Words from site champion and instructor, Pete Ryder:
We set a new record at the 2-Day Intro at The Stone Trust NH. The water cooler had to be filled four times! It was a warm weekend in Mont Vernon but the breeze was steady and spirits were up. Twenty one wallers arrived Saturday for a weekend of learning, laughing and walling with their three instructors: Pete Ryder, Jake McArdle, and Andras Lazar. 65 feet of training wall came down by 10:00, and the real work began.
Foundations went in rapidly and then the fun began as students learned that the waller has only themselves to blame for the difficulty in placing a stone. They quickly understood the importance of thinking ahead. In true Tetris fashion, students learned to wall, both to solve problems and to avoid creating new challenges. One of the most rewarding things for me as an instructor is to see this realization come to students. All of a sudden the wall gets flatter and stone goes on faster – like magic!
Saturday evening half the group took a field trip to inspect the Antrim Grange retaining wall. This ten-foot-high wall challenges many assumptions that folks bring to dry stone walling and gets the imagination fired up. For those who are interested, plug 2 Meetinghouse Hill Rd, Antrim NH into your GPS and enjoy. Reach out to Andras Lazar or Pete Ryder if you want a guided tour.
As Sunday came to a close, the last stone went on the wall. Canopies came down, and extra material was moved to the piles. Everyone felt a deserved sense of accomplishment. That’s a lot of wall – built back better than when we started. Fantastic job to all!
