Taking each challenge in our stride!
Diamante Valley Camp 2025 was the best success and jam-packed with fun activities! After making sure all campers and gear were safely accounted for - no mattresses or iPads stuffed into bags - we set out on our bus ride. From where the bus dropped us off, we walked to La Ceiba: our home-base for the first night. Thankfully, Bel drove the truck with ALL our big bags, so we only had to carry our day-packs filled with the necessities: sunscreen, water, a whistle, etc. Once we set up our tents and were thoroughly stuffed with sandwiches, we began our first waterfall hike. Up and down, over roots and under tree branches, we made our way down the steep rocky steps toward the rushing water. Once at the waterfall, El Raíz, we made our first jump from seven meters above! Wow, were your kids brave! The rushing water swirling around us served as a great post-hike shower! The crafty campers managed to scale many rocks, finding new places to jump, and walk on a ledge beneath the waterfall. When the time came to return to camp, the uphill climb might have been a little challenging, but we handled it like pros! We scaled the steep steps and endless roots all the way back to camp in a breeze. Then, after La Ceiba provided a tasty dinner, many of us played the camp favorite game - frisbee - until a fire was made. We devoured delicious homemade marshmallows and roasted the not-homemade kind, making s’mores. We ended the night with the boldest practicing their storytelling and sharing the first campfire stories of the trip!
WAKEY WAKEY! While most of us were up well before the sun fully rose, everyone was prompt and ready for gallo pinto at 7:30am. Shortly after, everyone dawned their bathing suits and we hiked to waterfall #2: La Sota. Climbing and posing on the lower rocks of La Sota, quite a few of us received an au naturale back massage and shower. We also found a smaller 3m jumping spot down the stream, testing out our best flips and flops and twirls and whirls. Some of us definitely landed more gracefully than others. :)
After making our way back to camp, it was hot dogs with onions and sweet relish for lunch! Tents were then taken down, the bags were packed and everything was ready to go to our next spot. The bags had an easier ride than us, that's for sure. They had the benefit of four wheels, while we had two legs each and a lot of up-and-down hills to trek. Nevertheless, we persevered like the rockstars we are and made it to our next camp! Once the tents were set up again and bags were unloaded, Richard led everyone on a tour around the camp, showing the spiritual connection present in stones left behind from the natives who used to live on the very land we were camping on.
Later, while some students collected Rosa de la Jamaica leaves for a tea, others played frisbee, and some helped dig a hole for the toilet stoop. We, of course, loved this. For dinner, we had Richard’s homemade beef stew and wow! It was the perfect protein boost before a big day of hiking! Then we played a creative game of chase after dinner, followed by another warm fire under a beautiful starry night. Marshmallows were devoured and new campers shared their stories. After a few too many s’mores, LIGHTS OUT!
RISE AND SHINE! We woke up with the sun today and we had our bags packed and tents taken down no later than 6:30am. We loaded up on eggs, bacon, and croissants and then made our way for Diamante basecamp. When we tell you we have never climbed more steps, we mean it! Clay step after dirt step, sometimes we found the horse trail easier than the people trail! There’s definitely such a thing as too many stairs, we promise, but we did it! We made it to the waterfall where we jumped AGAIN! This time it was 8 meters and into freezing cold water. This was definitely the equivalent of a polar plunge. The second our skin submerged beneath the flowing waters, pins and needles took over but it was almost pleasant: a much needed reprieve to our aching muscles and sore feet. After jump after jump after jump, we put our shoes back on and headed to the cave which was beneath ANOTHER waterfall. After lunch and a much-needed rest off our feet, we walked to the Diamante Waterfall, stood almost 200 meters up and hung onto a cable to peek over the edge. Water tore past our feet and we stood on the rocks between, watching it topple down, down, down. Thankfully, none of us followed. :)
Shortly after, we wandered back to the cave, wrote poetry inspired by the land around us, and read it aloud to each other. Then, most of us raced back down the mountain, taking on the steps and hills as though they had nothing on our knee joints. With one final overview of the land beneath us, we took our final steps into the arms of our beloved parents where treats and hugs met us.
Our camp's motto was "I Can," and we truly lived up to it! We formed new friendships, embraced new challenges, ventured outside our comfort zones, and persevered, and as a result emerged stronger and better from the experience.
Thank you all for the best camp! We hope to see you next January... maybe sooner!
Our camp experience is open to all children aged 9 years and older. Please contact us for more information.
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