Gone with the wind: wild Welsh weather presents both challenge and opportunity

Boys took advantage of extremely windy weather on their adventure in Aberdovey to try sailing their canoes, instead of paddling them.

Rigging up an emergency shelter as a makeshift sail, the Year 9 and 10 pupils took to the sea for a little wind-powered boating.

It wasn’t all plain-sailing, however – the winds were so strong that the canoes had to be lashed together for safety, while the boys were met with torrential rain on their arrival at the west Wales coast.

Assistant Head (Co-curricular & Partnerships) Crispin Bonham-Carter, who leads the QE Flourish co-curricular programme, said: “This trip is designed to take pupils beyond their comfort zones – and the pouring rain when we arrived certainly did that, but happily it then got sunnier and sunnier.

“Over the course of three action-packed days, the boys’ determination was tested and they developed resilience, independence and teamwork – qualities that will stand them in good stead for their GCSE years ahead. There were some difficult challenges, but the trip was leavened with lots of fun…and some very high-quality ice-creams!

“It was a successful trip, with the boys discovering new strengths and gaining lasting memories along the way. This year’s participants even set a record, with more than ever before – ten boys – completing the commando rope challenge, where they have to cross a stretch of water on a rope.”

Sixty Year 10 pupils and 36 Year 9s, accompanied by eight members of staff, headed off to Outward Bound’s Aberdyfi (Aberdovey) Outdoor Education Centre on the edge of the Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park.

They tackled outdoor challenges including canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, abseiling and hiking.

For Year 9 pupil Evan Joseph, one of the highlights was the jetty jump – pupils wearing wetsuits leap from the jetty into the sea in what has become an Aberdovey rite of passage. “I usually stick to doing things that I know. But on this trip, I got to try different things, and I will never forget this great experience.”

Yaw Hayfron, of Year 10, relished the camaraderie. “The activities were fun, and I really enjoyed the jetty jump and the gorge scramble – where you have to navigate the natural obstacles through a gorge. It was great that I got to be with my friends so we could do this together. I couldn’t imagine doing it on my own.”

Giving up their weekend along with Mr Bonham-Carter were: QE Flourish co-ordinator Brooke Farron; Geography teacher Thomas Bartlett; Maths teacher Phillip Brady; Physics teacher Phillip Collington; Economics teacher Abdoulaye Diallo; Biology teacher Darren Goffin; and French & German teacher Elisa Perra.

“Opportunities such as this are a cornerstone of QE Flourish, helping our pupils become, in the words of our Boundless School Plan, leaders of influence and valued collaborators,” Mr Bonham-Carter added.