Caythorpe Scouts braved the weather!
Following the huge success of the last ever ‘Jamboree on the Trail’ international Scouting event last year, Caythorpe Scouts joined forces with 9th Grantham, 2nd Grantham and Ancaster Scouts to head back to the Hope Valley and run our own hillwalking weekend.
On Friday 7 June, 19 Caythorpe Scouts and seven of our volunteer leaders excitedly set off for the Peak District straight after school and work. With cars and the Group Trailer loaded up, Scouts arrived at Pindale Farm Outdoor Centre (https://www.pindalefarm.co.uk/) between 19:00 and 20:00, ready to pitch their tents, listen to the full safety briefing then enjoy a hot chocolate in hope of a good night’s sleep. It was great to be pitched with our fellow District Scouters; Scouts were able to rekindle friendships from previous joint events while volunteers caught up on weather forecasts and last-minute plans.
It rained. Almost all night long. So, faced with a damp start and varying degrees of sleep attained we all needed a hearty breakfast, which was gratefully received. Thanks Sarah, Mark and Sam. Once breakfast was cleared away and packed lunches were made, the Scouts got into their teams ready for a final kit check (thank you Gary for sharing the contents of your magic bag of spare water proofs, walking trousers, fleeces etc!) before heading out to hike.
The routes had been carefully planned in advance with the majority of our Scouts in two groups. On day one, younger and less experienced Scouts stayed in ‘T0’ terrain, taking in Lose Hill, Hollins Cross and a descent back to Castleton; a fantastic ridge walk that gives a beautiful panorama of both the Edale and Hope valleys. Meanwhile, the older, more experienced teams ventured into T1 terrain, climbing from Edale, up the jagged rocks of Grindsbrook Clough onto the plateau of Edale Moor. Skirting the peak of Kinder Scout where they ventured in and out of the standing rocks of Crowden Tower and Wool Packs. Making use of our more qualified T1 permit holders meant we could climb above 500 metres and enter more remote terrain, enhancing the experience of our Young People through stretching their boundaries.
Scouts and Leaders alike found the hikes challenging; for many it was their first venture into hillwalking and it’s hard to know what to expect when you’re only 10 or 11 years old. Whereas last year the weather was incredibly kind to us, this year we weren’t so lucky so dynamic assessments were made on Sunday morning and we altered the original intent to swap groups for a repeat of Saturday. Instead, the older Scouts took on the slightly more benign challenge of climbing Win Hill and Winhill Pike, this time offering superb views of the Ladybower and Derwent reservoirs. Meanwhile the younger scouts got to tackle Kinder Scout from Edale, albeit taking a more moderate route up Ringing Roger. Making good time, they took the opportunity to navigate, through the wind and rain, to the OS Trig point at 590 metres on Edale Moor before heading on to a WWII aircraft crash site where the wreckage can still be seen alongside a memorial and floral tributes. Some may say that it’s not as much fun walking in inclement weather, but through experience and with the right kit, the challenge can make it more appealing than fine conditions. Further, it does help Scouts learn more about the risks and how to manage them, involved with sudden changes in weather and some got to have a practice go using a group Bothy Bag to shelter in whilst having lunch and see how to use it and what it’s like inside. All good experience and skills for when they embark on non-accompanied expeditions such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award over the next few years.
Despite the weather, the Scouts had a great weekend which has once again given them the opportunity to test their map reading and navigation skills, help and encourage each other as well as finding the energy to carry on when it would have been so easy to turn around and head back to the campsite.
Huge thanks as always go to all the parents who worked out lift-sharing plans to get the Scouts to and from the campsite (a three and a half hour round-trip) as well as our volunteer leaders for giving up their weekend and family time to get our Scouts out into the Peak District for this amazing experience.

