We have had a very successful day.
We set off and travelled to The Coldstones Cut. We climbed the hill to this wonderful viewpoint and explored the various parts. The view down into the quarry was spectacular!
We then had half an hour to How Stean Gorge. After eating lunch and settling into our lodges, it was time for the first activity. (We have tried to get photos of everyone but please forgive us if we miss someone occasionally. It is tricky to take photos during many of these adventurous activities, and sometimes the staff are ‘stuck’ at the back.)
Group 1 went caving. We actually went off site for this, up to Manchester Hole. The group all caved very confidently and had a good time. We had to do some mud-climbing and also got a little wet. We saw lots of fossils and stalactites. (More photos and videos here.)
Group 2 (with Mrs du Preez) did via ferrata. This year, the course and the equipment had been changed, and the clips stayed on all the time. This group made amazing time and actually did the course twice along with an impromptu extra abseil. (All the children will get the opportunity to do the high wires and zip line on Wednesday if they wish.) The group did very well and impressed the instructor who said they were more like a KS3 group! (The instructor also said that this was the first school group to ever get to do the abseil onto the course!) The group were brave and very supportive of one another. More Group 2 pictures here.
Group 3 (with Mrs Dobkin) did the main abseil and gorge scrambling. A few children preferred not to abseil but most did it. (At the bottom, Sulaiman ‘took Mrs Dobkin down’ and seemed to be trying to drown her in his attempt to right-himself! Once in the gorge, the group all did very well. Nala was particularly encouraging and led lots of things fearlessly. The group got further up the gorge than Mrs Dobkin had ever been. There was lots of laughter as they slid, jumped and swam upstream. (More Group 3 pictures here.)
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