Forest of Dean Expedition

A minibus of very excited children departed NHP promptly, as we set forth through the intense traffic London traffic to arrive at the forest by the early evening.  Our intrepid adventurers were quite impressed by our bell tent accommodation and were certainly not phased at all by the prospect of camping in February!  Despite consuming copious amounts of snacks during the journey, our group heartily tucked into a pizza supper, followed by a kit check and briefing for the weekend’s activities.

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise, explored the sculptures at the centre and headed into the forest.  The children took turns in presenting facts and leading discussion on their interpretation of each of the 16 sculptures we discovered during on the 8km hike; we all found our favourites.

The afternoon presented high adrenaline challenge in the form of teambuilding and climbing activities in the tunnels, low ropes course, tree climb and crate stack activities, which everyone attempted with vigour. During the evening we enjoyed an enormous campfire with burgers, wild boar sausages and the ever so sweet “smores”.

A good night’s sleep was had by all and after the delicious porridge & hot chocolate breakfast we made the short drive to the mountain bike centre to begin our adventure. Upon successfully completing the skills course, we headed deep into the forest on our ride.  The instructors were so impressed by NHP’s ability as a group that the 14km ride turned into a 20km one, leaving us only a short time to scrub the mud off ourselves before our exped-exit celebratory Sunday roast lunch. 

I would really like to congratulate all of our adventurers who showed resilience and enthusiasm in the uncertain and, at times, demanding weather.  They met all challenges with boundless enthusiasm.  Thanks go to Miss Wright who accompanied and provided amazing help and support to our merry band.