S1/S2 Hill Day - Ben Lomond
"I clambered out of my dad’s car and made my way towards the minibus, still half asleep. Today was the day that I was going on a trip to Ben Lomond. Whilst on the way there I talked to my friends, who were also still half asleep. At last after around an hour I had eventually arrived at Ben Lomond.
When I arrived an instructor told the group a little bit about safety, then we started our journey onwards and upwards. The first half an hour was fairly easy but as time went on my legs started to hurt slightly but I still trekked up. After an hour of climbing we had our lunch, it was so good to have a rest and get some energy. I got back up and waded my way up Ben Lomond and after an hour of wading I had eventually made it to the top of the most southerly Munro in Scotland. The view on top was absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. It was so rewarding, the whole experience in general was amazing. The only problem was that I now had to get back down. I fell countless times but it was all alright. It was called the hill walking “trip” for a reason. The journey on the way down was slightly easier than the journey up. Once we had reached the bottom we thanked Jim, our other instructor, and then stumbled onto the minibus.
Everyone was really tired. I was so tired that I ended up falling asleep for a little bit of the journey back and woke up as we arrived at the school. I had to say goodbye to one of the most amazing, rewarding things ever. As I stumbled down the path a thought came to me “That is probably the most fun yet challenging thing that I have ever done.” It was more challenging than any maths I had ever done. The irony is the fact that is was so challenging, both mentally and physically, yet it was so rewarding. That sheer glory of being at the top is what made the journey worth it in the end. The trip was one of the most amazing things that I have ever done. I wish I could do it all over again."
Cara Cook-Rankin (S2)
