Cub Camp to Peak District June 2008

We know cubs are not great at recanting their activities to parents... so....

The sequence of events:

We set off with two minibuses, a car & and a trailer all packed to the gunnels with cubs, kit & food to camp beside the River Dane, at a beautiful scout campsite at Gradbach in the heart of the Peaks, about 5 miles south west of Buxton. We took 24 cubs and 4 leaders - Akela and Baloo (Jane and Nigel Parrott) and, for a second year, Steve and Alison Gorman (to whom we express our eternal gratitude; without them we just couldn't give the cubs the all the challenges and enjoyment of the outdoor life that our youngsters deserve). We managed to set up camp, which took some organisation with so many first time campers, built a harbour in the river, explored the surroundings and had supper by about 11pm. Peace didn't break out however until 12.30am when, after the 3rd warning, the final tent succumbed to sleep.

Saturday started early, at 4.30am in fact (thanks Tom). So after some early morning arts & crafts & a slap up breakfast of eggy bread & syrup we set off for Panniers Pool. It was a 5 mile hike to a natural swimming hole with waterfalls. The water was very cold but it didn't stop the cubs. Some leapt from the rocks straight into the icy waters (awards for courage were given for this) whilst others paddled more gingerly or explored the ravine through which the river ran. Hiking back soon warmed as all up again. Back at camp we learned all about fires. We gathered wood, made shavings & lit our fire without matches (rubbing 2 boy scouts together!). The cubs cooked their own lunch on Triangias & said it tasted better than anything Mum could make. After a couple of hours playing in the river, or the giant prehistoric rhubarb patch, we went rock climbing on the Roaches; a dramatic outcrop of sheer grit stone walls. All the cubs had a go at climbing a real rock face; a very different challenge to the artificial rock bloc. They also had a great time weaseling (climbing under & over huge boulders & wriggling through tiny holes and crevases) working our way up to 500m with magnificent views across the Peak District. We returned to camp for cowboy stew, a campfire, silly songs, marshmallows & hot chocolate. Not surprisingly, the cubs, who were all up by 5.30am were asking for bed at this point & silence quickly descended over our moonlit campsite.

On Sunday morning we had to wake them all up to enjoy another huge breakfast of fried potatoes, eggs & bacon. They made their own packed lunches and then set about striking the camp. By 10.30am we were ready to leave to meet the caving instructors at Stoney Middleton. There, we climbed, crawled & wriggled through tiny tunnels and holes, all 80 feet up a sheer limestone rock face. We also explored the plague village of Eyam and learned how a consingment of material brought the Black Death from London to this little village. Nearly 1/3 of the inhabitants died and plaques showed how total families were wiped out. We hiked to the boundary stone and saw were money was exchanged, at a distance, for food & medicine. We played wide games & were hungry for our picnic lunch. Then it was back to all the home comforts of parents & Sunday dinners & comfy beds!

The cubs thoroughly enjoyed themselves. When asked if they wanted to stay for a week it was a unanimous "yes". There were the usual midge bites, bumps & scrapes to deal with but they all showed resilience. They learned basic life skills like socks stop welly boots rubbing & putting on more clothes keeps you warm. They did chores like washing up, scrubbing pototoes, beating eggs. They learned camp skills like how to make a fire, put up a tent & take it down again. They helped each other out, shared their tuck, their clothes, their friendships. They also expereinced more advanced skills like climbing & caving, and on top of all that had a monsterous amount of fun.

We think the pictures tell a better story

Akela & Baloo