The summer months offer Scouts from across Berkshire the opportunity to venture beyond county boundaries with camps, international expeditions, and national exploration.
15 Explorers and five leaders from Maidenhead’s Kaizen Unit travelled to Bodmin in Cornwall recently for a six-day camp at Nine Ashes where adventurous activities were interspersed with education and cultural visits.
The Explorers warmed up with a canoe challenge along the Bude Canal, paddling and problem-solving, before kayaking out to sea around Bude harbour and coasteering along the Tintagel coastline, whilst waiting patiently for some surf.
Ed (pictured), speaking about sea kayaking said, “it was a great experience and a really great way to explore the Cornish coastline. The large waves made it particularly exciting.”
Shreya said her favourite part of the week was the coasteering as “I really enjoyed jumping into the water from the ledges”.
Due to the good weather, but not so great weather for surfing, the Explorers went coasteering twice, taking advantage of low tide on their second session to go through a cave beneath the headland and to brave some higher jumps.
Alongside some fun traditional Scouting games, they continued to develop their climbing skills on a sea cliff, enjoying some breath-taking views. There was also plenty of time for relaxing in Bude’s sea pool and on the sandy Cornish beach.
In addition, they went to the Eden Project, St Austell, on the south coast, walking around the tropical biome and world’s largest indoor rainforest, and the Mediterranean biome, learning about the impact of deforestation and from where our everyday fruit and vegetables originate. Then, north to Tintangel’s famous medieval castle, built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall and inspired by the legends of King Arthur, Tristan and Iseult.
Of course you can’t visit Cornwall without eating a pasty, and for some of the leaders, a Cornish Cream Tea, jam first and then adding the clotted cream (yes, that’s the correct way!). The rest of the group had an ice cream, and of course by the seaside, a fish and chip supper from the best shop as judged by the Bude Scouts.
They must have been well fed, as one Explorer exclaimed they couldn’t eat any more cake!
With thanks to Simon Barrett for submitting this story. Share your summer postcards with us: [email protected]