by Tilly | Dec 8, 2017 | Expeditions, News, Patagonia 2017
After a great farewell presentation yesterday, wishing their parents and loved ones Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and a Happy Birthday somewhere thrown in the mix, the Patagonia team made their way to the airport today, to set off on their 4 week expedition. Everyone in HSX wishes you a safe flight, we hoped you manage to stay occupied for the whole 18 hours, and we look forward to hearing all about your experiences when you get back. Stay safe, take lots of photos, make lots of memories and enjoy every moment. See you at Ferny Crofts on your return!

by Tilly | May 10, 2017 | Expeditions, Patagonia 2017, Trip Report
With a new year came a chance for another year of adventures- this is 2017 so far….
January- Dartmoor
The weekend started with a drive down to a scout hut in Dartmoor. We were very excited to receive our first Patagonia team kit. We were each given a light blue t-shirt which had our Patagonia 2017 logo on it, which the team had designed previously. After a few hours of patchy sleep, we headed out into the moors. As soon as we started walking we saw that all the water on the ground was frozen. This meant that Tilda managed to take out Nathan on the ice, nearly jeopardising the whole trek. After hours of trekking through frozen bogs we ended at the chosen wild camping spot for the night. We made dinner and played cards in the freezing tent until we dragged our bodies out into the cold and dark for some night navigation. Finally, we went to bed for some well-earned sleep.
The next morning, we were up, ate breakfast and were out by 08:30. We started by spending half an hour attempting to cross a river. We then trekked back to the vans through more bogs and practicing more navigation. Overall the Dartmoor weekend was…an experience.

February- Scotland
The Scotland trip gave us, as a team, a good feel for how life will be, when hiking in Patagonia. With crampon skills, ice axe arrests, navigating through the valleys and the peaks, and long treacherous hikes we are feeling very prepared.
The week started with a very long arduous journey up to Scotland via mini bus. We had a top of night at a scout hut in Carlisle, where we learnt some judo skills with Rob as the instructor. Once we had reached the lodge in the Cairngorms, we sorted out what rooms we were staying in and then set off for our introductory walk. It was a gentle walk around a scenic loch. After taking lots of photos, we returned for a well needed uninterrupted sleep.
The first day of proper hiking (the Sunday) was spent hiking up the ridge towards 1141. We stopped half way up and learnt our first load of snow skills. We learnt ice axe arrests and had some spectacular fails but mostly just good practice and success. The most spectacular display of what not to do, was Tilda trying to do an ice axe arrest head first on her back and just panicking, dropping the axe and coming to a messy halt because of her heels digging into the snow. After sufficient practise and some lunch, we continued traversing up to 1141, then along the plateau and over Cairngorm. It was a tiring first day but we learnt lots and felt very skilled for tackling mountains!
On one of our rest days we still woke up for breakfast at 07:45 still but then instead of heading out to the mountains we had a talk about packing an expedition pack. It was very useful and we all learnt a fair amount. We then went out for a short hike to a bothy. A bothy is a small hut, sometimes with a fire place, to get out of the elements and sometimes to sleep. We went to see what one is like as we will hopefully be staying in one on Thursday night on our overnight expedition. We headed back for lunch and then went for a distillery tour about an hour away from our lodge. However, sadly, we couldn’t drink. It was a great day and lovely to have a break from such tiring daily activities, usually.

April- Lake District
Over the Easter weekend, we drove up to the Lake District for a weekend of hiking, climbing and scrambling.
We kicked off our adventurous Easter weekend with a hike, sharing navigation (Friday). After reaching the base of Pavey Ark we manoeuvred around Stickle Tarn to the bottom of a scrambling route called Jack’s Rake which is a grade 1, 3 star scramble. We kitted up with helmets (and snacks) before beginning the ascent. Most Jack’s Rake was enclosed however some parts were exposed to the elements which worried. Nevertheless, after a slow scramble, we emerged at the top of Pavey Ark where we had lunch. We then did some micro-navigation across the ridge lines to High Raise before heading back to Great Tower for the evening.
On Saturday we drove out to Bowderstone where two climbs were set up for us. We rotated around between climbing, belaying and tailing. After that a long, much harder line was set up with a top belay. Everyone tried their hardest to complete it however some people didn’t manage it. Later on, we moved to a long abseil before driving to Keswick where we had an ice-cream and a cup of tea then headed back to the activity centre for some well-earned rest.
After Saturday night’s dinner, the team were driven out by Alan to the base of a valley. We hiked up it in the dark and although it was hard going and steep, it was enjoyable as it was something different. We skirted around Grizedale Tarn and set up camp next to the shore. After a satisfactory night’s sleep, only interrupted by Dan’s snoring, we were walking out by 09:00. We took turns navigating and our navigating skills had definitely improved since Scotland. We slowly trudged up the ridge to Fairfield’s peak and as we got higher the visibility got worse because it had started snowing. At the top, we got out the cold wind and snow in a small wind shelter. We struggled to navigate off Fairfield as the visibility was so poor but once we got on our way we made good time. After a tough and very damp day we made it down to Ambleside where we were picked up and driven back to Great Tower. We had a great group singalong on the way back and then got straight in the lovely hot showers. After showering, we met as a team and had a debrief and then got on with organising our July fundraiser. All in all it was a fun weekend with lots learnt and experience gained.

We are still not done yet for this year!
We have fundraising days planned for our expedition, as well as a trip to the Peak District in June,
-The Patagonia Team
As always…
Don’t forget to take a look at our website! www.hsx.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter! @HSXOfficial
Find us on Instagram! @official_hsx AND
Find us on Facebook! facebook.com/hampshirescoutexpeditions
by Tilly | May 6, 2017 | Expeditions, Patagonia 2017, Training
Below is a little debrief of all the 2016 training we have done so for Patagonia 2017- Our 4 week expedition to Chilean Patagonia over Christmas and New Year 2017. We hope you Enjoy!
June- Ferny Crofts
This training weekend was to introduce ourselves and do some team building. We started the weekend by developing our group skills via frisbee golf, crate stacking, and a pioneering activity where we had to make a bridge across a “river” (a path). That evening we relaxed by the fire with our dinner.
On the second day, we did personal training in the morning which involved a lot of running! Once we had cleaned ourselves off, we prepared and ate a lovely cooked breakfast. We then got ready for going on a local hike around the New Forest. During this we all took it in turns to try out some map reading navigation which also gave us the time to bond as a team. We finished the day by showing of our (non-existent) volley ball skills and had a BBQ lunch.


September- FC (HSX’s 30th birthday)
The weekend began by meeting some other members of HSX including the Cambodia team 2016. We then went for a hike where we navigated on our own and did challenges and activities at each destination point. Once we got back we did some research on Patagonia and Torres del Paine and brainstormed fundraising ideas. We also did some rock climbing and abseiling on the mega tower at Ferny Crofts and then celebrated the 30th birthday of HSX with volley ball and cake.

October- North Wales
We arrived late and the lads had to sleep in tents and the lass slept in a lovely warm bed. The first day consisted of hiking up Try-Fan via Heather Terrace. This gave u some great views and at the top, we all watched Rob and Steven jump from Adam to Eve on the summit. The evening was spent relaxing and eating with both the team and the rest of HSX. The next day we went rock climbing, scrambling and abseiling which was quite challenging but nevertheless fun!

December- FC
A HSX tradition is to complete an adventure race on the Christmas weekend. We had to travel from point to point in the quickest time possible in teams. The points were distributed randomly across the New Forest area surrounding Ferny Crofts. Our team completed this, it was very muddy and the time limit was three hours. We then did an obstacle course in which Rob and Nathan jumped in a pond for extra points. Because we were the newest expedition team, we also had to cook Christmas dinner for everyone which was pretty “decent”.
To catch up on our training for 2017 – keep your eyes peeled for a post coming this week!
-The Patagonia Team
Don’t forget to take a look at our website! www.hsx.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter! @HSXOfficial
Find us on Instagram! @official_hsx AND
Find us on Facebook! facebook.com/hampshirescoutexpeditions
by Tilly | Feb 5, 2017 | News, Patagonia 2017, Training
Hello One and All!
The time has come to sign up for The Lakes 2017!!
Trip takes place from Thursday 13th April- Monday 17th April, aiming to leave Ferny Crofts @ 6pm
We will be staying in indoor accommodation at Great Tower SAC and will have a packed weekend of walking, climbing and Ghyll Scrambling.
If you are Explorer or Network age and a Hampshire Scout, you are more than welcome to join us!
So the Cost..
£130!! (Pretty great deal if you ask us!)
As usual please fill out the Google form and payment can be paid by BACS (details below) or by cheque payable to: HAMPSHIRE COUNTY SCOUT COUNCIL
Bank: HSBC
Sort Code: 40-46-39
Account Number: 51260936
The deadline to sign up is the FRIDAY 17th MARCH!!!! So get your forms in Now!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me.
Look forward to seeing you all there 🙂
Tilly
Tilly.griffiths@hsx.org.uk
Google form link https://goo.gl/forms/qJ85rA7pKQfvlZdm2
by Tilly | Sep 8, 2016 | Cambodia 2016, Event Report, Expeditions, Media, News, Patagonia 2017, Patagonia 2017, Team HSX, Training, Trip Report
” I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.”
“I should think so- in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you later for dinner, I can’t think what anybody sees in them.”
Unlike Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, who is dead set against any kind of exploration or adventure, it is clear that HSX members have adventure running through their core.
Last weekend HSX celebrated the 30 year milestone,
That’s 30 years of leading, participating, and developing life changing adventures all around the world.
30 Spectacular years.
The weekend followed our normal September plan, a training weekend at Ferny Crofts, this year we had two current expedition teams in attendance, Cambodia, which are heading off this winter 2016 for 4 weeks, and Patagonia, a team heading off next winter 2017 to Chile. The expedition teams took part in their own programmes, some PT, first aid training and continuous team building were all on the cards. Those who were left also took part training, on how to lead expeditions, running events, learn about budgets etc…All of that exciting stuff.
On Sunday we had a classic big BBQ and were joined by HSX members from the past, who with them bought an exchange of stories and photos that have not seen the light for many, many years.
It was a great afternoon, where the newer members and current expeditions could see where HSX started and came from, and the older members from previous expeditions could see that the sense of adventure is still as strong as it ever was.
Even though we are 30 years old, we feel like we are just getting started, we have a fantastic future ahead, with more adventures, more expeditions and more exciting plans on the horizon.
Somewhere in the story, Bilbo decides that actually, an adventure can be quite exciting, he wishes to see the great mountains, smell the pine trees and hear the waterfalls, ultimately his sense of adventure is overpowered so sets of on a journey.
We still have a journey to complete, and a story to tell.
Thank you to everyone who has ever played any part in our adventures.
Here’s to another, spectacular 30 years.
