Glasgow Academy Outdoors

September 6, 2019

Teams OE + PC united!

This week we had the pleasure of the Performance Climbers & the Outdoor Ed'ers on a whole session together. We kept it simple with a quick dash up the steep, lumpy summit of Dumgoyne, just north of Strathblane. My, it's unrelentingly steep. But the views are worth it: a beautiful three hundred and sixty degrees of bluey, bright mountains, shining lochs and angular tower blocks of Glasgow. How lucky are we to live in a city which has such quick access to this landscape - even for our weekly Games sessions to stretch our limbs, talk about the important stuff and get the heart rate up. Pictures probably show it best....

Because we were pushed for time this session, we took the quickest, and steepest route up.

And we missed the heavy showers!

Requisite team summit photo.

It's lovely to have new S4 pupils joining our team.

I hope this photo is a reflection of how Blythe felt after the exhilaration of the climb.

Oops, that didn't take long: the Outdoor Education long standing, head standing tradition. And so it continues...

While concentrating on the steep descent, we were treated to stunning views north and west.

September 4, 2019

Cycle Cuba 2020, Selection Weekend

The Cycle Cuba 2020 expedition has been in the pipeline for several months. The idea came about when two pupils came to me asking to do a cycling expedition to the Italian Dolomites. During our planning, the expedition became a really interesting undertaking in a culturally fascinating country, through beautiful landscape.

Before pupils commit to a major Outdoor Education expedition, we hold a 'selection weekend'. The purpose of these are to explore with pupils whether this is the right expedition for them (do they enjoy the activity and how do they work as a team) and in what ways their expedition plan needs to be adjusted. So as to see the group come together as a team and deal with the obstacles that all expeditions encounter, environmental and social pressures are part of the selection weekend.

The group started straight after school on Friday. The rain was torrential and it wasn't due to 'let up'. They changed into their cycling gear and discovered that they were to get on their bikes from school. They learned that their tents were pitched in a campsite near Drymen and they were to see how far they could get on the National Cycle Route. The group did a fantastic job of keeping in their team and navigating. Despite the forecast doing exactly what it said and resisting the school support vehicle must have been an extremely tempting alternative, the team managed a whopping 49km to their campsites. A very soggy campsite, lots of equally sodden West Highland Way walkers and hot pasta awaited them.

In the morning the team decided how far they thought they could cycle: Killin, just shy of 70km north on the cycle route.

So, off they set. Known as the 'Pipe Road' by road bikers (of which this area is a cycling mecca), this takes in a couple of hundred metres of climbing and some lovely riding and views

The group had a range of bikes amongst them, and their performance was gauged with respect to this. As is so often the case, my respect for our Outdoor Ed'ers evolves: Kenneth's fitness was remarkable over the weekend. His ability to cruise along with the road bikes really was a delight to see!

Some of the team enjoyed a bit of playing about in the water on our now underwater National Cycle route in Aberfoyle!

Elliot and Kenneth make the most of the picnic table!

The second big hill of the day was the 'Duke's Pass' which climbs another few hundred metres. This is the halfway stop at David Marshall Lodge where the team took a breather. They did really well on this hill to set the right pace. Having ascended the road, they then descended the forestry tracks on the other side.

Mechanical scenarios engineered by me were not required on this trip: they happened organically! Here, Youcef and the team try to sort his bike out after two spokes snapped in quick succession and buckled the wheel. They didn't get very far....but then neither did the bike shop. Luckily for Youcef (a lot less so for me) he fits my bike.

The team picked up their pace and made good time through Balquidder, Strathyre, Lochearnhead and Glen Ogle). So keen were they to clock up the miles, that they opted to cycle to the end of Glen Lochay, adding another 20km or so and, once again, in the tipping rain.

Breakfast bar open!

The team broke camp again with the weather a little brighter on Sunday morning.

On the final morning the team decide they can get to Aberfeldy.

And they did. It's a very undulating road and they clocked a further 46km.

In total, the team managed over 180km during the weekend. Although this may have been less than they expected, it's important to take in to account the range of fitness, wellness and equipment amongst the team. Some of the group abandoned the weekend because they weren't well and others realised that, perhaps, multiple days of cycling wasn't their idea of a holiday. What I can say without reserve, and I believe they can too, is that they know themselves a little more; they know what sort of support they can give and receive in their group and what a powerful impact that this can have.

We now also know that our Cycle Cuba 2020 expedition will not be taking place. We simply didn't have enough people who were ready for that trip. What we do have in place is a February 2020 Cycle Mallorca trip. And that looks amazing.

Congratulations to the group for their fantastic efforts over the weekend. I hope they have now dried out and are feeling a good post-exercise ache rather than outright soreness!

Taking the leap

And we're off to the start of the new academic year, new members to our Outdoor Education and Performance Climbing teams and it seems that we've established a tradition: The first Outdoor Ed. session of the year involves a loch side run and a leap in to the loch. It may sound unappealing, but apparently it's not: we come back to this activity throughout the year by popular request. What makes me happy is to see pupils who would normally not enjoy running, telling me they will run for a set time, sticking to that, elated by the post-exercise endorphins and what they have achieved, leaping into the loch together.

May 15, 2019

P6 & 7 trip

What an idyllic weekend we had for our P6 and 7 trip last weekend: the team were amazing, the island was perfect and the weather, of course, was the 'icing on top'. What a fantastic trip - thanks to all the pupils who braved the adventure.

Finlay's fab pebble towers!

We embarked on a few projects on this trip. One of these was a Andy Goldsworthy-inspired attempt at nature art. This is a snapshot of the first stage of our island on an island. Every time I passed the spot, something else had been added - a minature tent, path and fire; an island on the island's island (!), more boats, a beach and so on.

Nora surveys her island.

Douglas' lovely, and ever-more-complex pebble towers.

Daisy's twig and leaf boat creation.

Canoeing and swimming was the number one activity of the weekend.

Our loch Lomond weekends work as well as they do because of our brilliant staff. We are lucky enough to have ex-pupils come along to help. This weekend we had Douglas and Rachel, who are just about to finish up at university, and were the backbone of my Outdoor Education team now so many years ago.

Bizzy and Freja find island treasure!

Island bakeoff begins, with Julian cooking up a complex dish.

Yet more rocky creations appear on the beach.

Freja tucks in.

Cameron takes on the hugely important task of dishing up.

Luca declares his meal possibly the best meal he has ever had!

Alexander and Luca enjoy the evening sun on the shore of our island.

Second time around, the girls' meal is edible, and it's delicious.

Amelia and Edie striding out.

Yet more happy canoe shenanigans.

Thomas and Torin getting comfortable around the campfire.

Doughsticks are a laborious but rewarding activity!

Once again, the moment the pupils are up, they want to play in the canoes. I love that this activity is such a natural, spontaneous choice for pupils - and their developing skills reflect that.