Scout training at Lodge Hill

A cold but sunny morning awaited me when I awoke - far too early for a weekend, even though I was running late (not the best night - baby wasn't really on sleeping form, ignored the alarm clock).

It was a quick drive down to Lodge Hill Outdoor Activity centre in the heart of rural West Sussex, for two days of intense training sessions to become a fully fledged Explorer Scout Leader. The last weekend of training and that is almost it, just need to organise a camp to get my nights away permit and the hallowed wood badge, which, incidentally is now plastic. Or so I've been told. The original wooden beads on the wood badge were carved from a fallen tree at the home of Scouting, Gillwell Park, because of the massive interest that Scouting attracts from Adult Volunteers and the fact that the tree fell a very long time ago the wood is no more. Hence the plastic. Sign of the times?

I digress, but a little history of Scouting here and there doesn't hurt. One of today's modules was programmes, balanced and wholesome. We were even given a programme checker to make sure they were indeed balanced and wholesome. I wonder if Microsoft have a programme checker? The session was facilitated by the affable Tim, offering his words of wisdom from years of experience on what a balanced Scout programme should be. The Scout Association help with this, by giving you a list of zones to work to and also methods of delivery, such as talks, technology, outdoor adventure & visits.

Our small group decided to build a programme with the aim of going on a lightweight expedition. Starting with this at the centre of a spider diagram, we spidered our way out spinning the web and covering areas such as gear talks (if you want one contact Walk and Travel - Sussex and South Surrey only!), food tasting, a visit to the gym to get a fitness programme planned, first aid training, night hikes, practice backpacking weekends and using technology in the outdoors, Garmin GPS, digital mapping and laptops - after a session on traditional navigating, so compare and look at the routes we were going to hiking along.

Then more detailed planning followed and night based on food tasting was arranged. Here is our programme for a Scout evening:

• 8pm Flag break and inspection
• 8.10pm Talk on nutrition, calories need for hiking (2500 for sustenance and 2500 for the hike - though I wasn't too sure on the numbers, more research may be needed) and an interactive looking up of calories in food on the Internet.
• 8.30 Game
• 8.45 Food for backpacking laid out on a table, to include dehydrated backpacking food, wet backpacking food, supermarket food for backpacking and supermarket food unsuitable for backpacking. Scouts to put together a 24hr menu choosing the right food stuff for the expedition.
• 9.00 Preparation of the food and a tasting session and food evaluated on a score chart
• 9.30 Clear up
• 9.45 Feedback on what types of food were the most yummy and gave enough calories for the expedition.
• 10.00 Flag down.

I found this to be one of the better Scout training sessions as a balanced programme really is key to retaining the young people, developing them as people and really just plain old enjoying themselves. Think I will be using this one with my Explorer Scouts.

Night hike on the South Downs

Walking on the South Downs

Remember Remember the 5th of November, gunpowder treason and plot… It was our intention to head out onto the South Downs on this very evening to look at the fireworks from Lewes and across Brighton.

The start point was Ditchling Beacon car park, with a walk eastwards towards Lewes and their famous bonfire procession. The fireworks are always spectacular and world renown and we were hoping so have a grand view as they lit up the night sky in a myriad of colours, sparks and bangs loud enough to split your ear drums.

We set off and strode across to find a vantage point, we were on a mission to get as far as we could as time was not on our side. We needed to be back at the minibus by 10pm. Slowly the clouds started to wind their ways across the Weald bringing with them the spots of rain that you don’t really want when you have left your waterproof trousers back home.

There is something wonderful about a night hike. I’m not sure what it is. Perhaps the peacefulness of the night, perhaps the companionship of the darkness. We walked with our group of Explorer Scouts along the South Downs Way, most of it unrecognisable from cycling the South Downs Way or from the walks in the daytime. Perhaps that is what makes a night hike wonderful. It is more of an adventure, everything seems different you can’t see the sign posts, but you can see all little pin pricks of house lights and street lights strewn across the landscape, making it look like a different world.

As we hiked with Lewes in our sights, the clouds came in. The few fireworks we could see in the distance all but disappeared. We got as far as we could, time was against us and so was the timing of the Lewes fireworks. We has to turn round. The rain came down and we hadn’t seen a single Lewes firework, then bang, flash and a few fireworks lit up the sky behind us. Then as we crested the next hill, they disappeared from site and the rain, clouds and darkness accompanied us back to the minibus.

It was a very enjoyable 6 miles across along the South Downs Way and back. The cloudy, rainy weather made it feel very desolate, like we were the only people around after some terrible accident. But on the same hand it was very peaceful and you could certainly feel that you were out on the hills. Next year we will get nearer to Lewes so we can see the fireworks properly. Nest year will be full of moon, stars and crisp frost underfoot. Next year, remember the 5th November.