Hike at Rivington Country Park
6th February 2011
As the first of our training hikes for the Pike View Hike later this year we headed up to Rivington for our first outing of the year. 6 Scouts attended, along with 4 leaders, a Cub and a Brownie!
We travelled up to the Tower on the hill, where it was difficult to stay standing in one spot due to the incredibly strong winds.
We then made our way back down inot the cover of the woods, eventually reaching the Japanese Water Garden where we had lunch and explored the area around the lake. One or two Scouts got wet feet here.
After lunch we continued down to the Ruined Castle, we explored this for a while then followed the path by the lake back to the carpark.
Luckily, depsite the weather forecast being quite bad we didn't get any rain until we arrived back at the car park.
We travelled up to the Tower on the hill, where it was difficult to stay standing in one spot due to the incredibly strong winds.
We then made our way back down inot the cover of the woods, eventually reaching the Japanese Water Garden where we had lunch and explored the area around the lake. One or two Scouts got wet feet here.
After lunch we continued down to the Ruined Castle, we explored this for a while then followed the path by the lake back to the carpark.
Luckily, depsite the weather forecast being quite bad we didn't get any rain until we arrived back at the car park.
Swimming Gala
6th February 2011
Five of our Scouts took part in the Swimming Gala on Sunday evening (4 of them had completed the Rivington training hike the earlier the same day!)
1st Middleton Scouts were represented in every one of the races and left with a selection of medals, bronze, silver and gold. Not a bad result considering most of them had only just completed the hike 3 hours earlier!
1st Middleton Scouts were represented in every one of the races and left with a selection of medals, bronze, silver and gold. Not a bad result considering most of them had only just completed the hike 3 hours earlier!
Hike at Hopwood Woods
20th February 2011
The Pike view hike team met up again for another training hike. We did not have long for this hike as we went on the hike straight after our monthly church parade.
It was only a short walk but we worked on map reading skills and explored the woods.
It was only a short walk but we worked on map reading skills and explored the woods.
Bibbys Farm incident hike
5th March 2011
A group of our Scouts entered the Bibbys Farm incident hike, mainly as training for the Pike View Hike later this year. They did extremely well and finished in 3rd place.
Hike at Tandle Hill
6th March 2011
The day after the Bibbys Farm Incident Hike the same group of Scouts, along with a few of our newly invested Scouts went for another training Hike at Tandle Hill. We worked on map reading and navigation skills agin and also did a spot of Geocaching.
Hike at Holcombe Moor
20th March 2011
We went for another training hike to Holcombe Moor. This walk was much more of a challenge than our previous hikes, both in distance travelled and the weather conditions. We started off in drizzle and by the time we reached the top of the moor visibiltiy was very poor with everything shrouded in mist. We were almost at the Peel Tower before we could even see it. We headed across the featureless moor and got a little lost after reaching the Pilgrims' Cross. After a slight detour we picked up our trail again, dropping down off the moor to the shelter of some woods where we stopped for lunch. An easy walk along level paths led us back to the start.
Fairtrade Night
24th March 2011
As part of our work towards the "Global Challenge" badge we visited Middleton Tesco where the Scouts investigated the availablitiy of FairTrade goods and compared prices to non-FairTrade equivalents.
Wheel Game
9th April 2011
A team of our Scouts entered the District Wheel Game, an incident style competition with several bases tresting Scouting knowledge and skills. The Scouts had to demonstrate map reading skill, knowledge of the phonetic alphabet and how to cook using basic equipment. Three members of the team had come straight to the event after helping out at the Beaver Sleepover the night before.
Gaddum Shield Competition
10th April 2011
The following day our team entered the Greater Manchester North County Gaddum Shield Competition, another incident base contest testing Scouting skills associated with each of the Challenge Badges. It was a hot and sunny day with an extremely good turnout. As one of the few Troops with a full team one of our Scouts volunteered to join another district's team that only had 3 members.
The day tested the Scouts in all sorts of skills such as observation, cooking, pioneering, first aid and craft.
The day tested the Scouts in all sorts of skills such as observation, cooking, pioneering, first aid and craft.
St George's day night hike
16th April 2011
4 leaders, 10 Scouts, 1 Cub and a Brownie met at 21.00 on Saturday night next to Boarshaw cemetary. After getting our gear straight and explaining the plan for the night we set off at 21.30, crossing the bridge over the canal and walking along the pitch black footpath running alongside Slattocks industrial estate. At the farm we crossed the rickety stile and headed over the fields along the public right of way. We stopped just before the motorway bridge and turned all our lights off to get a good view of the many bats flitting just above our heads, silhouetted against the night sky.
We crossed the bridge, then traveled along Cinder Hill road, through the farm and into Tandle Hill country park. As we walked through the dark woods we would occasionally hear birds above us, disturbed by our passing, flapping away loudly.
We stopped at the monument for a group photo and to take in the view. The clouds had cleared a little now so we found the Plough and the North star but it was too hazy to find Orion,
We then headed down along Thornham road to catch the night bus to our base for the night, District HQ in Alkrington, much to the bemusement of the bus driver and passengers.
After hot dogs, flapjack and hot chocolate we set up the pop up tents and finally got to sleep around 02.00.
Everyone was awake at about 09.30 so we made breakfast then played in the fields and woods behind HQ. At Lunchtime we ironed our uniforms, got ready and headed off the St Thomas Moores church to join the St George's day parade.
We crossed the bridge, then traveled along Cinder Hill road, through the farm and into Tandle Hill country park. As we walked through the dark woods we would occasionally hear birds above us, disturbed by our passing, flapping away loudly.
We stopped at the monument for a group photo and to take in the view. The clouds had cleared a little now so we found the Plough and the North star but it was too hazy to find Orion,
We then headed down along Thornham road to catch the night bus to our base for the night, District HQ in Alkrington, much to the bemusement of the bus driver and passengers.
After hot dogs, flapjack and hot chocolate we set up the pop up tents and finally got to sleep around 02.00.
Everyone was awake at about 09.30 so we made breakfast then played in the fields and woods behind HQ. At Lunchtime we ironed our uniforms, got ready and headed off the St Thomas Moores church to join the St George's day parade.
Pike View Hike
13th - 15th May 2011
2011 was the centenery of the Pike View Hike, an incident hike for Cubs, Scouts and Explorers based at Bibbys Farm and extending into Rivington Country Park.
The Scout team had been training hard for this for the last few months, the many hikes, and competions we had entered this year had all been in preparation for this event.
We set up camp at Bibbys Farm on Friday night. There had been heavy rain all day but we had a pleasant evening with a glorious sunset.
The team leader went to the briefing at 22.00 for last minute details about the event.
The next morning was an early start on a grey, windy and drizzly day for a quick breakfast followed by the kit check carried out by members of Bolton Mountain Rescue.
The team of 4 Scouts then had a short time to plot their route before heading off (on their own - without a Leader) to complete the event. They had to negotiate the hilly terrain of Rivington Country Park, completing challenges at each checkpoint and putting up with difficult weather conditions.
Despite the weather the team did really well, especially considering our group has never entered the event before, returning to camp around 8 hours later, coming joint 22nd out of 36 teams.
The Scout team had been training hard for this for the last few months, the many hikes, and competions we had entered this year had all been in preparation for this event.
We set up camp at Bibbys Farm on Friday night. There had been heavy rain all day but we had a pleasant evening with a glorious sunset.
The team leader went to the briefing at 22.00 for last minute details about the event.
The next morning was an early start on a grey, windy and drizzly day for a quick breakfast followed by the kit check carried out by members of Bolton Mountain Rescue.
The team of 4 Scouts then had a short time to plot their route before heading off (on their own - without a Leader) to complete the event. They had to negotiate the hilly terrain of Rivington Country Park, completing challenges at each checkpoint and putting up with difficult weather conditions.
Despite the weather the team did really well, especially considering our group has never entered the event before, returning to camp around 8 hours later, coming joint 22nd out of 36 teams.
Camp at Middlewood Scout Campsite
20th - 22nd May 2011
A week later we were out camping again, this time in the heavily wooded Middlewood Scout campsite in Worsley. As we have many young Scouts who have not long since come up from Cubs the emphasis was on looking after themselves. They learned how to use gas stoves and also started to learn to use knives safely.
Hammock camp at Blackhills Scout Campsite
1st - 3rd July
We travelled to one of our favourite campsites, Blackhills near Bradford. it takes about an hour to get there but it is definitely worth it. We had booked the most remote corner of the camp we could where we knew there were plenty of trees. Once we arrived we put up the dining shelter and then set up the hammocks and tarps. We hung the hammocks like bunk-beds, one above the other, so that no one would be on their own.
A couple of people, including Skip, fell out as we got used to the hammocks but eventually everyone settled down and got good night's sleep. One of the Scouts said the next morning, "get rid of the tents, it is hammocks from now on!"
We spent the day investigating the woods, doing some carving and playing games. That evening we made chicken stew with dumplings then played games in the dark with glowsticks.
After another very comfortable night in the hammocks we split into two groups. One group started packing away all the kit while the other group had a go at crate climbing. Then we swapped round.
One of the other highlights of the camp was the WW2 bomber that flew right over our heads just above the tree tops - we saw a couple more through the trees, there must have been a local airshow.
A couple of people, including Skip, fell out as we got used to the hammocks but eventually everyone settled down and got good night's sleep. One of the Scouts said the next morning, "get rid of the tents, it is hammocks from now on!"
We spent the day investigating the woods, doing some carving and playing games. That evening we made chicken stew with dumplings then played games in the dark with glowsticks.
After another very comfortable night in the hammocks we split into two groups. One group started packing away all the kit while the other group had a go at crate climbing. Then we swapped round.
One of the other highlights of the camp was the WW2 bomber that flew right over our heads just above the tree tops - we saw a couple more through the trees, there must have been a local airshow.
Camp at Blackhills Scout Campsite
22nd - 24th July
A few weeks later we were back again at Blackhills, on the same part of the camp. We spent the first night in hammocks. On Saturday the Scouts had to build their own shelters in the woods just down the hill from our camp. They used natural materials and orange survival bags. After preparing and cooking whole chickens for our evening meal they spent the night in their shelters. They must have slept well as they had to be woken up the next morning. On Sunday we went for a walk through the woods and fields around the perimeter of the campsite.
Sunrise hike - Knowl Hill
6th - 7th August
We met up at Ashworth Valley Scout Campsite at around 7pm on Saturday night. We had the entire site to ourselves! We set up our pop-up tents and lit a fire. We spent the evening playing games and chatting round the fire. As it got dark we prepared our kit and ensured everyone had the necessary equipment and food supplies. The clouds hung ominously overhead but the rain stayed away. We didn't bother to sleep. At 01.30 we got ourselves ready. Our objective was to complete a night hike, gaiing the highest point of Knowl Hill in order to watch the sunrise at 05.30. At 02.00 we set off, just as the rain started!
The first mile was on winding country roads, heading slightly up hill and trying to keep quiet as we passed the farmhouses and their sleeping occupants. We then headed off on a trail through the woods. This again slowly gained in height until we dropped down to the river. The rain was pretty constant but fairly light and the trees shielded us from the worst of it. After crossing the bridge over the river we again headed up through thick woods until we got to the first of the farmers fields we had to cross. We stopped here to havea drink and snack as we still had the shelter of the trees. After this we headed over the stiles and along the public rights of way along the edges of several fields. After passing quietly close by the back of another farmhouse we came to a footpath that was very overgrown. The bushes, brambles and nettles were about 6 feet high and holding lots of rainwater. We crashed through them for about 30 metres, emerging at the other end looking like we had been through a carwash!
At this point everyone was pretty much soaked, despite wearing the correct waterproofs. We travelled on along footpaths with knee high grass that ensured anybody who still had dry boots eventually ended up with squelchy wet socks.
After travelling up Edenfield Road in increasingly heavy rain we took shelter in a bus stop at about 03.00. While we took on more fluids and energy food we assessed whether it was safe to carry on as the next stage took us up onto exposed moorland. Despite the rain and the fact we were all soaked, it was a warm night with hardly any wind. Everyone was in good spirits and nobody felt cold so we carried on. We passed through a quiet little village, headed out across muddy fields and eventually started to gain height. The rain coninued, heavy at times, and as we got higher we were walking through mist. Keeping drystone walls on our left as a navigation feature we headed on up with visibility down to just a few metres. Sheep, startled by our presence, would leap from the long wet grass and run away, their eyes shining in the light of our headtorches. Eventually we reached the end of the drystone wall and the start of the open moors. In the misty gloom we could hear the "whump, whump, whump" of the turbine blades spinning in the distance. Every now and again there would be a horrendous grinding, screeching noise as the turbine heads turned to face the changing wind. Up there in the dark and the mist these noises made the hair on the back of our necks stand on end.
The moors here were featureless, we couldn't even see the turbines, so we had to use compass bearings to aim for the summit. After what seemed forever, and several false summits, we eventually reached the true summit. The rain and wind had picked up now and we had about 20 minutes before dawn, Normally from this point it is possible to see the 18 or so turbines that surrounded us, but we couldn't see more than about 10 metres. We needed shelter so we could eat and drink so, using the circle of stones near the trig point as a base, we put up a tarp as a shelter and huddled inside. After eating and having hot drinks we went back out. There was still thick mist so we didn't actually see the sunrise, the mist just turned grey instead of almost black. Then, every so often, a few gaps would appear in the mist and we could catch a glimpse of the huge turbines surrounding us, looking like the martian tripods from "The War of the Worlds". Below us way to the South we could just catch glimpses of the street lights back in the direction we would soon be heading.
We packed up our shelter and headed down hill, again relying on compass bearings in the mist. The rain had stopped but the mud was deep. We missed the path we wanted in the mist and had to take a short cut across a wide patch of thick grass. Most of us at some point or other disappeared from site for a second as we fell down the troughs in the springy swampy ground under the long grass. Despite the rain and lack of sleep, everyone was still in good spirits and we laughed until we could hardly breathe as we stumbled across this section. By now the mist had cleared and we could see the sun rising over the hill we had just summited. We reached the road then retraced our steps through the woods and fields on the return journey to camp. We attracted the unwelcome attention of a group of curious bullocks as we crossed a field but other than that the return was straight forward. we got back to camp at about 08.30. The rain had started again so we retreated into out tents to get into warm dry clothes. A couple of people slept, others just chatted until around midday when the sun was shining. We packed away or soaking gear, took down the tents and headed home.
The first mile was on winding country roads, heading slightly up hill and trying to keep quiet as we passed the farmhouses and their sleeping occupants. We then headed off on a trail through the woods. This again slowly gained in height until we dropped down to the river. The rain was pretty constant but fairly light and the trees shielded us from the worst of it. After crossing the bridge over the river we again headed up through thick woods until we got to the first of the farmers fields we had to cross. We stopped here to havea drink and snack as we still had the shelter of the trees. After this we headed over the stiles and along the public rights of way along the edges of several fields. After passing quietly close by the back of another farmhouse we came to a footpath that was very overgrown. The bushes, brambles and nettles were about 6 feet high and holding lots of rainwater. We crashed through them for about 30 metres, emerging at the other end looking like we had been through a carwash!
At this point everyone was pretty much soaked, despite wearing the correct waterproofs. We travelled on along footpaths with knee high grass that ensured anybody who still had dry boots eventually ended up with squelchy wet socks.
After travelling up Edenfield Road in increasingly heavy rain we took shelter in a bus stop at about 03.00. While we took on more fluids and energy food we assessed whether it was safe to carry on as the next stage took us up onto exposed moorland. Despite the rain and the fact we were all soaked, it was a warm night with hardly any wind. Everyone was in good spirits and nobody felt cold so we carried on. We passed through a quiet little village, headed out across muddy fields and eventually started to gain height. The rain coninued, heavy at times, and as we got higher we were walking through mist. Keeping drystone walls on our left as a navigation feature we headed on up with visibility down to just a few metres. Sheep, startled by our presence, would leap from the long wet grass and run away, their eyes shining in the light of our headtorches. Eventually we reached the end of the drystone wall and the start of the open moors. In the misty gloom we could hear the "whump, whump, whump" of the turbine blades spinning in the distance. Every now and again there would be a horrendous grinding, screeching noise as the turbine heads turned to face the changing wind. Up there in the dark and the mist these noises made the hair on the back of our necks stand on end.
The moors here were featureless, we couldn't even see the turbines, so we had to use compass bearings to aim for the summit. After what seemed forever, and several false summits, we eventually reached the true summit. The rain and wind had picked up now and we had about 20 minutes before dawn, Normally from this point it is possible to see the 18 or so turbines that surrounded us, but we couldn't see more than about 10 metres. We needed shelter so we could eat and drink so, using the circle of stones near the trig point as a base, we put up a tarp as a shelter and huddled inside. After eating and having hot drinks we went back out. There was still thick mist so we didn't actually see the sunrise, the mist just turned grey instead of almost black. Then, every so often, a few gaps would appear in the mist and we could catch a glimpse of the huge turbines surrounding us, looking like the martian tripods from "The War of the Worlds". Below us way to the South we could just catch glimpses of the street lights back in the direction we would soon be heading.
We packed up our shelter and headed down hill, again relying on compass bearings in the mist. The rain had stopped but the mud was deep. We missed the path we wanted in the mist and had to take a short cut across a wide patch of thick grass. Most of us at some point or other disappeared from site for a second as we fell down the troughs in the springy swampy ground under the long grass. Despite the rain and lack of sleep, everyone was still in good spirits and we laughed until we could hardly breathe as we stumbled across this section. By now the mist had cleared and we could see the sun rising over the hill we had just summited. We reached the road then retraced our steps through the woods and fields on the return journey to camp. We attracted the unwelcome attention of a group of curious bullocks as we crossed a field but other than that the return was straight forward. we got back to camp at about 08.30. The rain had started again so we retreated into out tents to get into warm dry clothes. A couple of people slept, others just chatted until around midday when the sun was shining. We packed away or soaking gear, took down the tents and headed home.
Autumn Camp - Middlewood
28th - 30th October
We had a great turnout for this camp with around 20 Scouts returning for our second camp at Middlewood. It was the first time we used our new parachute shelter which worked extremely well when it rained heavily on the seocnd night. We had our fire underneath it and stayed warm and dry while we cooked Bannock bread.
We shared the campsite this weekend with a non-Scout group dressed as knights, vampires and other fantasy creatures! It soon seemed normal to be walking to the tap to fill up the water container and come across a large battle taking place in the woods!
We shared the campsite this weekend with a non-Scout group dressed as knights, vampires and other fantasy creatures! It soon seemed normal to be walking to the tap to fill up the water container and come across a large battle taking place in the woods!
Bonfire Camp - Bibbys Farm
5th - 6th November
We had a 1 night camp at Bibbys Farm to watch the bonfire. The fire was huge and there was a good fireworks display afterwards. It got very cold late on Sautrday night and we woke up to heavy frost.
Remembrance Parade
November
As usual we had a really good turnout for the Remembrnace parade with everyone again doing the Troop proud on the march and outdoor service in cold weather.
District 5-a-side football
November
We continued our winning streak (which started with the District Sports night back in July, and won the District 5-a-side football tournament.
Christmas party - Bowling and LaserQuest
15th December
We had our usual night of Bowling and Laserquest for our Christmas party, with almost the entire Troop of 24 Scouts attending.
