1st Romsey - half term Challenge Camp

The start of the half term saw the keenest youngsters from 1st Romsey out and about, sharpening their mapping and camping skills.
 
The event started with a hike form the Romsey HQ to the campsite in Lockerly largely via the Test Way, up to Mottisfont and then via HAtt farm Lane and the north woods. 

 The tracks in Squab wood proved a bit of a test for our supposedly more experienced map readers who had struck off ahead, and they reached the lunch time rendezvous about half an hour after the rest of the group. The story of the tortoise and the hare comes to mind. Still with the aid of VHF radios and tracking equipment, no one was lost for long. The going was quite muddy and a very intimidating pheasant blocked the path at one point, but once everyone had arrived, tents were pitched and a fire prepared for dinner of curry with rice to be cooked. 

A cooked breakfast in the morning and the camp  essentially divide into two - one group building a mud oven (more about this later) and the other group building a monkey bridge - a good chance to make use of block and tackle and ground anchors. Everyone who wanted to do so had a go on it, including a couple of dads who turned up in plenty of time, though had we been staying longer I think we would have made a more complex one..

Chicken for lunch was fully cooked in the oven, but given the time and rather wet state of the firewood, the decision was taken to cheat a bit and use the oven in the hall to kick start the jacket potatoes and crumble, - all learning  recipes and techniques that were new tricks for many of the scouts. 

Once up and running well the tin plate chimneys on the oven roar reassuringly, like a small jet engine, though fine temperature control is an art.

After lunch it was time to strike camp, and with very welcome parental help to get kit into cars and so forth, however, before we left we had one last extremely important event, as our yougest camper was formally invested before closing camp.

Then homeward to baths and beds.

Many thanks again to those Leaders and parents who made it possible, and of course to all those Scouts who came, and I hope enjoyed it.


Mike P_J (ASL 1st Romsey )

PS If anyone from another group or section fancies borrowing the kit of parts for building the oven to have a go themselves, please contact Mike Page-Jones at First Romsey. (Though a donation of a couple of quid to cover the inevitable deterioration of the steel  would be appreciated .)