Speyside Way Hike & Camp 2006

Take it from me, the alleged nuclear test undertaken this last weekend by the North Koreans was nothing of the sort. It was, in fact, the result of the collective realease of energy by 17 DOM Scouts at the Speyside Way Hike Camp at Craigellachie. Anyone who can get up before 7am on a Saturday, drive to Spey Bay, hike 18 miles, caper around a campsite for the best part of 6 hours, go to bed (not to sleep but to chatter most of the night), get up at 6am, have breakfast, pack their gear, hike another 12 miles, have a fish and chip supper on the way home, then unpack all the camping gear from the trailer in record time back at Daviot releases prodigeous amounts of energy!

This weekend's camp was a great success with all but one of our Scouts completing the full 30 mile (!) hike over the larger part of the Speyside Way Long Distance Footpath. The other Scout only missed out on 1 mile of the entire walk so it was a fantastic performance by the whole Troop.

The 17-strong Troop was split into three walking teams, each led by one or two Leaders, who set off in 10-minute intervals from Spey Bay to walk the first leg (18 miles) into Fiddich Park at Craigellachie, where the support team had returned from Spey Bay to set up the camp. We were lucky with the weather in all but the last hour of the first day when it rained while the last group of walkers were still out on the trail. The walkers were supported on their journey at pre-arranged rendezvous points with one of the support team and were able to pick up much needed liquid refills and snacks. The first team put in a great performance setting a very fast pace which almost reduced Terry to tears. This, together with the somewhat slower performance of the third team, resulted in the separation of all three groups on the route and a real sense of isolation on the hike. It did mean that there was almost two hours between the arrival of the first and last walkers at Craigellachie, but it just meant that the last group could walk in, get their boots off and their feet straight under the table for an immediate dinner (chicken in a choice of sauces with rice, and fruit salad and custard to follow).

It only seemed to take 20 or 30 minutes for the Scouts to stretch out and remove the aches and pains from bones and feet (the Leaders a lot longer!) and it wasn't long before everyone was capering around the campsite and taking turns to play on a rescued Barbie Scooter which was "salvaged" en route from a dump by group three.

No-one except the walking-team-leaders seemed particularly keen to go to bed but the Scouts were ushered in anyway at 10.30 with instructions for "lights out" at 11.00. Not that many of them took any notice though and chattering could be heard going on periodically throughout the night by those leaders who found it necessary to leave their tents in order to "dispose" of some of the large amounts of water consumed during the walk.

Most of the Scouts were up and about at around 6am with the leaders realising they were fighting a lost cause to get them to go back to bed so eventually started to prepare an early breakfast of porridge, sausages, bacon, beans and cereal. Overnight gear was packed and the walking teams made ready to depart for leg 2 which was, compared to day one, just a casual stroll of only 12 miles.

Once the walkers were on their way, the ever-busy support team began to clear everything up and the camp site was returned to its original condition (apart from a couple of mess-tent-shaped muddy patches thanks to the previous afternoon's rain) by noon.

By now some of the walkers (especially those insomniacs who were chattering all night!) were feeling the strain. Having five (FIVE!) bottles of water & juice in your rucksack didn't help either did it L***?!. However, not one of them gave up and all eventually marched happily, exhausted and relieved into Ballindalloch Station near Cragganmore.

A short stop in Aberlour for fish and chips and everyone eventually rolled back into Daviot at about 6.30pm where they all pitched in to get the trailer unloaded as quickly as possible before heading home to that lovely warm bath or shower and (hopefully) an earlier night than the one before!

Well done to each Scout who took part - 30 miles in two days is a superb achievement - and well done to the walking team leaders who probably suffered even more aches and pains in the days following the hike. Many thanks to the intrepid Terry, Mike & Mhari and Jim & Chris who led the walking teams with such steadfast resolve. Rumours that the pharmacy ran out of Deep-Heat and Aspirin on Monday morning remain not proven.

Mike & Nick would also like to thank Jane, Janine, Wilfie and Davey - those volunteer parents who acted as the Support Team for the fantastic work they did in setting up the camp site, cooking dinner (and washing up afterwards), cooking breakfast the next morning and in packing up the enitre site once the walkers had left. This camp would not have been the success it was without their help. We would also like to thank Mike and Ian for towing the trailer up to Craigellachie and back to Daviot over the weekend, and also to Marleen, Jane & Robin who helped transport the Scouts to and from Speyside.

It is help from folk like this that enable us to run these kinds of events and I hope that all the Scouts are aware of this.