I Survived Easter Camp
As a Scout and now as a Leader the annual Easter Camp was always something to look forward to. As a Scout camping at Reigate Fort there were many a year there it rained almost constantly turning the 4 days turning the field into a sea of mud upto your ankles. Easter Camp 2008 started like many other camps, but at the start of the 4 days little did we know how tough it would be.
We arrived at the campsite of Friday morning and set up camp - putting tents up, and preparing the days activities. The older scouts set about making a camp oven and the younger ones made candles with wire stands. |
There was a cold wind blowing through the campsite adding to the already cold day, the coldness was some what disguised by the sun was shining through the trees. As the day turned to evening and night the coldness really started to bite, everyone gathered round their fires to keep warm.
As Saturday started, there was a noticeable change in the temperature and the weather was becoming extremely changeable - one minute sunshine, the next a passing rain shower. The morning's activities were centered around the main fire with metal working with the aim of keeping everyone as warm as possible.
With each passing rain show the temperature seemed to fall even more, so much so it was having an effect on everyone at the camp, the cold weather combined with wind-chill meant a decision had to be made. It was decided to go out for a hike down the hill, get a fish and chip lunch to warm everyone up. |
Walking back up the hill to the campsite we could see looking towards Reigate Hill dark ominous looking clouds gathering in the distance, as the clouds approached the you could temperature fall. Arriving back at the campsite the Scouts set about their iron/metal working, the leaders attempted to put a marquee up - it was during this that the first of the hail/snow started to fail.
The hail/snow showers and the biting cold made putting the marquee up extremely hard work - the deteriorating weather meant we abandoned the marquee. |
The falling hail/snow made the campsite look rather pretty as the pictures show, photos cant explain the extreme cold that we all felt, keeping warm was tough - taking my hands out of cloves to take the photos was quite tough at times. This was too good an opportunity to miss really, its the first and possibly only time I'll camp in such harsh conditions to make a record of it seemed the most natural thing to do. By walking around the site it kept me fairly warm in the cold.
By the Saturday evening the site was covered in hail/snow, one of the activity tables was covered - I took a photo zooming in on the grains of the hail/snow that fell. If you click on the photo to the right and see it full size you will see the grains are mostly triangular in shape, and in different sizes.
As Saturday passed to Sunday the temperature started to rise causing the hail/snow to melt which in turn caused the field to become a sea of mud. By Monday it was hard to see any green grass, just mud everywhere.
By the Saturday evening the site was covered in hail/snow, one of the activity tables was covered - I took a photo zooming in on the grains of the hail/snow that fell. If you click on the photo to the right and see it full size you will see the grains are mostly triangular in shape, and in different sizes.
As Saturday passed to Sunday the temperature started to rise causing the hail/snow to melt which in turn caused the field to become a sea of mud. By Monday it was hard to see any green grass, just mud everywhere.
Everyone who was there looks back with amazement and a great sense of achievement and pride about the most memorable camp I think we have ever done or to put it another way will ever do. There were times when as Leaders we wondered at times if we should pack up and go home as we were concerned about how the cold was affecting people. Easter Camp 2008 will live in the memory for ever, for me it was the toughest camp I've ever done in. Those of us who were there can proudly say:
"I Survived Easter Camp!"
"I Survived Easter Camp!"