Southampton SSAGO Winter Camp
Lauren Whittaker (Southampton SSAGO)
Wednesday 15th of March 2017
Weekend away to the Peak District!
Our Winter camp this year would be our first joint weekend away with Network. All 24 of us set off from Southampton with a trailer full of kit, a minibus and car full of people ready for a weekend spent exploring the Peak District. After a bit of a shaky start with the keys for the Scout & Guide centre not appearing for a while, soon the food shopping was done and it wasn’t long before the minibus arrived. After a long journey we set up our beds (as we were staying inside) and enjoyed soup as our supper before getting a good rest ready to walk up Kinder Scout the next day.
Saturday morning was an early start but it was well worth it with the day ahead that we had planned. Most of us walked up Kinder Scout but a few opted for a day trip to Manchester, spending lots of time on the trams! Those of us going to Kinder Scout walked to Jacobs’s ladder where Tom and Ben were both presented with their Queen Scout awards by Mark Terry (Deputy UK Scout Commissioner).
Once all of the compulsory group and award holder photos had been taken we continued to the summit of Kinder scout. At the top there were numerous selfies and standing on trig points as well as enjoying well deserved lunch break before heading on along the ridge and past the waterfall. It was fairly uneventful up until we reached the stream where some ended up having laughing fits from falling in the rather deep mud. We also came across a Christmas tree alongside the river where we found the perfect opportunity to sing ‘All I want for Christmas’ and there were plenty of songs to be sung along the route. Further along our way we met a lady who looked a little lost in a bog and so we happily assisted her back. All in all it was a fantastic walk up and down Kinder Scout! There was even more excitement to enjoy back at base with jigsaw puzzles, board games and a visit from other SSAGO clubs!
Sunday began with a full English breakfast and for some this included a custard cream! Sadly it was some time to pack up and begin to head back. But before we did, we stopped off in a small village in the Peak District, which was hit by the plague. Some of us opted to go for another walk, whereas others visited Eyam Hall (a National Trust site). Then it was time to head back to Southampton after a lovely weekend!
