
Perseverance & Encouragement
Movement · Exploration · Challenge
Success is not only reaching the top. We learn to celebrate effort, improvement, and the success of others.
07
Finding the Way
Wisdom & Leadership
Maps · Navigation · Trail skills
Good leaders pay attention, make thoughtful decisions, communicate clearly, and take responsibility for the people around them.
08
Knowing the Mountains
Wonder, Gratitude & Stewardship
Appalachian ecology · Geology · Stewardship
Learn to notice what is around you. Practice gratitude and care well for what has been entrusted to you.
09
The Graduation Adventure
Service & Leadership
Climb · Navigate · Lead · Reflect
Real competence is not only what you can do for yourself. It is what you are capable of contributing to others.

The Dogwood Field Journal

Students receive a field journal in week one. Each week's page holds the outdoor skill, character theme, a short reflection question, and space for notes or drawings. By the last day, each student has a record of what they learned, climbed, observed, struggled with, and accomplished.

Two age groups, four days

Explorers (8–11) meet Monday and Wednesday. Trailblazers (12–15) meet Tuesday and Thursday. Same drop-off and pickup. Each day is one age group, so Garrett and Sophie lead the whole class together.

What stays the same

Drop-off 10:00 AM, pickup 4:00 PM at Dogwood Climbing
Same 8-week calendar and the same character themes
Up to 14 kids per day, with two staff — Garrett and Sophie
One age group per day, so both instructors stay with your child's group

Explorers

Ages 8–11 · Monday and Wednesday

Monday and Wednesday. The whole day is 8–11-year-olds — not mixed with older climbers — so Garrett and Sophie can stay with this group together.

How the day runs

Monday and Wednesday, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM at Dogwood Climbing
Shorter travel; more of the day at or near basecamp
Games, skill stations, and closer coaching throughout the block
Shorter routes and hikes paced so every kid can finish

Trailblazers

Ages 12–15 · Tuesday and Thursday

Tuesday and Thursday. The whole day is 12–15-year-olds — longer approaches, more technical climbing, and more partner responsibility — with both instructors on the outing.

How the day runs

Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM at Dogwood Climbing
Longer approaches and more time on outdoor rock
Technical climbing, partner systems, and more independent work
Days planned for older climbers on local sandstone and ridgelines

A Day in the Mountains

Every outing follows this rhythm. Explorers meet Monday and Wednesday; Trailblazers meet Tuesday and Thursday. Same drop-off and pickup, one age group, both instructors with that group all day.

10:00–10:30 AMArrival & briefing

Drop-off at Dogwood Climbing. Reconnect, name the day's theme, review the activity, prepare equipment, and receive activity-specific safety instruction. Bring water, lunch, and any snacks they need.

10:30 AM–3:15 PMClimbing, hiking & mountain recreation

Bouldering, rope climbing, and instruction — plus hiking, navigation, trail exploration, outdoor skills, Leave No Trace, and stewardship. Lunch and a short hydration break during the block.

3:15–3:30 PMStewardship & equipment care

Organize and care for equipment, clean the area, practice Leave No Trace, and look after the climbing or trail environment.

3:30–4:00 PMReturn, reflection & pickup

Return to basecamp as needed, organize gear, a brief reflection on the day's work — then release to an authorized parent or guardian.

Spring 2027 Calendar

January 23 – March 20, 2027. 8 weeks, one day each. Sessions meet every week of the season. Explorers choose Monday or Wednesday; Trailblazers choose Tuesday or Thursday. The last day closes with The Graduation Adventure.

01
Welcome to the Mountains
January 25–28
02
Trust & Responsibility
February 1–4
03
Learning to Move
February 8–11
04
Becoming a Climber
February 15–18
05
A Different Kind of Climbing
February 22–25
06
Bouldering Adventure
March 1–4
07
Finding the Way
March 8–11
08
Knowing the Mountains
March 15–18

The Activities

Climbing

Principal activity · Top-rope · Bouldering

Indoor and outdoor bouldering plus rope climbing at Dogwood Climbing and outdoor rock. Movement, technique, route reading, footwork, spotting, equipment care, and partner communication. All climbing gear provided.

Level: All skill levels

✓ Harness & helmet
✓ Climbing shoes
✓ Rope & protection
✓ Expert instruction

Hiking & exploration

Trails · Navigation · Forests & creeks

Secondary activities woven through the season: hiking, trail navigation, map reading, Leave No Trace, climbing-area stewardship, and time in forests, creeks, rivers, and waterfalls. Geology and Southern Appalachian ecology come along for the ride.

Level: Moderate to challenging

✓ First aid kit
✓ Navigation tools
✓ Trekking poles if needed

Built for a School-Year Weekday

Inquire about pricing if interested. Dogwood Mountain School is a recreational outdoor program — not drop-in childcare.

Mon–Thu · 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

One 6 hours day each week. Explorers choose Monday or Wednesday; Trailblazers choose Tuesday or Thursday. Sessions meet every week of the season. 8 days · 48 hours.

January 23 – March 20, 2027

Spring 2027. Drop-off and pickup at Dogwood Climbing in Dayton, Tennessee.

Inquire about pricing if interested.

Climbing, hiking, navigation, ecology, and stewardship — gear and instruction included. We are not publishing a price yet.

Inquire about pricing

January 23 – March 20, 2027. One form per child. Explorers choose Monday or Wednesday; Trailblazers choose Tuesday or Thursday. We will follow up with pricing. No payment now.

Rather start with the free day?

Saturday, November 14, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, at Dogwood Climbing, 306 Dogwood Trail, Dayton, TN. No climbing experience necessary. All families welcome. The spring program is for ages 8–15.