21 students from Grades 9 and 10 went to the Adventurous Journey Camp at Cheia at the beginning of November. This trip was the final section for their Bronze Level of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. And it turned out to be unexpectedly challenging and revealing, as Alexandra (Grade 10) depicts in the article below.
My journey began in June 2019, when I started my Bronze Award for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. I had no problem finding the activities for each section. I finished my physical activity in summer and was advancing quickly with my skills section. Yet, out of the whole programme, the part which I was looking forward to the most was the Adventurous Journey. A three-day trip where I would’ve been on my own with my colleagues. We had great plans for it. Yet, with the pandemic, we couldn’t see our wish come true.
Change of plans
In early October, our award leaders came up with the idea of organising a safe trip to a place they were familiar with. We were supposed to stay at a hotel and have a hike of “a few hours” (or at least that’s what some of us thought). At first, we were not very eager to take part in this, as the whole point of the Adventurous Journey – being on our own – would dissipate. The whole “survival” mode would have been replaced by a comfortable bed, three meals a day etc. Awful! Yet, with all the exams coming in summer, we were running out of time and felt bound to take part in the journey.
We reached our accommodation in Cheia, where we were assigned to our rooms and discussed the programme. First, a warm-up trip and then the planning for the next day’s hike. Yet, who (or better said “what”) was waiting for us was very much of a surprise. Me and my roommates were greeted by a whole legion of ladybugs right in our room. We had numerous attempts to defeat them, all of them unsuccessful, therefore we raised the white flag.
The preparation hike was, more or less, a pleasant walk into the woods, whilst for others was more difficult. I can say that this is when my view on the whole trip had started to change. We discussed a little bit about the following day and learned some first-aid techniques. Afterwards, we went on with a detailed planning of the trip, in smaller teams. I was chosen as the team leader and I was very proud of my team and with the way we managed to organise ourselves. That night we had a lot of fun and were very excited for the trip.
The hiking day
The next day started mildly. Although our schedule was delayed (something which annoyed a little me and my teammates ☺), we went on. The first part was as entertaining as it could have been. Who doesn’t want to take a walk with their friends on a sunny day? We listened to music and laughed… Still, when we entered the forest, things started to change. We started to get tired and had to stop sometimes. I tried to cheer up my colleagues. Halfway through the hike, unfortunately my team had to break-up because some of us couldn’t keep up. I felt worried and guilty about leaving them behind, but they insisted I should go on. Still, I got to spend time with people I didn’t know until then.
The final part of the hike was the most difficult. We had to climb a hill for fifteen minutes straight. On the one hand, I tried not to think about how steep the slope was, on the other, I was very worried about my friends, not knowing whether they would reach the top or not. I spent thirty minutes waiting for them until they finally arrived and had our lunch together, on the top of the mountain. Although it was not the most physically exhausting hike I ever did, I never experienced so many emotions in a few hours. After lunch, we headed back to our accommodation and, of course, we bought some Kürtőskalács on the way.
At the end of the day, my whole view on the trip turned upside-down. Although we thought we would not have the same experience once staying in a hotel, the “four hours” hike turned into a nine-hour journey and we even simulated the experience of camping in a tent, right in our room. Although I was not with all of my friends all the time, I got the chance to meet new people and also discover new things about myself.
To be continued?
It was an experience which I would repeat anytime. I will continue with my Silver Award, although times are uncertain. The programme helped me to do things which I probably wouldn’t have bothered to find time for, although I was hoping to do them. The whole trip was amazing for escaping the whole chaos of the pandemic and forget about it for a few days. I learned that, even if hiking may not be for everybody, everyone should try it at least once, because it may turn into one of the best memories you’ll ever have.
You can watch a short video about this trip here.
After completing the Adventurous Journey, our students successfully finalised their Bronze level of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. They were awarded the official certificate and received the Bronze Holder Pin. We proudly congratulate them!
