Hiking
School Hikes take place every year in order to:
- Give students the chance to improve their fitness and general health.
- Communicate and socialise with others in a non-academic environment.
- Participate in an activity very different from the everyday routine.
- Develop and practice new teamwork and navigational skills.
The One Day Hike takes place every November and counts as training for the Two Day Hikes that follow. Students are taught how to follow the instructions of their leaders, how to be an effective member of a team, and how to read a map. Before the expedition, leaders have appropriate training in order to further develop their navigation and leadership skills.
The Two Day Hikes demand a much greater level of preparation because students have an overnight stay in a selected campsite. After the first day’s hike is completed they set up their tents and prepare for additional activities such as football, rugby, rounders and volleyball. In the evening, nourishing food is prepared for them by staff members in order to restore some of the energy burned during day. On the morning of the second day, the students continue with their walking expedition and return back to school at around 1:00 p.m.
The Hikes are increasingly popular and for the first Two Day Hike of the 2010 – 2011 school year, a record 154 students participated, with 20 staff members assisting in this exciting school event.
