We have been in Wales for a day now
already!!! When we got here last night, our class had a discussion about our
experiences in London. We talked about all the fun sight-seeing we did and how
the city was sustainable. We talked about everything from the use of recycling
bins to how there are barges in the river that collects trash. We were also
amazed by the different building structures that London has implemented that
take advantage of natural sunlight and energy efficient supplies. This was a
great wrap up of our adventures and teachings in London. Our next stop was
Wales! We couldn’t wait to go to bed and experience a new place in the morning.
The first morning in Wales began
early, for some people, earlier than others. At precisely 1:12 a.m. I was
jerked awake by a horrified bunkmate. She shot up and started screaming at me
from her top bunk of the 12 bed girls bunk room. She must have had an epic
nightmare because her exact words to me were “JILL I HAD A BAD DREAM AND YOU
WERE TERRORIZING ME!” Here I thought I had long-lasting friendship with her.
She quickly went to bed without much explanation.
The next wake-up call had all 23 of
us up and ready for breakfast at 8:00 a.m. Meals at the Rhos y Gwaliau outdoor
recreation center are phenomenal. The cooks are Simon, who is a native of Wales,
and Sandy and Jamie who are from Scotland and England. Together these three
whip up fabulous spreads. Breakfast consisted of 4 different types of cereals,
fresh fruit, unique yoghurt (yogurt for Americans) and warm tea. Once our
bellies were full, we were instructed to make a “take away lunch” or a “sacked
lunch.” For those who do not know, a take away lunch is a carry out lunch, and
a sacked lunch is an Iowan term for a bagged lunch. These terminologies were
new to me! Little did we know that these roast beef, ham, or tuna sandwiches
and shortbread would soon be the talk of our entire afternoon…
After meal preparation, the group
met the instructors that would be leading us through the canyons. The guides
were sarcastic and very relaxed about our future adventure. We did find out
that one guide, Alan, was leading a group but had never gone canyoning before,
but he did know Welsh and what to do with sheep…Thank God for that right?! J SO comforting. We soon
squished into our way too tight wetsuits, received the rest of our “Kit” (term
used for gear used by the natives) and jammed into 2 buses for a 30 minute
drive through the rolling hills of Wales to the gorge. Once at our destination
the 23 of us split into 2 groups to avoid traffic jams down the canyon.
Once assigned with our groups we
had a short hike down to a cliff. Jamie, our cook and 19 year old “expert in
training”, told me to jump off a cliff into frigid, boulder-filled waters. I
stared at him and thought he was kidding. He was not. After I watched 3 of my classmates take the
leap and just miss the rocks, I mustered up the courage to approach the cliff
after being told that the rocks simply look so close because the water is so
clear. My face must have shown my fear because Jamie was laughing and assuring
me I would be fine. I jumped, smacked the water, and bounced back to air with
my life vest; I survived my first obstacle! Some of the other major obstacles
were a 20 foot long downward slide with rope aid, bypassing a waterfall with a
slippery steep climb/slide, various jumps, and the two most horrifying…. zip
lining and sliding off a 5+ meter cliff.
The zip lining was at the end of a long
slide down a steep, water gushing rock slab. Everyone came to an abrupt halt by
smashing into a rock…so thankful! Once out of the slide, we crawled up the side
of the canyon and reconnected our harness to another rope. Here we met one of
our instructors who attached us to a zip line over a body of water. This line
was more than 40 feet high and 100 feet long. Paul, one of the guides, informed
us that we must jump out far to make sure we got out beyond the waterfall. Freaked
out and screaming, I took a big jump and stormed into the water…I lived! I was
relieved to know I was one of the more graceful jumpers. Some of the highlights
of this obstacle included one classmate coming in full speed and doing a total
butt smack and instructor hitting the water and skipping across like a rock! In
hindsight, this was a fun obstacle…just a little terrifying for the people who
are afraid of heights!
After zip lining we devoured our sandwiches
we made earlier. This was the best sandwich that anyone in our group had eaten.
We were not really sure why that was either! All that we know is that it was
the most satisfying after trudging through the canyon for the 2 previous hours.
We cannot wait for round two of sandwiches tomorrow J J J
The last event of our adventure was
the slide off a 5 meter cliff into a pool of water without any aid. I think
most people were pretty nervous for this obstacle, as no one really volunteered
to go first! Finally, someone decided to just go for it and the rest of the
group followed. Jamie informed us that we must not try to stop ourselves or we
will lose momentum and might hit a rock. Again, WHY SHOULD I DO THIS? I asked
if it was mandatory and Jamie said it was the only way out…AWESOME! I
approached the cliff, hugged my chest, and Jamie gave me a big push! I plunged
into the water with a loud boom and surfaced soon after. Finally, I had
successfully completed the canyoning adventure!!! My fellow peers had the
opportunity to jump from a 6 meter into the pool again, but I volunteered to
tape it!
We all made it through the
adventure with only a few scrapes and bruises. The night is going to be calm,
as we are all pretty tuckered out from the day. Our cooks are back to work and
our bellies are excited for the lamb, sausage, and burger barbeque tonight. We
are looking forward to our next adventures!
As the Welsh say “Hwyl fawr” or
Goodbye!
Jill Georgen
Junior, Biology
