MY PRAYER from the TREETOPS

BY EMILY SWANSON

There I was, watching all my friends climb up and walk across the ropes with no problem.

I'd never enjoyed being in high places very much. So when I was at camp two summers ago, I wasn't planning to get too far on the ropes course. (This course involves all kinds of challenges and team-building exercises in the woods. Campers put on harnesses as they complete challenges high off the ground.)

The part of the course our group was doing was between two trees, with three ropes attached to each tree. There was one rope to walk across, kind of like a tightrope, and then two on either side you could hold on to. The ropes were high up, and there were staples (footholds and handholds) on each of the trees which you could use to climb up to them.