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Today, group 2 conquered their fears as they took on the big swing, located in the grounds of Derwent Hill itself. We all encouraged one another to 'take the leap' and worked together as a team checking ropes, harnesses and helmets before and after take off, as well as assisting each other safely back to the ground. What an adrenaline rush! It was better than any roller-coaster! Mrs Jackson arrived and was impressed by our positive, supportive attitudes - what a cheerleader she was! After a swift lunch, we headed down to the canoe stores to pick up our buoyancy aids and paddles, before making our way to Derwent Water Marina for an afternoon of canoeing, where we battled against the wind to paddle our way successfully to One Tree Island. We stopped to play some exciting games on the way and had lots of exciting - but wet - fun! 

Today, group 1 started their day canoeing on Derwent Water. We had to flex our muscles and assist our instructors in carrying the four canoes from the stores to the lake (which group 2 later had the tiring job of putting away after their time on the water). We paddled past the house which inspired Beatrix Potter's stories of Peter Rabbit and Mr McGregor's garden. The wind was not in our favour on the way to One Tree Island - where we stopped for a cup of hot cocoa - however, on the way back it was behind us, giving us a much-needed helping hand back to shore. After a super speedy lunch, Mrs Jackson joined group 1 for gorge walking. The weather had become rainy; however, we were protected from the wind in the confines of the rocky-faced gorge. We had a fantastic time scrambling our way uphill, even though our wellies were filled with ice-cold, mountain water. We were brave enough to commando-crawl our way through an underground tunnel which took us to the close of our ascent. We had a blast, although a chilly one, and maintained resilience, as always, throughout.

Tonight, we ended an extremely eventful day by working together in our teams to complete a series of outdoor challenges set by the centre's instructors. Together, we tackled: the sling, the mat flip, the gutterball and the swamp skis! Not one of them turned out to be an easy task. Each activity took super communication skills, trust and cooperation, which enabled us to work together effectively and efficiently. As a result, the Eppleton teams reigned in 1st and 2nd place ahead of our opponents.

 

We are all looking forward to tomorrow's activities. Bring on the next challenge!

Goodnight from Y5/6, Mrs Huntingdon and Mrs Vernon :)

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