1st Stoke Row Scouts
Summer Camp at Nine Ashes in Cornwall 2003

The scouts had a fantastic, if not rather damp week in Cornwall this summer. Sunday 27th July We all met at the Pavilion at 10am, and headed off to Cornwall in 3 cars. We stopped at Belstone in Dartmoor to stretch our legs, and enjoy the last of the sunshine for a while!! We walked up a track until we could see a number of tors, then John and Ninette taught the scouts how to work out where they were by taking bearings off the tops of the tors, and drawing lines to see where they cross. This was to prepare the scouts for navigation on Bodmin Moor later on in the week. After another hour's drive, we arrived at Nine Ashes, where we hurredly put up the tents so dinner could be prepared. The first night's fare was a big BBQ on the altar fires - beef burgers,hotdogs and corn on the cob, with a chocolate fondue for pud. The first night was full of high spirits!

Monday 28th July
And here starts the rain!!
After a full english breakfast, with firelighting skills still lacking, came the first inspection and a long list of improvements to be made to the patrol camps! Then Rod arrived to give the first patrol a 2 hour session on the climbing wall, whilst the other patrol began making some camp gadgets to make life easier on the campsite.
After lunch, the two patrols swapped over, and more dodgy washing up stands were constructed. The best construction must go to Mark and Adam's Troop Gateway.
Dinner was marinated in advance, and we all enjoyed an easy stir fry to create delicious chicken fajitas. The hard bit for the scouts was the creation of camp microwaves - boxes fully wrapped inside and out in tin foil, with a wire rack inside. The easy bit then was to make up the cake mix and put it in the oven! The test was then whether we would end up with edible cakes - Excalibur Patrol soon learnt that, yes every centimetre of the box had to be wrapped or it would go up in flames, and it did. Surprisingly though, flambeed cakes tasted alright! Lancelot Patrol's box was more of a test of patience, but the slow oven did it's job and the results were fantastic. They were iced and decorated with stickers, and then demolished!!

Tuesday 29th July
Well today we were meant to go to the beach, but we were wet enough already so the plans changed!!
First stop, the Eden Project, to get warm and dry and see the magnificent structure and plants.
Second stop, St Austell swimming pool, to get wet but then clean and smelling very sweet.
Third stop, fish and chips, because the firewood was wet and we all wanted a good meal, but really because:
Final stop - evening canoeing down the road - and by the end, the sun was shining, and Ewart had taken them in caves, a long tour down the coast and shown most scouts how to capsize and be rescued!! One within about 3 minutes!! The leaders enjoyed a quiet Indian meal (well it would have been if it weren't for Scott and Ross!)

Wednesday 30th July
We started the day with some superb pancakes and bananas, and inspection of the gradually improving patrol camps.
The two patrols then sat down to prepare their route cards for the imposing Expedition Challenge.
The first day was to be relatively easy, finding their way down to the River Camel through the woods (yes, that was meant to be easy boys!), then to follow the river and fork up to the pub, where the leaders were waiting (what a surprise), but (even more of the surprise) they bought all the walkers a drink. The last leg was up to South Penquite Farm, an organic farm where the scouts pitched their Eurohike tents and built a big campfire. Supper was baked potatoes and bananas on the fire. Then they were meant to go to sleep, but by all reports ....

Thursday 31st July<BR>Sausages and beans on tranjias to start, then strike camp. Next the scouts prepared their route cards for Day 2 of the Challenge - Bodmin Moor. The weather was excellent - no rain, but overcast. The first leg was very succesful - Hawk's Tor Farm. A quick route change here due to the access through the farm, and both patrols made it to the top of the Tor. John stood at the top to see the second patrol in, but for some reason the first patrol headed straight over the other side rather than looking at the map, and they were reigned in by mobile telephone from the summit!
Everyone trooped down to the vehicles the other side of the tor, and we decided who would continue with the hike, and who would head to the supermarket. All the scouts had done fantastically well, but it was hard work, especially on very little sleep! The remaining scouts formed a new patrol, and some lost their heavy packs, then it was on to Garrow's Tor. Mapreading here was very challenging, and Mark and Ninette watched from the top as they crawled their way to the second summit with an old mountain guide! A quick descent through a field of bulls, then back to camp to cook scout's choice of Prawns, Pasta and Fruit Salad from Excalibur and Pasta and Strawberry Pancakes from Lancelot.

Friday 1st August
The last day at camp - a mega Jamie Oliver fry up- all in one pan - followed by a disastrous inspection which resulted in frying pans and kettles being thrown all over the campsite in disgust!
The morning's activity was to build huge catapults or ballusts to launch potatoes as far as possible. The pioneering poles came out, and a refresher course in knots, and some fantastic structures were created. Even the rain held off!
In the afternoon, the scouts built shelters in the woods, to spend their final night in.
Dinner was wonderful - fish or turkey wrapped in parma ham, and baked in tin foil on the altar fires, served with a couscous salad. Pud was baked apples stuffed with raisins and drizzled with syrup. Delicious.

Saturday 2nd August
Time to strike camp and tidy up (did they hear that? - 80 pieces of litter on Excalibur's site and 70 on Lancelot's!!). Then everything was loaded into the trailer and cars, and we set off home - in the boiling sunshine. What happened there? At least the tents dried out though, and we got home in time to enjoy the heat wave!!

Congratulations to Henry for most improved scout, Lancelot for best patrol, and Sam and Luke for most effort and leadership.
Thanks to Adam for helping out as a young leader.

Hope everyone enjoyed themselves - dates for next year should already be in your diaries!! 25 - 31st July 2004.