Imagine making memories with your dad in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains—exploring the backcountry, navigating thrilling white-water rapids and testing your nerve on steep rock faces. Last summer, fathers and sons from all over the world joined Breakaway for a God-centered journey of a lifetime! Check out the fun. Then make plans for your very own adventure.
BREAKAWAY’S WILDERNESS WARRIORS
THE ERWIN TRIBE: James and Daniel Erwin, Bronson, Mich.
STATS: Daniel, 13, comes from a big family: He shares his house with six siblings! Daniel’s brother, Samuel, attended a Breakaway Father-Son Adventure two years ago. The teen still hears about the “excellent” experiences his dad and brother shared in the wilderness. Daniel couldn’t wait for his own Rocky Mountain experience.
QUEST: The boy’s trek started as a rite of passage, giving him a chance to learn about the “wilderness of the teen years” that he’s about to navigate. Seven days later, Daniel returned from the backcountry with some solid lessons about faith, life, love and what Christian manhood is all about.
TRAIL NOTES: “Exploring Colorado’s wilderness is both challenging and amazing,” Daniel says, “much like a teen’s journey into manhood. My adventure with Breakaway gave my dad and me plenty of time to have fun together and talk about the tough issues that every guy must face.”
THE FABLING TRIBE: Brad and Jeremy Fabling, Ellicott City, Md.
STATS: Jeremy’s dad is in the Coast Guard, which means he’s no stranger to outdoor adventure. And that excites Jeremy. The 16-year-old is striving to walk in his father’s footsteps, becoming a Christ-built warrior who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Jeremy is an athlete who plays baseball and basketball. He also enjoys skiing and trekking through the wilderness. In 2002, he and his dad summited Colorado’s 14,259-foot Longs Peak.
QUEST: Jeremy set off on his Breakaway adventure with a goal of discerning God's will for his life, especially since he’s contemplating college choices and the possibility of attending a military academy.
TRAIL NOTES: “Getting into the wilderness really helps you to focus on the important things in life,” Jeremy says. “Before we left the mountain, my dad and I committed to helping each other strengthen our walk with God.”
THE CLARK TRIBE: Scott and Garrett Clark, Singapore
STATS: Fourteen-year-old Garrett enjoys traveling and experiencing other cultures. In fact, he and his family have spent the past two years on the island nation of Singapore, a place that’s way different from his stateside home in North Carolina. (Garrett’s dad is an executive at a major American tire company and helped out on a project there.)
Garrett knows that seeing the world is giving him an education unlike anything he’d ever read in a textbook. And that’s what caught his eye about Breakaway’s Father-Son Adventures.
“I wanted my dad and I to have fun in a wilderness setting,” he says, “learning through the activities and by spending time with each other.”
QUEST: Garrett began his journey hoping to go deep in his relationships with his Heavenly Father and his earthly dad.
TRAIL NOTES: “This trip was a perfect way to strengthen my relationship with my dad, build my faith—and have fun,” Garrett says. “Standing by the torch during the father-son blessing ceremony and hearing my dad say how much he loves me are memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
BREAKAWAY'S FATHER-SON ADVENTURES 2008
Come join the fun! Next summer we’re offering two life-changing wilderness options—all for the purpose of connecting fathers and sons:
TRIP 1: ROCKY MOUNTAIN 7-DAY ADVENTURE:
June 21–27, 2008
The Cost: $1,518 per father-son pair (or $759 per person)*
The Experience: This excursion is based at Horn Creek Retreat Center next to Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains. You’ll enjoy a restful night’s sleep in a cabin, hearty home-cooked food, as well as nonstop camp fun: evening worship, powerful speakers, a first-rate recreation center and use of onsite swimming pools and waterslides. In addition, you’ll hike in the Rockies, go climbing, raft the Arkansas and take part in plenty of other outdoor electives: horseback riding, kayaking, a guided trek to Great Sand Dunes National Park, even a challenging white-water ride on the Arkansas River. Prime rapids and breathtaking wilderness will make for lifetime memories and deeper relationships.
TRIP 2: ROARING RAPIDS 5-DAY ADVENTURE:
July 28–Aug. 4, 2008**
The Cost: $998 per father-son pair (or $499 per person)*
The Experience: This excursion is based at Noah’s Ark headquarters along the shores of Colorado’s famous Arkansas River. You’ll camp in a “weather port” with other fathers and sons and take part in thrill-a-minute activities such as hiking, rock climbing and rafting between the towering granite walls of Browns Canyon. Each evening you’ll enjoy group games and campfire conversations. This rustic Colorado experience will draw fathers and sons together and transform ordinary guys into extraordinary Christ-built warriors!
**A Note About Roaring Rapids Dates: Within this eight-day period, there will be three to four staggered trip-groups, each following its own five-day schedule. During the application process, we will assign you to one of these groups.
Group A: Mon. July 28 – Fri. Aug. 1
Group B: Wed. July 29 – Sun. Aug. 2
Group C: Tues. July 30 – Sat. Aug. 3
Group D: Thurs. July 31 – Mon. Aug. 4
DEADLINE TO APPLY: MARCH 28, 2008
Step 1: Choose your adventure.
Step 2: Fathers and sons must fill out our application. (Download applications and more detailed information on this page soon.) While space is limited, Breakaway and Noah's Ark desire to take all interested participants. Though specific criteria must be met, we will be operating on a first-come/first-served basis of acceptance.
Step 3: Send your application along with a $25 per person processing fee on or before the deadline. (Note: The earlier you send in your application, the better your chances of being accepted.)
*A Note About Trip Fees: Trip costs cover all rafting and rock-climbing gear, instruction, guides and meals from dinner on Day 1 through lunch on the final day. This amount also includes transportation between Colorado Springs and Westcliffe / Buena Vista, Colo., locations of Horn Creek and Noah’s Ark base camp.
Trip costs do not include: airfare to Colorado Springs, sleeping bag rental if necessary, optional horseback riding, optional trek to Great Sand Dunes National Park, optional Narrows or Royal Gorge white-water rafting, kayaking, hotel for final night if necessary.
GET DETAILED INFO AND DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION PACKET.
