A Mountain Lake Academy student takes in an Adirondack sunrise from atop the High Peaks during a “peak experience” hike. (Provided photo — Gary Semo)

LAKE PLACID — At some schools, passing a big state test or winning championships signify a student is ready to take on the world. At Mountain Lake Academy on the River Road, success is measured a little differently: in hikes, climbs, paddling trips and sunrises.

Mountain Lake Academy serves boys in seventh through 12th grade whose needs were not being met by their sponsoring schools. The students come to the academy for a fresh start and more holistic support, including significantly smaller class sizes and dedicated teams of teachers, counselors, social workers and adventure coordinators. The school’s most unique opportunity for growth is its “peak experiences” — outdoor expeditions the students undertake with staff guides. Adventure Coordinator Gary Semo said the peak experiences are “experiential education at its finest.”

“When we experience something, it allows us to not only hear about it but to feel it. I think that really is at the heart of what we do,” he said.

Semo makes use of all the Adirondacks have to offer year-round when planning adventures. Under his guidance, students learn to rock climb, fish, canoe, camp, hike, ski and bike. They tackle everything from 46er peaks above 4,000 feet to fire tower hikes, learning about both the wilderness and themselves.

While some students at Mountain Lake Academy are local, they hail from all around the state. For many, this is their first time living in a rural area and experiencing the outdoors. The Adirondack landscape is vital to the school’s mission and services, according to Director of Admissions Tyler Socash.

A group of Mountain Lake Academy students make their way up a mountain during a “peak experience” hike. (Provided photo — Gary Semo)

“The wilderness opportunities that are available at Mountain Lake Academy are impossible to re-create at any other program in New York state, period,” he said. “So, when our students come to us from school districts around New York state, they are afforded a unique opportunity for both reflection and growth that may not be available to them in their home, sponsoring school districts.”

The school tries to send students on larger trips, too, teaching them about the challenges and growth that can come through travel. A group of students recently went to Washington, and another student went with Semo for a solo hiking and climbing trip to the Grand Canyon.

“It’s providing an opportunity that the student otherwise wouldn’t have, opening up the world to a bigger picture,” said academy CEO Chris Mariano. “There’s a lot of learning about themselves that happens outside of the classroom on the rock wall, in the canoe, on the bike, at the Grand Canyon.”

Semo said the trip — which was the farthest the academy has ever sent a student for a peak experience — was “very powerful.” The student has since graduated from Mountain Lake Academy’s program, but Semo hopes the trip sticks with him.

“It was a transformative experience for (the student), when he left, after he leaves Mountain Lake, to reflect on that and spread that to his friends,” Semo said.

The ultimate goal of both the peak experiences and Mountain Lake Academy’s program is to create lasting growth in the students, according to Semo.

“(It’s about) self-esteem. Realizing they’re capable of more than they think. We see that every day, especially rock climbing. I’ll bring them somewhere knowing that I know they can make it up, but they don’t believe they can,” he said. “They’re seeing the power of putting themselves out there. … If they leave here with that, it’s huge.”