We started out by eating breakfast at 7.45 were there were option of bacon,smiley fries, scrambled eggs, pain au chocolat and a selection of cereals we then headed into the common room for a meeting with our team instructor,mary, who told us what we should pack and wear. we assembled in the courtyard to collect our wellington boots, helmets, belt and life jacket.
we got in to the mini van and left at around 10.10 the journey took around 45 minutes. we stopped near the beginning of the gorge and dismounted the mini van and tried on our: belt,helmet and life jacket. before we entered the gorge we had a small safety briefing that covered the basics of gorge climbing we were told that the gorge was a SSSI (special site of scientific interest) this basically meant that there are some area were rare plant and species were thriving so therefore we were not permitted the enter these areas.

Our instructor lead us through the gorge which was wet, slippery and rocky. The rocks in the gorge were greasey with the slime that was transported from the top of gorge.Our instructor told us exactly were to go and were to not go because you will slip into the water which was very cold. Near the beginning our instructor toke us through the “elephants bottom” which were two boulders that were jammed together at there tops. We had to crawl through the hole between the boulders (that was very small) and we had to shimmy through and exit out the other side of the boulders through the opening at the top. We then stopped 10 minutes later for a short lunch break and continued up the gorge until our instructor told us to drink out of a very small waterfall which had pure water. We continued on. She then stopped us again and told us to eat little things that looked like four leafed clovers but when you grind them up in your teeth the taste like the the skin of Granny smith apples.

When we were nearing the end of the gorge we were told that we were to pair up and clip on to the rope that our instructor knotted up. One person went in front and one went at the back and when the rope had straightened in the direction of our instructor ( who was waiting at the top of the waterfall). We then had to hold the ropes for the others whilst they climbed up to join us. Right at the end of the gorge we were given the opportunity to jump into the plunge pool which engulfed you completely and was very cold.

When we exited the gorge the boys had to walk into the forest and take off our wet things and put on our dry things that we kept in the mini van and we returned to the centre and ate dinner.

By Liam Cowdery and Christopher Plichta