Monday 10 March 2014

Edenderry Cubs Scale Croghan Hill - The Long Way Round!

Yesterday we had 16 cubs turn out for our annual hike up Croghan Hill, WOW! One of our newest cubs slightly bored with the idea of going up the hill and was given the opportunity of making things slightly more interesting by carrying a 45L hike bag up the hill. 

Croghan Hill is quite local to Edenderry & some of the cubs to have done the hill before. So we decided to make liven things up by going the long way round, visiting St Patrick's Well and walking half way around the back of the hill! It's quite a long way and for a small hill, it's quite a steep hike.

Yesterday was what might typically be called a soft day. It got quite misty once we got nearer the top, so we decided to rope the cubs for safety and the scouters peace of mind. Each child was instructed to hold onto a 20ft length of rope, one on either side of it. It certainly gave the cubs something different to think about while the anchor cubs got to quite like being dragged up the hill! For the scouters this made for an altogether more enjoyable experience giving them peace of mind...

 
 


When we got to the top of the hill Pauline started throwing grass into the wind, which is one of the easiest ways of finding out which direction it's blowing from. We settled down to eat our lunch and rest for a while on the other side of the hill. It was a great opportunity to test out some of Pauline's emergency equipment. The four man emergency shelter was the most popular one as it was lovely and cosy inside!

We also had a bright orange survival bag to snuggle up in out of the wind and mist. The only problem with that was that it kept sliding down the hill with cubs in it. It's a shame we didn't get any photos. It really was a day for hot drinks and yet while climbing the steepest part of the hill we really enjoyed the cooling effect of the mist!

After lunch we took the short way to Croghan Stores. Surprisingly they were straight ahead and down the hill. It can be very disorienting when the mist is down and you can't see the landscape. This is why it's always a good idea to bring emergency gear, map and a compass - just in case.

It's surprising how wet the mist can be. It's soft and you'd barely notice it as it falls but to say we were soaked is putting it mildly, some of the cubs were drenched. They hadn't packed their bag the night beforehand forgot to bring their rain wear, but they won't make that mistake again, will they?! 
 Our motto is "Be Prepared!"

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