Day 2 in the Lakes with Prep V

Day two began with the sun bursting through the curtains and the sound of the birds singing cheerfully in the morning heat. We wish!! The sun was in hiding and the rain clouds were dancing above ready and waiting to pounce on the Prep V pioneers as they eased out of their bunks and got ready to face the tasks for the day. Some of them were up and about earlier than others in the Hostel. Parents will be pleased to know that following this trip getting them up early for school should be a breeze. Getting them to go to bed however…  Good luck with that one, especially Sabri, Luca B, Seb B and Nathan!

For a moment, the impending downpour was forgotten as the smell of bacon drifted across the corridors and breakfast caused a flutter of “eggcitement” for our intrepid adventurers. After a decent, in fact impressive, full English, the group assembled in the car park ready to go to the indoor climbing wall in Ambleside. On the way Jackson and Jessica resumed their conversation on heritage, with Jackson claiming that Jessica must have some “Liverpoolian” in her, even though she was born in Bolton. Josh reaffirmed that eels kill more people than killer whales, whilst Toby claimed cows were more deadly than both. The planned stop for some football, rugby and rounders had to be shelved as the rain was not looking likely to let up. We headed into Ambleside and onto the climbing wall and bouldering activities…. fortunately, all indoors!

The group were once again introduced to the harness, but this time were taught how to be-lay and work in threes to climb safely. Jackson was the first to complete the overhang on the bouldering course, closely followed by Luca C. On the first of the climbs, Seb and Luca B scrambled up the rock face like mountain goats.

Evie and Chloe have clearly some previous experience and made each climb look relatively easy. Esme, Jasmine, Kayleigh and Toby all laid claim to the climber of the day award and justifiable so. However, the best part of the activity was that everybody helped each other in different ways, and nobody turned down the opportunity to test themselves. A well-earned packed lunch was consumed back at the hostel where our next instructors for the afternoon were waiting patiently for us.

With the rain still showing no signs of giving up, an afternoon kayaking was actually an ideal activity. However, squeezing into the wet suits and spray jackets and life jackets and helmets was not as easy as you might think! A quick demonstration on how to use an oar to paddle and steer and we were all quickly into either single or two-man kayaks and out on the lake. Seb set off like a train in one direction and Harrison in another! Kayleigh and Miranda appeared to find a roundabout as they went around in circles, whilst Joel received a paddle in the face from Molly. However, everyone soon got the hang of it and were rounded up and paddled up to the beach up the coast for a swim.

Back in the kayaks, Josh and Dexter were overheard trying to figure out why there were road signs in the water. In fact, they were speeding signs to ensure ferries and boats adjusted their speed as they came into dock. A game of kayak water polo was next on the agenda and this gave Molly and Alfie the chance to show just how competitive they are. In fact, both were eventually sin binned by the instructor for repeated rule infringements. Despite the blatant cheating, it was Mr Altdorf’s red team that took the victory and the fair play award… naturally!

All that remained was to paddle back to shore and jump off the pier to complete the kayak initiation. We soon discovered that the Lakes have a rather unique eco system in that when you first jump in, it feels warm. A foot below the surface and it is like jumping into Antarctica! As if to prove that Mother Nature is really king (sorry Queen) in these parts, as we stepped out of our flattering wet suits, the sun came out!

After tea, another round of board games and the chess and snap contests resumed.  A game of Uno sprung up that started with two players and end up with almost half the group joining in. It is refreshing and reassuring to see that we can live without phones, the internet, WIFI, Nintendos and even television. Moreover, the art of conversation and playing traditional games is still as much fun as it always has been. With so much excitement and exhilarating activities today, surely sleep will come much sooner tonight?!

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