The Abingdonian 2019

45 www.abingdon.org.uk Lent Term these were few and far between. There was only one path ascending to the top as the mountain was only about six or seven metres wide as we approached the summit, with a sheer drop on either side as we climbed the rocks jutting out of the pathway, pulling each other up and giving encouragement to everyone at every step. This baptism of fire galvanised us as a group and we quickly became proficient if not in mountain climbing, at least in giving encouragement. This seemed to work for us as we completed all three mountains with relative ease, becoming stronger and closer as a group by the end. Wednesday brought an opportunity for us to further hone our mountaineering skills climbing in a limestone quarry which was great fun, particularly the abseiling - who knew throwing yourself off a cliff could be so enjoyable? Caving was also another highlight of the week, with many people describing it as their favourite activity, including me! Whilst inside the caves of Porth Yr Ogof we walked, crouched and crawled around the caves, ducking in and out, and climbing up and down through the ravines between the two levels of the caves. The rest of the week was characterised by the active nature of the activities particularly the last morning when we went gorge walking, which included walking through a dark, abandoned train tunnel, sliding down waterfalls and scrambling through the slippery rocks. A particular highlight was when we had to jump onto a branch hanging over the plunge pool of a waterfall, which we then did a forward roll over, plunging into the lake below. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip, and felt I was challenged and tested by every activity, which reinforced my resilience and perseverance skills. The Plas Pencelli staff were very helpful and supportive, cheering us on through even the most demanding or gruelling sections of the activities. We all had a great time, arriving back exhilarated but a little exhausted. Luckily we still had a couple of weeks’ holiday to rest our aching limbs before the start of term. Oliver Clark, 2RHH