Adventurous Activities
Throughout the year, CUSAGC offers a whole range of adventurous activities and trips away. Here is a taster of what is coming up in the next year:
Fresher's Walk:
The Fresher's walk is a fantastic opportunity to discover a little more about the club (especially if you can't make it to our squash), make some new friends and get a taste of what our termly trips away are like. We usually hire a minibus from a local scout group and either head for the hills or the coast to escape the Cambridge bubble.
Fresher's Walk 2007
On Sunday 14th October, CUSAGC will be heading to the stunning North Norfolk coast for our annual Fresher's Walk. We will be starting from the village of Morston, and from there we'll pass the Morston salt marshes before heading into the picturesque village of Blakeney. From there, we'll skirt Blakeney Eye and Cley Eye, past several windmills and a deserted chapel, before following the coast to Sherringham, where we will be stopping for fish and chips before returning to Cambridge.
The walk is about 12 miles long, and sturdy footwear and waterproof clothing are recommended, although walking boots are not essential. You will also need to bring some lunch and a drink, and some money to buy fish and chips. We will be leaving from the Sidgwick site car park (opposite Newnham) at 11.45am by minibus, and will be returning by around 9.00pm.
The trip is free of charge for both freshers and returning members, although you must be a member to come on this trip so that you are covered by Scout Association insurance - we offer a reduced membership fee of £7 for new members, and membership forms will be available at all events leading up to the Fresher's Walk and from Michael, our secretary (secretary [at] cusagc.org.uk).
You can sign up at any Fresher's event or by emailing me at aac [at] cusagc.org.uk.
During Term Time
Even though it's term time and everyone is supposed to be working, it doesn't mean the fun and adventure has to stop... Every term sees at least one night hike, which can range from a gentle six mile ramble down the Cam before exams, to a nocturnal visit to the grounds of a local stately home, to a 30 mile slog round Cambridgeshire and environs, either as a roving patrol for Marathon or as training for Tour de Trigs. Every year we try and enter at least one team in Tour de Trigs - a non-stop 24 hour, cross country navigation exercise (over 50 miles) based round Banbury in Oxfordshire run by the local scout group. There are always a number of training hikes, sometimes run in conjunction with the Rambling Club, that anyone is free to attend, regardless of whether they are entering Tour de Trigs or not. If numbers permit, we will also try to put together a roving team for CUSAGC's Marathon challenge to get a participant's eye view of the event. We make use of the skills of local scouters and our own members, so in recent years, we have been on some seriously 'adventurous' cycle rides, kayaking on the River Cam, sailing on Grafham water, bouldering in Kelsey Kerridge (to mention just a few) - for a better picture, have a look through some of our old programmes! There is also the possibility of beating the fifth week blues by escaping Cambridge to go on rallies run by the Student Scout and Guide Organisation. These are always under canvas (yes, even in February!) and try to offer a whole range of activities to please everyone from the most ardent pub-crawler to the adventure fanatic. This term's safari themed rally is in Nottingham, from 16th-18th November.
CTW
Firstly, no one really knows what CTW stands for and this the subject of much debate every year - even back in the '50s when CUSAGC as we now know it emerged from The Cambridge Rover Scout Crew and Girton Guides, they weren't entirely sure of what it meant!
History aside, CTW is a fantastic week away in a bunkhouse over the New Year period that we run every year. Not everyone stays for the whole week, and you are welcome to stay for any number of days. During the day several walks are organised at different levels to cater for everyone. Other activities are also organised, such as visits to local historical/cultural attractions and possibly cycling or orienteering, so if you don't feel like walking, there is usually something else exciting to do. The evenings are spent socialising and playing games etc. As with (almost) all CUSAGC trips, the catering is organised centrally, with everyone taking it in turns to do the cooking and the washing up. Whatever your level of ability or willingness - be it super keen mountaineer, gentle hillwalker, fan of chocolate gateux serving tea shops, or just someone who enjoys the company of fellow CUSAGCers, CTW is a great occasion, and well worth going on.
CTW usually costs between £10 and £13 per person per night - this includes accommodation, food, equipment and transport during the trip. Your only other costs will be transport to and from CTW and any other activities or visits we do while we are there.
CTW 2007
This years CTW will be in the Lake District, at Park House in Hawkshead, from Friday 28th December to Friday 4th January. Park House is a Guide association pack holiday house sleeping 26 in two dorms and two leaders rooms. It is fully heated throughout, has a large activity/dining room, fully fitted kitchen, payphone and multiple showers. More information about Park House is available here.
As usual, the trip will primarily be a week of walking, possibly with a bit of snow to allow us to do some winter skills training and even some winter mountaineering. For those who like bagging Wainwrights, we're close to the Conistons, Langdales and the Fairfield Horseshoe (to name but a few) and for those who like tea-shop walks, we're pretty close to Coniston and Ambleside. There is also the possibility of orienteering and cycling in Grizedale, indoor climbing in Kendal or visiting some of the Lake District's plethora of tourist attractions if you don't fancy walking.
More details and online booking are now available for CTW 2007/8 from the CTW section or by following the links.
Trip Over Easter or TOE
Trip over Easter is traditionally held either the week before, or the week after the Network Gathering (a big camp for those who are 18-25 in Scouting), so that it is possible to attend both. For this reason, TOE is also usually based in the north of the country so that travelling time between the two is kept to a minimum. In the past two years, it has been more of a multi-activity holiday than just a walking holiday, with 2007's TOE going kayaking and canoeing on Lake Coniston, visiting Go-Ape, taking part in an overnight expedition in the Langdales and cycling in Grizedale Forest. Possibilities for 2008 include mountaineering in Scotland, multi-activity in Northumbria, walking all or part of a national trail (eg: Peddlar's way and North Norfolk Coast path, Great Highland way, part of the Pennine way, Coast to Coast, Hadrian's Wall) or whatever else takes people's fancy. I will be sending out an email midway through Michaelmas term to judge interest and find out where people want to go.
The Great Escape
The Great Escape is a weekend away in seventh week (this is the weekend before May Bumps, Easter term Superlunch, the Garden Party and the Punt Joust) to celebrate the passing of e***s and to get out of the way of those still suffering from them. It is normally organised by those fortunate enough to have either finished their exams by the end of May, or those with April/May exams and project work. We usually take the train out to a local scout or guide campsite on the Friday night and set up camp and cook our dinner. Following a lazy start on Saturday morning we generally do some onsite activities (2007 saw us successfully building a river-worthy raft at Great Hautbois, and in 2006 we went on a gentle Canadian canoeing expedition at Eaton Vale) followed by going to the beach for the afternoon, with the inevitable sandcastle competition or rounders game, or a visit to a local museum or attraction if the weather is awful. We normally end the day with a meal out before driving back to the campsite. Sunday can be more onsite activities or a local wander, ending up at the train station to return to Cambridge around 4ish.
Summer Expedition
Once a year, CUSAGC escapes the UK for an international expedition. 2006 saw CUSAGC head to Germany and the Czech Republic, and in 2007 we headed to Central Norway to go walking in the Rondane and the Jotunheim National Parks. Possibilities for 2008 include Iceland and Ireland, to follow on from their National Jamborees, or wherever in the world people feel inspired to go.
Jamboree
9 CUSAGCers worked on the International Service Team and the Offsite Service Team at World Scout Jamboree this summer - 4 working at the main site at Hylands, doing jobs as diverse as being an official photographer to working in the IST bar, while 4 taught an assortment of watersports at Splash! and 1 taught climbing and abseiling at Gilwell Adventure. In 2008, there are plenty of Jamborees in need of service teams, including Essex Jam, the Icelandic National Jamboree and the Irish National Jamboree.
The Summer Trip or TST
Before the beginning of the new academic year, CUSAGC traditionally holds a trip away somewhere in the UK, usually under canvas. In previous years, we've seen wet weeks at Kielder in Northumbria, walking in the Lake District, multi-activity in Northumbria (also at Kielder) and a long weekend by the seaside in Norfolk. The format, activities (or lack of them) and length is really up to those who want to go!
Additional info
Membership:To come on any adventurous activitiy, you must be a paid-up member of CUSAGC, to cover insurance requirements. Membership forms are available from the secretary.
Health Forms: Health Forms contain essential information should you become ill or injured. You must carry one with you at all times when on hikes or other adventurous activities (we will tell you when you need one). A health form must also be submitted to the AAC before each trip or adventurous activity. This must be signed and dated, and will be kept for 1 year after the trip ends. All forms remain confidential, though you may place the form in an envelope for extra security, providing important details are on the outside. You must submit a new form for each trip, and are responsible for keeping the one in your rucksack up to date.
Adults Groups in Adventurous Activities: As affiliated members of the Scout Association, we follow the rules for adventurous activities set down in the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Association. At the beginning of every trip you will be required to sign a declaration similar to this one: "I am aware that the above named adventurous activities contains hazards which may present me with the risk of personal injury. I have read and understand The Scout Association's factsheet Adult Groups in Adventurous Activities. I undertake to carry an up to date Health form and Emergency Card on all walks."
About the AAC
I'm an ex-ASNAC from Peterhouse. This is my second year as CUSAGC's Adventurous Activities Co-ordinator, having held the post since March 2006. I graduated from Cambridge last summer and am currently doing an MPhil in Medieval Icelandic Studies at the University of Iceland. When not drowning in Medieval Icelandic Hagiography, I enjoy walking, mountaineering, climbing and kayaking.
Postal Address:Vesturgata 37, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
E-mail: aac [at] cusagc.org.uk
Mobile: (currently not a very good way of getting hold of me - I'd suggest using email instead): one of +354 6987 042 or 07981 911968