Excitement was building, as we travelled from our homely village of Giggleswick through the countryside to the small town of Garelochhead in Scotland. The lengthy journey satisfied us greatly with the gorgeous views, despite the fluctuations in weather, from the sun shining bright to downpours of rain. The discussions about the adventure ahead of us strengthened, as we spoke about how we would work together to ensure that we all reached our goals and how we would also overcome any challenges that awaited us during this amazing opportunity. These conversations left us feeling highly inquisitive and prepared for what was to come and lasted for several hours until we reached Garelochhead Training Camp, which would be our home for the next few days. The camp was fascinating and was surrounded by scenery that was new to many of us, with gorgeous hills and lochs that we could see from the views out of our windows.
On the Saturday and Sunday of our expedition training, we participated in two preparation walks, in which the difficulty was majorly underestimated. Although, in some areas, we found the preparation for the expedition challenging, we were successful in completing it to the maximum level with the support of the powerful teamwork and help of our instructors, which created indestructible morale.
The time had arrived, on Sunday evening, where we prepared to pack our kit and get a restful night’s sleep, in anticipation for our practice expedition that would begin bright and early the next morning. The realisation hit that we would now spend the next three days and two nights walking through fields, open countryside and up hills that were up to 600m in height to reach our destinations where we would camp through nights with harsh winds and pouring rain that thrashed against our tents causing the lowest temperatures that we had ever experienced throughout a night’s sleep. Again, the teamwork is what allowed us to gain memories, even though the weather conditions were tough, and the terrain was arduous. Despite the demanding couple of days and nights, we oversaw breath-taking views and experienced hilarious moments to remember forever.
Silence. There was nothing to be heard on the coach home besides slight mutters and the leaking of serene music from the numerous headphones within the groups. With the rewarding feeling of knowing that we overcame challenges, reached goals, and made memories, we now rest our feet, in the waiting of our assessed expedition later this year.
These unforgettable memories that we all experienced could not have happened without the support and generosity of the Ulysses Trust. On behalf of all of the students and teachers of Giggleswick School that were fortunate enough to partake in this trip, which has allowed us to gain the opportunity of making these memories and experiencing these adventures, we would like to thank the Ulysses Trust for making this happen.
