Sea kayaking, rock climbing, fire and food survival skills and boating

Teams busy on the sea loch, on the shore and up at the climbing crag before Reds head out to camp below Ben Stack

A lot of the kids were up early this morning, even before they were woken, such were the levels of excitement leading into the first full day. Yesterday’s rain had moved through overnight and the weather was stunning as the teams filed away from the Adventure School at seven o’clock for a short walk to a high point on the hilltops above Loch A Chadh-Fi. It is a chance to properly see the environment that will be home for the week, and in which the instructors will lead the children through a series of adventures to prepare them for Survival Island.

After breakfast, and making packed lunches (which can be an adventure in its own right for some?!?) the teams headed in different directions. The Reds took to Argo and Victoria for the journey across to Ardmore to see John Ridgway’s 1966 Atlantic rowing boat and Rebecca’s Cape Horn sea kayak, before picking up creels in the sea loch.

One Blue team went rock climbing and abseiling, another sea kayaking and the third to learn the ‘fire and food’ element of survival skills. Perfect weather.

After a quick picnic lunch the Reds and Blues swapped over. The creel catch was pretty mixed. Lots of hermit, shore and velvet swimming crabs, some ‘mystery fish’ and lots of starfish and sunstars.

The Reds left for our wild mountain base camp after supper this evening and will climb Ben Stack tomorrow, and the Blues will be based at the Adventure School. The kids are all well and enjoying the better weather. More news will follow late tomorrow evening or early on Tuesday morning.