Beautiful start to the Belhaven week
The Leavers team arrived with us just after 1 pm yesterday. The coach dropped the team at the road end. We loaded bags into the back of the pickup truck and trailer to be driven to the Adventure School. We split into two teams, the Reds and the Blues, and they walked the 15-minute route along the vehicle track and across the shore to the School.
Within the hour we were in for a swim under blue skies and warm sunshine. The raft that is moored in the middle of the loch is perfect to jump and dive off before swimming back to the shore. With a Monday to Friday week, we have lots to squeeze in. We used the time before supper to look at the shelters that the pupils can build on the island. Old yacht sails and small bivvy tarps with hazel spars and pegs form great improvised shelters and we looked together at how and where to pitch them.
After supper, we climbed to a high point above the Adventure School. It gives the pupils a 360-degree view of all the places that we will explore together over the next few days. Beautiful evening light overhead and away to the west as we identified survival island for the first time. The mountains away to the east were cloaked in cloud and we could only see the base of Arkle, the mountain that we’ll climb together on Wednesday.
Tuesday started with a run or a swim before breakfast. Cereals, porridge, toast and scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast this morning before making packed lunches for the day ahead.
After breakfast, both teams headed out onto the remote Ardbeg peninsula. The Reds started at the rock climbing crag with Emma, Kev and Mark. We set up four rock climbs of different grades and an abseil with the pupils belaying each other.
Meanwhile, the Blues were in Ardbeg Bay looking at the fire and food elements of the survival skills needed on the island. Foraging for winkles and limpets, gathering tinder and kindling, and lighting small campfires with striking flints. We cooked a basic bread dough over embers and tried the seafood.
In the afternoon the teams swapped over with the Blues rock climbing and the Reds looking at the survival skills.
Tomorrow is our mountain day, and we’ll head to Arkle after an early start.
