Beach day and Survival Island
It has been a windy couple of days at Ardmore and we have shuffled our plans to fit the weather, delaying the Reds sea kayaking expedition until after the Durness Highland Games on Friday.
Yesterday morning the teams worked with their instructors, Max, Alfie, Emma, Bradley and Georgia, on the shores of Loch A Chadh-Fi, learning to light fires with striking flints and foraging for wild plants and shellfish that they can cook and eat on the fires. These are vital skills in preparation for Survival Island.
In the afternoon we set off to the beach at Oldshoremore. A well deserved rest and a chance to relax on the beautiful sands. With the wind there was a good swell and amongst football and touch rugby there was a lot of swimming and body boarding.
Today has been a bit wetter but the teams have continued regardless, with great enthusiasm. They have been out on the remote Ardbeg peninsular competing against each other on our wilderness orienteering course that we call ‘Search to Survive’.
With the rain passing through by mid afternoon, the teams set off in assault boats to Survival Island. It is a chance to operate together without the direct oversight or leadership of our staff team, making their own decisions and judgments. A chance to put the three principles; self-reliance, positive thinking, and leaving people and places in a better way than you found them, into action.
We can see a couple of thin plumes of smoke rising from the campfires on the island this evening and the sound of lots of excited voices across the water.
Tomorrow is the Durness Highland Games, a traditional and local event with a pipe band and lots of events that the boys and girls can compete in themselves.
With the strong winds now having passed we’ll start the sea kayaking expeditions on Saturday morning we the Reds heading out a day before the Blues.
Everyone is well and all are on good form. Its is rare to have a group who all seem to get on so well after only six days together. They are a pleasure to be working with.
