In early August 2022, Scouts from Westlands and Clayton came together to take part in an international camp with a group of Norwegian Scouts.
The English and Norwegian Scouts take part in a biennial relationship dating all the way back to 2004.
Travelling from Strand Jorpeland, our friends managed to make the trip over the North Sea after 2020’s interruption due to the Covid pandemic.
If the leaders had any concerns that the 4 year hiatus may have dented the continued friendship between our two groups, we couldn’t have been more wrong!
On day one, the Scouts from both countries started to mix and engage with each other right after breakfast when they were split into patrols for a pioneering activity which ended in the most spectacular water fight ever to have graced the Ash Patch at Kibblestone.
Through out the rest of the day they worked together on a gruelling hot weather orienteering course around Barlaston Downs.
The weather changed our plans early on in the week and the programme was turned on its head.
Changes in plans are becoming a regular occurrence whenever we camp with the Norwegians.
Nevertheless we made the most of the next day with a trip around Trentham’s Monkey Forest, Trentham Gardens and Flip Out in Stone.
This gave our visitors an insight into what amazing attractions we have on our doorstep.
Throughout the evening, there were patrol based challenges whilst some of the Norwegians took the opportunity to go Rock Climbing in at Kilnworx in Burslem.
Halfway through the week the Norwegians took over for the day.
The Scouts were tasked with creating banners to celebrate the Norwegian Constitution day on the 17th May.
At the same time the Norwegian leaders and rovers were building fires and pinning salmon to pallets for a four hour smoking.
The resulting meal was a classic Norwegian salmon dish and tasted as good as the photos look!
The following day we spent the day thrill seeking at Alton Towers where I believe only one Scout threw up!!!
In the evening, the Scouts managed to continue the thrill seeking by walking backwards off Kibblestone’s abseiling wall.
As the end of the week was drawing near, we took the opportunity to travel across the border to Wales to attempt a Snowdon Summit!
The drizzly hike up didn’t dampen the spirits of our group even when the climbing got hard.
When we popped up onto the summit ridge the wind picked up and chilled us to the bone but everyone pushed on and successfully made it to the Summit of the highest mountain in England & Wales at 1085m!
The descent route was much nicer as the sun started to burn through the grey cloud.
This made our fish and chip tea in Llanberis taste all the sweeter before our 3.5 hour journey home.
Our final day was spent at Kibblestone tackling all of the climbing activities that the site could challenge us with.
After a week jam packed with activities we rounded it all off with a Hog Roast and a spectacular camp fire which burned brightly until the early hours.
In those early hours of the morning our old and new friends snuck away for their long journey to Gatwick to return home.
Not without extending an invite for our Scouts return to Norway in 2 years time.
Bring on 2024!
