Let the Games begin

It's been such a pleasure this year to have three ridiculously keen Outdoor Education Games groups every Wednesday afternoon. The groups rotate so that each week one group is outside while the others learn the ropes at GCC and to boulder at TCA. After experiencing the dank depths of the Devil's Pulpit on their first session (yup, a three week repetition for me: luckily I love water), full immersion for everyone, each following week pupils have vied for a place in the outdoor session.

This week we went to a local quarry where pupils learnt the rudiments of climbing ropework.

The site of the first three weeks of Games sessions

 Climbing warm up

 Ben at dizzy heights on his first outdoor climbing session

 Theo and Alex learning to place gear

Owen nearing the top of the challenging crack climb up the prow. Even harder when it's soggy apparently - who'd've thought!

Auchinstary looking much more balmy than it felt yesterday with a distinct autumnal cut to the air

 Jack working on his balance

 Climbing warm down

'Training' (= selection) weekend

We have another major expedition scheduled for summer 2016 and in order to get the team started we hold a weekend of training (actually more of a selection really). So as to recreate some of the intensity of being away together for a month in a remote area in just one weekend, it's a ll a bit of a surprise for them. But what we've discovered so far is that they seem to thrive on it, rising to the challenge, looking after each other and even enjoying the whole thing! And by selection we mean that each pupil will have a good idea by the end of the weekend, whether they'd like to undertake such an adventure together.

 The devil's breakfast

 A well-earned reakfast for the team

 The depths of the gorge

How generous: the team even had a tent and woodland beds

 Leading one another

 Emerging from the depths

 A long wander north

 

Paddling off in to the sunset

In contrast to the previous Gold Award expedition the week before, this group were lucky enough to experience wall to wall sunshine, with intermittent midges, throughout. Their greatest challenge was protecting themselves from the sun and midges.

The gang learn how to raft up - a more stable approach in windy conditions

 Another raft configuration

 All important rescue practice

 And again

 Rebecca slaying stuff

 Yet another meal stop

Everyone in the groups paddled a canoe solo at least once. Some even mastered and enjoyed it.

 Ooo, more food

Tristan love, love, loving some quality midge time

And we're back....

The start of the academic term 2015/16 saw one brave group setting off on The Academy's first Gold Award expedition by bike. The team did so well in what can only fairly be called adverse conditions! Nikki led them through thick and thin and they are now most certainly trained in all things cycling DofE. Despite their experience the team were remarkably keen to get on their bikes for the four-day assessment expedition that will take place in June. Well done, lads!

 

Done, dusted and ready for departure / First and last

Countdown to departure and of course it's a beautiful, balmy day. On the cards for the day is a small crag called Marin, a stone's throw from Alicante. Marin has a nice range of technically easy multipitch routes and some great single pitch lines for the team to try. It was another day of firsts: personal bests on routes, multipitch leading etc, but the last day too, sigh. The last supper was at a wonderful french-run restaurant in Finestrat called OhLaLa - we couldn't recommend it more highly!

Melissa opts for leading a couple of multipitch routes with Dom.

Dom seconding the first of the multipitch routes.

The girls at the first belay.

Dom nimbly negotiating the second pitch.

Callum gives the tough 6a+ a go.

Euan nearing the top of the steep 6b.

Dom on her first 6a lead. She took a fair amount of 'air time'. Euan also managed this climb as a lead, and in fine style too - nice one Euan & Dom!

 Douglas on the steep 6b.

Topping out on the second multipitch. And we're done.

After a quick dash in to the Orange House to dump & collect kit, we decide that the only right way to polish off our trip is a dash in to the sea in Benidorm. We were shivering before we even started!

Beautiful backdrop.

Beautiful backdrop? I guess so, if you like that sort of things. We got a few strange looks and side steps!

Team reunited at Sella

Our penultimate day threatened rain throughout, according to the forecasts. A fine and fairly local crag called Sella was in our sights. This was the second visit for some of the team, which didn't bother them: Sella is in a beautiful location, a selection of pretty crags and great lines all over. 

Dom and Callum opted for a second 'introduction' to multipitch climbing, while the rest of the team cranked out the moves on all sorts of single pitch routes beneath us.

Marion is another 'Top 50' route in the guidebook, which means it's a four star route (the most recommended a route can be). We'd been warned that it was terribly polished and may be tricky to get on at all.

The coaching and mileage must be paying off however, because Dom and Callum were straight off the ground.

This is the second pitch. What was surprising was the exposure on Marion. 'Exposure' in climbing terms refers to how much you feel the distance to the ground. This route wasn't particularly high, but it did feel like it and that's an important difference. Climbing is all about perceptions and your 'mental' approach to the challenge.

Callum looking cool and collected at the top of the second pitch.

 At the second belay.

This gives some perspective of the exposure by the top of the second pitch. The vehicle in the car park is looking smaller.

Dom cruising up the third pitch. She seemed completely unbothered by the environment, happily concentrating on working out the climbing moves.

Top of the route with the pretty valley of Sella and some of its other crags in the background.

 Time to descend back to the gang.

The requisite daily, self-imposed by Melissa, Dom and Douglas. Poor Dom: what you make yourself do huh!

 The leap took a bit of prep.

Post leap. apparently the water hole wasn't half as cold as our pool!