A group of adventurous pupils ventured to the wilds of the North Yorkshire dales last weekend for an action-packed weekend at the Bewerley Park Outdoor Activity Centre. Eleven pupils, along with Miss Gilmour and Rosie, arrived in torrential rain on Friday and quickly settled into their assigned dorms. An evening of activities- which included bridge building and puzzle solving- ensued, interspersed only by a delicious dinner of lasagne and a quick dance party before bedtime.
When the group awoke on Saturday (some waking much earlier than others at 5:30am!), it was thankfully to much better weather. After a hearty breakfast and a quick pitstop to gather some rather unflattering wetsuits, the intrepid pupils set off for a morning of raft building with their lovely instructor, Anne. The session involved building a raft out of barrels and wooden poles, and then setting sail on the reservoir and performing a number of challenges. Predictably, the morning ended with everyone getting very wet!
That afternoon the party stayed at the centre and did the terrifying leap of faith challenge- jumping eight metres from a swaying wooden platform, held up only by a safety rope and a team of student B-layers! Not everyone managed to reach the top of the pole, but all there tried their best, and we saw some brave feats. Even Rosie managed to make the jump this time around! Following a quick round on the low ropes (a more successful endeavour for some teams than others), the rabble of remarkably awake students retired for dinner and playtime outside and in the common room. One final dance party ended the day- and saw some rather interesting dance moves and unusual outfits!
On Sunday morning, Mr Edge arrived to relieve Miss Gilmour from her duties, and take the students (along with Anne and Rosie) on a gorge walk in the stunning North Yorkshire moors. Our eleven pupils scrambled, swam and slid through the freezing cold water of Blayshaw Ghyll, completing a number of challenges along the way. Whilst it was tremendous fun, everyone was very grateful to get back into a warm shower! After another quick lunch, the group set off for their final adventure of the weekend- climbing at the stunning Brimham Rocks. The group showed off their teamwork skills, and helped each other squeeze through small spaces, run ninja-like up walls, and finally climb to the spot which our instructor said ‘had the best view in Brimham’. It was a fantastic end to a brilliant weekend.
Many thanks go to our wonderful instructor, Anne, who was our guide for the weekend, and the rest of the Bewerley Park staff. Thanks also to Mr Edge, Miss Gilmour and Rosie for taking the pupils, and to our wonderful students, who were excellent all weekend.
Rosie Havelock
