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B ACTIVE: 2001
Rocks, Scotland, Bikes & Boats
As Troop B
grew from strength to strength, 2001 saw an awesome array of activities
built around the centrepiece Summer Camp.
Check them out.
![[Indoor Karting]](img/karting_dec01.jpg) INDOOR
KARTING - Dec 2001Having done a wicked wide game and kipped over in the hut the night before, we were raring for a go at our indoor karting session. We took over an entire indoor raceway for the morning and about 30 of us put our foot to the floor and thrashed the machines round the circuit. All buzzing - Jasper and Kyle are the troop karting champs (though the leaders were by far the best drivers - there was no way I was ramming people!) XMAS PARTY - Dec 2001 Our annual christmas party has a reputation for being messy. But nothing could prepare anyone for this year - we were mopping jelly of the floor, walls and ceiling until 2am! Seemed to go down well all the same... CAROL SERVICE - Dec 2001 We attended the Youth of Hersham Christmas Carol Service the week before the day itself. It was good fun and great to see so many Scouts, Guides and St. Johns at the event. BMC FESTIVAL OF CLIMBING - Dec 2001 Ten of us headed up the M40 to the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham for the British Mountaineering Council's Festival of Climbing. Had a go on all the walls, attended lectures, bought stuff, watched experts climb, paid extortionate amounts for hot dogs, enjoyed ourselves. Click here to read Martin's report.  SOUTH
DOWNS WEEKENDER - Nov 2001Fifteen of us caught the train down to Eastbourne and walked the South Down's way along the clifftops to Alfriston where we stayed at the night at the youth hostel. Then hiked back to Eastbourne along the hilltops the next day. Saw a sensational sunset too. OCTOBER BASICS - Oct 2001 Bentley Copse was the final choice of venue where our younger members were instructed by the PLs and APLs in orienteering, pioneering, cooking, fire building, navigation and so on. Build a huge scary transporter too - trust me, it was scary! SNOWDONIA BREAKOUT - Oct 2001 A late arrival on the Friday night in the biggest downpour since Noah's Ark was built saw us put up our tents next to a rapidly rising river and then spending the whole night worrying about drowning in bed! Needn't have worried - it was all okay. But we did have to spend the morning tucking into massive fry ups and huge mugs of coffees at Pete's Eats the next morning. Got an afternoon of nav work done then hike the Carneddau skyline the following day in 'interesting' conditions. SCUBA DIVING - Oct & Dec 2001 Back to Phil's pool for further sub aqua sessions to boost our skills. FULLBORE RIFLE SHOOTING - Sept 2001 A day out at Bisley with the Surrey Venture Scout Rifle Team shooting live ammunition from fullbore rifles and also a go on air pistols. Good day really. SC2001: Snowdonia Click here to read all about our outstanding Summer Camp in North Wales. END OF TERM ACTIVITY DAY - July 2001 A day of kayaking, climbing, abseiling, crate climbing, and other stuff in the sun at Blackland's Farm. MOUNTAIN BIKING EVENING RIDES - Summer 2001 We've been out on our mountain bikes several times this summer - generally exploring the trails in the woodland off towards Esher and Oxshott. This is a brilliant place to go as there is something to please everyone, providing a great introduction to off road stuff for the novices, whilst having plenty of testing singletrack and rooty bits for the experienced. Another added advantage is that you don't have to go too far uphill before you come to a nice bit of downhill. POWERBOATING - Summer 2001 The top finishers in our points competition headed off to the Kent Coast for a day's power boating. We hooked up with Kent Scout Water Activities team, who spent a fine sunny Sunday instructing us in how to drive these powerful machines safely at speed. Absolutely astounding. If you want to find out more then click here to check out the report! ECOSSE ESCAPE: SCOTLAND ADVANCED CAMP - Summer 2001 Over the bank holiday weekend a group of PLs and APLs joined Ed and Colin for five days away in the Scottish Highlands. Plenty of walking in some of the most breathtaking surroundings imaginable. Mountain Biking at the foot of Ben Nevis - brilliant off roading. Wild camping - in truely amazing locations. Hopping all over waterfalls. Ski Donut - being dragged round a sea loch on a rubber ring by a speed boat. Yes, we reckon this was the best camp we have ever been on. MORE SCUBA - Summer 2001 We were back to give more Scouts the chance to experience snorkelling and scuba diving in the ludicrously hot swimming pool! Some of our Scouts who had been before took the opportunity to gain some more experience. A lovely Friday night really. MORE GLIDING - Summer 2001 More Scouts from Hersham and Weybridge came with us to try their hand at gliding in Lasham. Once again long flight times, controlling the glider yourself and the sheer thrill of flying without power made it a day to remember for all concerned. FRIGHT HIKE - Summer 2001 Several Scouts met up at the top of Box Hill ready for the Troop B Dusk till Dawn hike. This time we'd added a twist - it was to be a haunted hike. Even those that told us they wouldn't be scared were bricking it by the end of the evening. The dark alleyway was nothing compared to the figure in white (or was it a carrier bag!). Exhilirating stuff and walking through the night to see the sun come up the following morning is always pretty special. GLIDE HIGH - Summer 2001 We couldn't believe the weather was so good this time - perfect for gliding. Up to 3300ft in the air, thirty five minute flights, loop the loops, barrel rolls, aerobatics, the Scouts flying the glider themselves - all these happened on our magical gliding experience at Lasham with the Faulkes Flight Foundation. Aeronautics badge gained. CASH FOR QUESTIONS - Summer 2001 Parents, friends, children and loads from the local community turned out to the Troop B Quiz night. The event completely sold out featured both an adult's and children's quiz, fish and chip supper and a live band (made up of some very talented Scouts in the Troop). The licensed bar seemed to go down pretty well too. Quite a result as it raised over £200 to put towards our forthcoming camp in Scotland. We'll also be making a donation to Ogwen Mountain Rescue team. STAR KAYAKER - Summer 2001 Seven Troop B Scouts spent a weekend on the Wey Navigation learning and fine tuning their kayaking skills. This resulted in an elementary canoeist badge and the British Canoe Union One Star Award. Further events are planned - the white water's coming to get ya! AERIAL ULTRA - EASTER CAMP - Spring 2001 We rounded off the Easter holidays with an excellent camp at Phasel's Wood Hertfordshire. A wicked evening out at AquaSplash (water slide heaven), building a ludicrously stylish aerial runway, climbing on one of the best outdoor walls in the UK, abseiling, a camp bonfire to singe even the bushiest eyebrows from 500 yards, the athlete's badge - yes, we had a good time.  THE
ALTON TOWERS EXPRESS - Spring 2001At Troop B we know how to have a good time - and a stonking day out at Alton Towers with no queues rates pretty highly by our reckoning. Oblivion, Nemisis, Submission, The Black Hole - these are some of the best coasters anywhere. Awesome rides and everybody up for a laugh - a winning combination every time. Cheers to Uttoxeter Scouts for letting us crash at their HQ! UP FIR AN ACTIVITY WEEKEND - Spring 2001 Walton Firs provided an ideal venue for Troop B to get out camping during the midst of the Foot and Mouth crisis. Wide games, bundles and sports filled in the time between archery, shooting, abseiling and climbing. Nice weekend all round! SCUBA DO - Spring 2001 Having sampled the delights of scuba diving, the Scouts decided they wanted to go again. This time we had a more advanced session, learning new scuba techniques and getting a lot longer underwater. Obviously the sauna afterwards was absolutely mandatory. LASER ACTION - Spring 2001 The dismal weather experienced in the preceeding week meant that our gliding experience had to be postponed until May. Instead it was a scavenger hunt and off to the local camp site for a go on the assault course then down to Woking for two essential games of laser quest. Nice. AWARD GET AHEAD - Spring 2001 We hate Foot & Mouth disease - whilst we were able to come up with a decent alternative for just about every other activity, because it broke the week before our arrange landyachting session it made it difficult to come up with an exciting alternative. A group of the Scouts did however take the opportunity to get down the HQ and get ahead in their award work. LIGHTWEIGHT HIKE - Spring 2001 Whilst the PLs and APLs were off mountain biking some of our newer recruits (ably led by a couple of out APLs) picked up their rucksacks and hiked across the Surrey Hills before joining up with the MTB party at the youth hostel for the evening and then doing it again the following day. Cooking meals on outdoor stoves and fine tuning those all important navigational skills. GETTING DEEPER - Winter 2001 A group of Scouts and Leaders made their way to a spectacularly heated outdoor swimming pool for an evening of snorkelling and scuba diving. Can't really explain how good this is to those who haven't done it - lets just say that we'll be going again and again. We all learned the basic techniques and had some memorable moments enjoying the tranquility of the underwater world. Couldn't go home without the standard stuffing our faces with food and drink, before relaxing in the furnace heated sauna. Very pleasant.  SAIL
THE SANDS - Winter 2001Just because we enjoyed it so much last year, and just because we can, we headed back to the Somerset Coast to do a landyachting course. Scouts raced along the beach at high speeds progressing towards their landyacht elementary pilot's license and helmsman's badge. Covered in water and sand, exhilirated beyond belief. Two more weekends of this to go - shame. Earlier activities can now be seen via the 1999/2000 B Active Archive page. Click here to access it, or use the links below.
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