Every two years, Birmingham County hosts a trip to Kandersteg, Switzerland, during their winter activity week. This year it was jointly run with Girl Guiding, allowing Scouts, Explorers, and Leaders to share their experiences together and have some fun in the snow.

One of our scouts, joined the trip, making sure to tell us about her adventures and experiences. The 9-day trip was packed with different activities, with 3 days dedicated to skiing from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (that must have been exhausting!). The first morning of skiing was a rough start, with her crashing at least five times, but coupled with perseverance and support from the people around her, she managed to fall only once after lunch. The other days weren’t so lucky; she found herself falling over more after lunch than in the morning session. It was pleasantly surprising to see how many strangers stopped to check if she was okay and encouraged her to keep going.

While she was not skiing down the blue slopes, she was taking part in a range of other activities, including hiking and sledding (including a snowball fight on the way back). Quite importantly, they learned about the risks in the mountains and the winter survival skills needed. Ensuring they could keep themselves and others safe and appropriately respond quickly and effectively should anything occur.

In the evenings, they relaxed with a campfire, a quiz, film nights, and a disco! Being able to share their own experiences with others from the trip and make new friends.

We are glad you had fun!