Expedition Report October 2010
We met at the school quad at 07.30 for our long journey to the Brecon Beacons by minibus. All geared up and ready to go, we started our first day of hiking with a nice steep incline to kick off the expedition. With high spirits and fresh legs, the first few hours of hiking had few problems, crossing many hills and valleys with ease. By lunchtime we had completed half of the day’s journey, a pleasant thought. Even with the 300m climb, we finished the day in good time and morale thanks to the skilful navigation and fitness of the team.
The next morning we woke to frost and sub-zero temperatures after the coldest night of October in the Brecon Beacons. Foggy valleys and crystal clear views of the mountain tops made for an impressive start. After warm porridge and dry, but much needed Cheerios, we packed up the tent and set off on the second day of the expedition, yet again starting on an incline. We spent the first few hours of the day following a canal, but we quickly faced steep hills again, now becoming a common occurrence in our expedition. A few members of our team, having never been to Wales before, didn’t quite know what to expect. But high in the mountains, a pleasant view gave a strong impression. Although feeling the effect of the 36km walked so far we arrived into the campsite in good time. The day was nicely ended with a large portion pasta and hot chocolate for the second time.
The last day was the hardest to wake up to, with an early start to the hiking. With the end in sight, we set off into the strong wind with high spirits but aching legs. Despite this we made good progress, until being refused entrance to a road by a farmer, pointing us towards a footpath through a forest. After many wrong turns, we eventually got back on route; however, we were several hours behind. Due to bad weather, we went around Lord Hereford’s Knob instead of ascending it; however, the alternate route was still a hard climb. Due to our diversions, we had to end our hike a few km early, which although disappointing, was much appreciated! Most of the hikers decided to have extra few hours sleep during the bus journey home, after an exhausting, but mainly successful few days.
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Bloxham School
Bloxham
Oxfordshire
OX154PE
Tel: 01295 720222
Fax: 01295 721897
