Peaks Residential Trip
Towards the end of the summer term, Inspiring Choices facilitated a residential trip through Lost Earth Adventures with six students from Graham School, Scarborough. The trip marks the end of a research project led by the University of Warwick in which students from two schools from different areas of the country took part in focus groups. These focus groups were focused on “People from round ‘ere” and how young people describe their sense of place, their community, and their thoughts on their own futures.
After an early departure from Graham School, we headed for Coombs Reservoir in the Peak District just in time for the rain to start! A few soggy sandwiches preceded the first task of the trip, competitive raft building; students vs staff, naturally. We staff donned our engineering caps and jumped straight into creating a raft which we soon dubbed the H.M.S Sturdy. The students opted for a more measured approach and enlisted our Lost Earth instructor Matt to help them design a raft that might stand half a chance of staying afloat on the water. When it came to launching our vessels, the students paddled out into the water with all but their shoes remaining dry, their raft successfully staying afloat as the Peak District winds carried them across the reservoir in no time. It became evident, however, that the staff raft would have been more aptly named the H.M.S Sinky. Prizing buoyancy over balance, our attempt at raft building turned out to be a boating blunder! At no given moment were all four members of staff aboard at the same time and, after multiple attempts at getting the vessel just a meter or two away from the jetty, decided we would have greater success swimming alongside it. The sound of the students’ jeers was almost as biting as the temperature of the water! Fortunately, our hostel, Hartington Hall, had a drying room. Unfortunately, it smelled like feet.
A hearty meal and the chance to wash the pond weed out of our hair soon got us back into the competitive spirit with an evening of games and challenges before sleep could be fended off no longer. We hoped that the second days activities, rock climbing and abseiling, would be less damp than the previous day. The weather had other intentions.
Stanage Edge is a highlight of the Peak District and a haven for climbers all over the world. A striking gritstone crag overlooks miles of rugged landscape, with bracken waving in the breeze and delightful blots of colour from patches of heather brightening the beautiful, windswept moorland. But we only caught fleeting glimpses of this as the clouds engulfing the edge momentarily subsided to tease us with distant rays of sunshine. Amazingly, the heavens resisted the temptation to rain down upon us for a couple of hours. The opportunity to ascend presented itself, and ascend we did. The students went from nervous to fearless in no time. All of us noticed how remarkable it was to see the same group who professed an insurmountable fear of heights overcome their reservations with such enthusiasm and determination. Tears of apprehension marked our arrival, a shared pride in their achievement came with our departure, albeit an hour earlier than planned due to inclement weather.
Speaking for all our team, it was a wonderful opportunity to witness these remarkable young people trying new experiences and challenging themselves to overcome personal fears. We very much look forward to working with more groups of young people on similar adventures in the future.
Alex Hargreaves
Outreach Co-Ordinator
