Day 1
After a tremendously easy run down the A303 we actually arrived at the centre near Tavistock slightly early. we had lunch, dorm allocations and a brief look around, and then the boys were thrown straight into some team games and a challenge in the river! After dinner, we enjoyed some wide-games – to run off some of that energy before bedtime! Most importantly, the boys had a great first day and were all thoroughly enjoying themselves!

Day 2
Another very successful day! We had to put up with a bit of drizzle in the morning, but the weather improved significantly as the day progressed. Half the group spent the day on the lake, learning to canoe, but also to build rafts. The other boys spent the day at the centre doing a combination of team-building tasks, archery and some high ropes work. That evening, after dinner, we took a trip out onto the edge of the moor to play some more wide-games, but this time in a fabulous location. What a cracking day!

Day 3
It was a busy one. Everyone loaded up early for a full day on Bodmin Moor. We were blessed with superb weather and there was much to be done: walking, abseiling, climbing, and, of course, the legendary ‘bog-run’. The bog-run proved to be especially sticky this year, after a dry spring, and a number of shoes were nearly lost! The boys LOVED IT! An excuse to get muddy and fling mud at each other. Perhaps the highlight for some, of course, was cleaning off afterwards in the lake, having completed a cliff jump into the refreshingly clean water!  It was a relatively quiet night on site that evening, and then on to our last full day!

Day 4
It was a real challenge today – the great British weather!  The morning was torrential down in Devon. However, the boys did not let it get to them. Water activities went ahead on the lake, and whilst some climbing activities at the centre had to pause at points, the boys moved indoors at times for team challenges. The key was that they continued to engage enthusiastically, and many laughs were had.

Thankfully, the weather cleared up in the afternoon, and we hoped for it to hold for the evening activities – a camp fire, marshmallows and the legendary group songs! 

The final morning will be full of activities, and we will be on the road shortly after midday. Traffic conditions permitting, we should be back at school around 1600 ready for normal pick-ups. 

We hope you enjoy some of the many, many photos taken!

Alistair Duncan
Second Master and trip leader