Form 3 Bala Trip

On this trip, I shared a dorm with 11 other people. This wasn’t the first time I’ve shared a dormitory, however it was a first for me sharing a dorm with people that aren’t all very close to me. It was a new experience and we learnt more about each other.

Our group did water activities on the first day. We started with kayaking and we tried to change kayaks whilst on the water. Although it was very challenging, everyone tried hard and had fun.

After that, we did paddle boarding. It isn’t actually as hard as what I had expected, but it is certainly amusing. We had two groups competing against each other – we pushed each other and even pushed the instructors into the water too.

The last activity of the day was gorge walking. The rocks were very slippery! Fortunately however, we got to choose our own route and there were lots of great views.

Over the course of the visit, we had different duties and responsibilities. Every day, we would make and pack sandwiches for lunch. Moreover, we tested our time management skills – as we had to be on time for all activities and be organised and prepared with equipment. We had ‘duty teams’ too, for instance certain teams had to help clear up at designated times.

In our team, everyone was actively involved with the activities and other responsibilities. Each member was willing to help, challenge themselves and respected one another. It was good working with different individuals for different challenges.

I liked the mining activity most during our time away. As our group was very encouraging, we cheered each other on and helped spot where to go together. Excitingly, we told ghost stories in the old mines and turned our headlights off. There was a lot of climbing to do, and also a part where we needed to take the canoe. At this point, Kachi’s action amazed everyone; he volunteered to push the canoe so everyone else in the group could move forward.

The last part of the mining expedition was memorable too. We went through deep, freezing water trying to find our way out… We doubted our route and navigation skills many times – especially when the water kept getting higher and higher. The water even reached my neck at its highest point. However, we eventually found our way out. The moment of reaching the exit was a very joyful one, and the warm sun shining on us made us feel both delighted and refreshed!

Perhaps the part of the trip that I had most difficulty with was dealing with spiders. I am really afraid of spiders and there were a lot of them in the mines. Despite that, mining was still the best activity I took part in at Bala.

Maggie – F3