| | | For Basic Year, Field Day is the opportunity to let the boys have a proper mountaineering day. In the midst of a wet, wet November, a weather forecast for one favourable day made it possible to go for a rough and tough walk around the substantial Welsh mountain, Rhinog Fawr. This was only the second time that Basic Year had attempted this walk.
Of the seven groups that set out, five made it right the way round. One of them, group three, did it faster than anyone had thought possible. This, in sound bites, is their story ...
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| | | RHINOGS FIELD DAY 2008
~ SOUND BITES ~
Matthew Broughton
Jack Bushell
Rupert Chitty
Adrian Ho
Patrick Kenyon
Will Milligan-Mamby
George Nugee
THE NIGHT BEFORE
... we put our iPods on charge ... (WMM)
... pleasing to skip school for a day ... (AH)
... I had plenty of rations and kit ... (AH)
WAKING UP
... waking up at 6am was the hardest thing ... (PK)
... obscene hour of six ... (WMM)
... everyone was irritable and full of sleep ... (MB)
... going to be the worst day of my life ... (PK)
... despite drowsiness, exhilaration ... (MB)
BREAKFAST
... rushed ... (GN)
... a few espressos ...(GN)
... our teachers were in good mood ... (AH)
FAILURE TO LAUNCH
... Mr H gave us a map, which we could use ... (PK)
... though sunny, it was freezing ... (JB)
... everyone was shaking ... (JB)
... the air all around us was indeed fresh ... (AH)
... I was hoping the day would get warmer ... (JB)
... Step 1: Find a way through the forest ... (MB)
... with my friends leading, I only had to walk ... (AH)
... I didn't know the way - I followed Chitty ... (PK)
... heading in a westerly direction ... (MB)
... the pathway disappeared ... (WMM)
... we went the wrong way ... (GN)
... Chitty took us the wrong way ... (PK)
... I realised we were going the wrong way ... (WMM)
... we sort of got lost again ... (PK)
... had a little trouble finding the checkpoint ... (AH)
... middle of nowhere ... (WMM)
... all were following us - all going wrong ... (PK)
RACE !
... Will decided it was a race ... (GN)
... so fast we left the other groups behind ... (JB)
... she ran to get to the checkpoint before us ... (GN)
... Ms Clem running - we were catching up ... (WMM)
... we were first to reach the checkpoint ... (GN)
UNDER WATER, UNDER WAY
... In Wales I didn't expect it to be dry ... (MB)
... the land got more and more boggy ... (GN)
... the ground was rocks, grass: mostly water ... (MB)
... l just sunk ... (JB)
... the marshland was so annoying ... (PK)
... was it solid ? ... (MB)
... apparently it had been raining ... (MB)
... so much water on the 'path' ... (GN)
... would I sink up to my knees ? ... (MB)
... we were walking through a pond ... (JB)
AFTER LUNCH
... it was very tricky ... (GN)
... I fell over twice on slime covered rocks ... (PK)
... Jack fell into a bog ... (GN)
... big detours to stop sinking ... (GN)
... mud, ankle deep, ruined my new socks ... (AH)
THE ROMAN STEPS
... the steps were weathered by, errr, water ... (MB)
... Will cheered & encouraged me to go on ... (AH)
... by now I had twisted both my ankles ... (GN)
... pain and tiredness ... (WMM)
... the group 3 cavalcade trotted onwards ... (AH)
... I had run out of drinking water ... (AH)
... I saw the woods we'd started from: Relief! ... (JB)
FINISHING
... we reached the end first ... (MB)
... I felt good - I had achieved something ... (GN)
... it had been a 16 hour day ... (GN)
... I couldn't wait to get back to warm school ... (JB)
... we all ran into KH to get food ... (WMM)
... hot chocolate and a good massage ... (AH)
... tiring, challenging, an excellent experience ... (MB)
... next time, I would take more water ... (AH)
... it was a great achievement ... (WMM)
... I thanked God to be alive to live this day ... (AH)
| | ...
we put
our iPods
on charge
...
Will Milligan-Mamby
...
with my
friends
leading,
I only had
to walk
...
Adrian Ho
...
all were
following
us
-
all going
wrong
...
Patrick Kenyon
...
I was
hoping
the day
would
get
warmer
...
Jack Bushell
...
she ran
to get to
the
checkpoint
before
us
...
George Nugee
...
In Wales
I didn't
expect it
to be
dry
...
Matthew Broughton
...
I thanked
God to be
alive to
live
this day
...
Adrian Ho
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