SAC Scouts Newsletter - Issue 129

Issue 129 Issue 1292018 September September 2018

From the Courtyard

From the Courtyard SAC SCOUTS NEWSLETTER

After a brief newsletter hiatus, our GSL is back—and we couldn’t be happier! Here’s what we he’s got to say.

AGSL APPOINTMENT I am glad to announce that Timothy Zammit has been appointed as Assistant Group Scout Leader of the Group. He joins the team of the current GSL (myself) and AGSL Mark P Borg. This appointment

In this issue Cubs - Kent Cuboree 2018

further strengthens the Group’s leadership structure and enables us to have a stronger administrative and organisational back bone in the Group. Timmy brings bags of experience to this new role as he has held most key roles in the Group since he joined over twenty years ago.

I’d like to congratulate Timmy for having been approved by the Association’s Executive and Fr Rector Jimmy Bartolo.

Scouts - Bubble Maker 2018

Ventures - Gozo Unit

GOING UP CEREMONY - 7TH NOVEMBER On November 7th the Group is organising its going-up ceremony – an annual event we are planning to keep during the first week of November. This event is an internal affair wherein members will take part in a ceremony similar to being promoted in class. The older cubs will join the troop, older scouts move on to the venture unit and eighteen year old ventures become rovers. All members are

Rovers

expected to attend in full uniform. Members are to attend the meeting at 1730 however the

- Highland Hiking

ceremony starts at 19:00. Parents can come and watch the on-goings and hopefully we shall be ready

Announcements

by 19:45.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS In the next few weeks each section will be having a number of activities. As a Group, we shall be going to Gozo for the Bulwark Shield – an inter patrol competition where members (Scouts, Ventures and Rovers) get to compete within their section in a two day expedition. Scouts will need to brush up on their orienteering, first aid, estimation, cooking and mapping skills in order to show what they know and win the much coveted Bulwark Shield.

The dates are November 3rd to the 4th.

From the Courtyard

GSL’S CONTRIBUTION

Issue 129 September 2018

Other planned events are a Halloween party for cubs, hike for Rovers and Ventures, an LAN party for rovers and a Patrol leaders training course.

THIRTY-FIVE I am sure the figure 35 will not mean much to anyone. Way back in September 1983 I was taken by my parents to the St Aloysius College Scout Group to become a Scout. I had no clue what scouting was about but I was told it should help to make me more disciplined and organised. Truth be told, I didn’t want to become a scout and I struggled at the beginning, doing my best to avoid attending meeting and scouting events. Due to my parents’ insistence and GSL John A Mizzi (Cubbie) knowing my family well, I did not have much hope of getting away with it. I had tried to avoid meetings by going to football training everyday and find excuses not to attend, however one fine Wednesday, I found Cubbie at the touchline of

Feature of the Month

the Sliema football pitch at Tigne waiting for the half-time whistle to be blown by the referee. As soon as the two whistles were blown near the open former marching parade ground, Cubbie marched on to the pitch and gave me a good piece of his mind in front of everyone. Needless to say, I felt so embarrassed I felt like shooting him into the goal post. I did not have much choice and the following Wednesday I walked the twenty minute distance to HQ (in those days we walked and weren’t pampered by parents). From then on I had to adapt and adjust and gradually scouting started taking over me.

It looks like such a long time ago, however now I understand the impact that Cubbie’s drive to Sliema that day has had on me and my life. I haven’t looked back since and I can say that the best days of by life have been as a scout. All of my contemporaries are no longer part of the Group and to be honest it has felt ‘lonely’ sometimes because hardly anyone is left to share the memories we had in our younger days. The upside is that I and fellow leaders have managed to build a strong and healthy Group of leaders to share many unforgettable moments and experiences in our scouting lives. Being a leader has made me proud to be part of this Group and hopefully it has made me a better person but after all that is for others to say. I am mainly proud of the fact that I have been part of the Group for thirty five years with continuous and uninterrupted attendance and service (except for the first few weeks / months way back in 1983!) as a few have come and gone, come again and left again. I’d like to thank all those who were part of my scouting life in my younger days for the memories and those at present for the enthusiasm and commitment shown to keep things going together. Last but not least, thanks to Cubbie who possibly in those days may have had the vision to see things I didn’t see back then. Life works in mysterious ways. If you can’t understand it, learn to accept it.

Edward Cassola Group Scout Leader

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From the Courtyard

WHAT’S NEW?

Issue 129 September 2018

Hello dear readers, After some discussion I am pleased to announce that this edition of From the Courtyard will be the first to be officially distributed both via Issuu and Facebook.

From the Courtyard will continue to be uploaded to Issuu, where you may find, and download, many previous editions. Parents, members and old boys will still receive an email notifying them of publication.

The Issuu link will also be posted to our Facebook page from this issue onward.

If you’d like to share our newsletter with family and friends (and we’d love that!), we’d like to ask that you either: 

Share the Issuu link or



Share the Facebook post

This will give SAC’s social media platforms maximum exposure in a way that is beneficial to the Group.

From the Editor

It is not advisable to download and re-distribute the newsletter as a personal upload as this is the least effective to the Group’s Social Media.

Sharing to Facebook means we’re ready to reach a wider, more varied audience and we need your help to do so responsibly. Bear in mind that newsletters often include photos which shows members’ faces quite clearly. While we do not take, or publish, photos of members have not given their consent to appear in photos, please show discretion and logic when distributing the newsletter on social media.

NEW SECTIONS IN THE NEWSLETTER From this edition forward, we will be having an announcements page at the end of each newsletter. This should allow for more space and information about upcoming events, but will also allow us to celebrate achievements and provide important details which may not merit a full article.

We will also be rolling our a wordsearch feature at the beginning of next year—but more on that later!

If anyone has any ideas or questions, please do contact the editor at newsletter@sacscouts.org.

Meanwhile, I’d like to thank you all for showing continual interest in From the Courtyard and hope that you will continue to enjoy it as we add new features.

Emma Gauci Editor

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From the Courtyard

KENT CUBOREE 2018

Issue 129 September 2018

As you may have heard from the excited cubs, and equally thrilled leaders upon their return, the SAC Pack made a trip to Kent this year for the 2018 Kent Cuboree. A lot went into this trip, so here are the cub leaders to tell you all about it.

March 2018 It all started way back in March when Akela chanced upon a post on a Facebook scout page promoting this ‘Cuboree’ come September in Kent, UK. He mentioned it to the rest of the pack leaders however with only one week to Easter Camp, we collectively decided to put it aside momentarily and discuss once Easter Camp was well underway.

Fast forward a few days - to the 28th of March - it is 11pm, lights out and the Cubs are supposedly settled and getting ready to sleep in their tents (haha). We all sitting down for a much needed rest and a cup of tea when Akela brings up the subject of the ‘Cuboree’. Needless to say, it only took

From the Pack

him all of 2 minutes to sell it to the rest of us. We were all super excited about the possibility of taking the cubs on a trip abroad, moreover a trip dedicated solely to Cubs. It also coincided perfectly with the rest of the group’s summer plans – the troop were off to MedJam, the Ventures; a Comino camp and the Rovers were planning a trip to Scotland. We needed something for the Cubs and

Back to Front: Kaa, Baloo, Rama, Bagheera, Akela and Hathi in Kent

this fit in perfectly!

April 2018 Our first official meeting regarding the trip to Kent was held at HQ in April and was lengthy meeting during which we discussed many things: flight details, airports, transport, circulars, insurance, meetings with GSL and meetings with parents and the hundreds of forms we needed to fill in. Together we realised that the best way to tackle such an enormous task was to ‘divide & conquer’. Thus, tasks were shared and a timeline was set in order to keep us on track. The first of many emails was also sent to our cubs’ wonderful the parents in order to gauge interest for this trip. We decided that we would be over the moon if we got 10 positive replies back. Little did we know that within a few days we would have 16 positive replies!!! This is awesome!

June 2018 With only two months to go to the trip, June was dedicated to meetings with parents and practical preparations including costing exercises, booking flights and transport and planning for deposits.

Our 16 positive replies had gone down to 14 but there was no stopping us!

July 2018 Time was now ticking and it seemed like we had a long way to go yet however each of us worked very hard and through some magnificent team work the final preparations began to be put into place. A

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From the Courtyard

KENT CUBOREE 2018

Issue 129 September 2018

meeting was held with our GSL to inform him of all that was being done. Another date was set for a meeting with the parents in August. We finalised transport and insurance booking and confirmed accommodation for the extra night we would be spending in Kent. It was in this meeting that we also began to fill in most of the forms we needed to undertake a trip abroad with the Cubs. All in all, things were finally coming together and the excitement started to kick in!

August 2018 Finally, less than one month left!! The anticipation was killing us but we still had lots to do. We met up practically every week after the Wednesday cub meeting to finalise anything and everything. All the relevant forms were filled in and handed over to GSL and IHQ for processing. The parent’s meeting was set for the 1st of August 2018 and an information booklet was prepared for this. This meeting proved highly successful as,

From the Pack

together with the parents, we discussed all things related to Kent and answered any questions they had. We collected passports and monies during the last cub meeting in August as well as the sleeping bags we’d be needing for our last night in Kent. With everything packed and ready it was only a matter of Cuboree Commemorative Scarf along with the SAC Scarf.

waiting the last few days before zooming off on our fantastic trip to Kent!

31 August—3 September This was it! The day was finally upon us. Leaders crawled out of bed at 05:00 and convened at Malta International Airport. The little smattering of read and white scarves slowly grew to a sizable flock and, after making sure that everyone was ready to go, we made our way to the check-in gates and then upstairs to board our plane. The three hour flight was made more entertaining for the cubs due to Hathi’s lovingly and patiently prepared in-flight entertainment booklet and more comfortable for the leaders due to Air Malta’s in flight pillows, kindly donated by a flight attendant who seemed to know exactly what we needed.

The plane was disembarked, a coach was boarded and we trundled into Grosvenor Hall’s incredible grounds where the organizers allowed us to store our belongings (in return for a little assistance) even though we were an entire five hour early! Bags stowed and clothing choices re-evaluated, it was time to fill in said five hours. First port of call was a light lunch after which Malta descended upon the green. The entire contingent of Maltese cubs (and their entirely composed, mature leaders) descended upon the green in relative abandon. Our cubs didn’t

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SAC Pack—Ready to go!

From the Courtyard

KENT CUBOREE 2018

Issue 129 September 2018

think twice before asking a leader to borrow a football, and immediately organised a 5-a-side football game between them, while the leaders supervised from the sidelines. Once the match was over, some games were organised for the cubs which included a wheelbarrow race amongst the leaders which had the cubs laughing for quite a while.

This quickly brought us to the evening where our cubs have been assigned to their groups and settled for our first dinner. Following this, the cuboree was officially openend with an opening ceremony, where each pack was to present a campfire song to the rest of the groups. Our Kaa was too keen to demonstrate “Watanchu” to one and all. This immediately proved to be a great hit with cubs and we’re still getting requests for this from the organizers and various leaders! Almost everyone thought that the now infamous “Watanchu” song was in Maltese (when in fact it is gibberish) but all in all, this was a resounding success thanks to Kaa’s enthusiasm for this song!

In the opening ceremony we were also entertained by some fire-dancers, an Aretha-Franklin look-a-like as well as by the cuboree’s theme-song Baby Wolf which was repeated various times with all the cubs

From the Pack

shouting, performing the moves to the tune of Baby Shark. This is the type of song that sticks to your brain and you hear it on your way to the office, while parking your car and you get yourself unknowingly humming it on your way to the bathroom while work colleagues are shooting you the evil eye.

Following the opening ceremony, all the cubs settled into their cozy dorms in preparation for the action packed two days ahead, and after a quick meeting, the leaders also followed suit!

The second and third days were jam packed with adventures for both cubs and their leaders. The day were run on an alternating roster which means that while our cubs did the same activities, we didn’t all do them at the same time or day. After breakfast everyone would assemble in their respective lines withinin the main square. Our cubs were split and mixed into other groups, each having containing cubs from other scout groups from Kent. This was an ideal opportunity for the kids and leaders to interact and make new friends; after all, that is what scouting is all about! Cubs would go through activities where they needed to test their team work and scouting skills which is always a challenge to do this with new people.

During each different activity the groups were accompanied

by Kingswood Activity Centre helpers. Activities ranged from fire lighting (with flint & steel), leap of faith, nightline (which is a blindfolded obstacle course), laser tag, , archery, rafting/ kayaking and many more over the Saturday and Sunday! The highlight activities were definitely the 3G swing, zipline and leap of faith!

The evening of the second day, all scout groups came together for a campfire. We enjoyed singing and

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From the Courtyard

KENT CUBOREE 2018

Issue 129 September 2018

participating, joining in the jokes and songs really made this a unique experience. Our cubs learnt so many songs from this one evening. Songs that they definitely remember are Postman Pat, I-Get-Loose and BumbleBee. It was also an opportunity for our cubs to teach other scout groups songs from Malta. In fact, we performed Wattenchu and OhhALeLe and these were a great success!

On Sunday evening after the last activity, we gathered in the main square and a closing ceremony was held. We all stood alert when the country flags were hoisted down. It was very sad saying goodbye to our new friends. We presented a group scarf and badge to several other leaders as well as the cuboree organisers. It was great to seeing our cubs saying farewell to their new friends and wishing other cubs well. Scouting truly brings people together! Even in just these three days, our cubs managed to make new friends that I’m sure they’ll never forget.

As we concluded our amazing experience with Cuboree with a load of new memories and packed bags, the Malta contingent was very kindly transported to their nearby overnight sleeping quarters by the some of the cuboree organizers. 1st Brabourne and Smeeth Scout Group provided us with our lodging for the

From the Pack

evening and we spent an amazing last night at their headquarters.

Settling in to this gorgeous scout HQ we were mesmerized by the fact that outside their front door is an entire, lusciously green football pitch and inside was every scout’s dream with a big foyer room in the middle as impressive kitchen..and a store

At 1st Brabourne and Smeeth’s HQ.

to keep us entertained for months! While everyone was outside taking advantage of the greenery, Hathi stumbled upon a mass of hula-hoops which prompted her to introduce a new game for the Cubs to try. It was a cross between hopscotch and rock-paper-scissors and was a fantastically simple and fun game which everyone participated in!

The Cub Leaders’s impromptu circus act concluded the evening, with Kaa being the star of the show; juggling, being able to detect trophies blindfolded and a finally catching an HQ worth of hula hoops with just his head. The evening came to a close everyone tucked themselves into bed to regain some energy for a 05:30 rise the next morning.

Waking up at 5:30 in the morning is no easy feat and to do that whilst packing up all your belongings and the cubs in 30 minutes proves how brilliantly the St. Aloysius Cubs are able to use their temporary superpowers. The coach arrived at 6:00 am sharp and were all boarded by 6:10 am. A last quick check ensured we left nothing behind and that the HQ was looking better than we had found and the SAC Pack left HQ. With a stroke of very impressive luck, while all the luggage fit in the luggage booth, all leaders happened to be carrying their and their assigned cubs’ passports on them—a detail which will turn out the be of great importance later on. Most impressive was Baloo who held nothing but the passports with everything else ‘safely’ stowed away. What came next is an unexpected event that no-one could have

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From the Courtyard

KENT CUBOREE 2018

Issue 129 September 2018

seen coming and which showed that lady luck was on our side.

As the coach drove towards the airport, things took a turn for the worse. Just 10 minutes away (by car!) to the airport we stopped at a red light, as one would but when trying move on, it became apparent that there was a major problem with the coach. Try as she might our driver could not get the coach to move and it became clear that the coach had suffered a lack of air pressure, hindering the handbrake from being released and continuing to our destination. Stuck in the middle-lane of a four lane main road we were unable to go any further.

Hopelessly stuck, the Cub leaders began brainstorming ideas and our driver was able to get a backup coach sent to our location. Great! Sorted! ..Or was it? Remember that important detail we spoke about earlier? Turns out the air pressure had affected the luggage booth doors too and our bags were well and truly stuck. Panic was about to strike until we realized, with the sort of relief that makes you want to sit down, that we actually had all we needed on us. Next step was figuring out how to safely get out of the coach and onto the pavement without any cars driving past as we tried to get the cubs to safety.

From the Pack

The solution presented itself so smoothly, it was almost as though it had been rehearsed. Road construction workers, who happened to be working on said pavement, by now realised our conundrum and offered to close the problematic lane a couple of hours early. This simultaneously helped us get the cubs across safely and allowed to backup coach to get to us without obstructing traffic. RELIEF!!

It was a very difficult decision to abandon the luggage inside the coach but once our savior finally arrived, there was no time to loose!

Everyone piled into the rescue coach and leaders were already in communication with the company for the retrieval of our bags as we sped toward the airport. We got to the thankfully small airport with about 45minutes to spare, sped through security and actually had to wait to board our flight. We were finally aon the way home! Success!

Upon landing back we went straight to baggage reclaim to try to figure how to get our bags back home.

They were understandably shocked at our little issue as this was the first time they had come across such an incident. In the end, AirMalta liaised with the coach company and our bags could be collected the very next day, thus finally, safely and concluding safely our awesome weekend trip abroad.

It was an experience like no other for this generation of Pack leaders to plan and undertake a trip like this and we are itching for the day when we get to repeat the process. Who knows where we might go next..?

We’d like to point out that AirMalta were in no way obliged to carry our bags and somehow did anyway.

Thank you AirMalta!

Next month, we’ll be showing you the cubs’ answers to some of the Cuboree-related questions we asked them. That, and many more photos!

Liam Curmi De Gray—Kaa Emma Gauci—Bagheera Nicole Mifsud—Hathi Michael Psaila—Baloo Stefan Pullicino—Rama

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From the Courtyard

Issue 129 September 2018

BUBBLE MAKER 2018

On Saturday 15th of September, our scout group went to Dive Systems Malta, Sliema, for a taste of underwater diving.

We met up at around 1pm outside Dive Systems, each of us carrying a towel, water and some packed lunch. Our consent forms were checked and some more forms were filled in. We then received a short but detailed lecture about how to use the diving equipment, what all the gestures meant (once we were underwater we couldn’t exactly talk to each other, could we?) and what to do to best enjoy our diving experience.

We took a short van ride to Manoel Island, where the dive would take place. We had been split up into three groups before the van ride, and once we arrived we unloaded the equipment and gathered in our respective groups. A diving instructor helped us to don the wetsuit and to prepare the equipment and cylinders.

From the Troop

As we carefully stepped into the water via a metal staircase, I forgot all about the boiling wetsuit and the heavy weights as I was fascinated by the calmness of the quiet blue sea. We spent the next hour and a half following our instructor around on the seabed, always keeping a watchful eye on our diving buddy. Eventually we arrived at a shipwreck, which really took my breath away. I wondered with captivation at what had happened to the ship and her crew.

I was still thinking about all this when we arrived back on dry land. I took off my tight, dripping wetsuit, glad of the warmth it provided me, and we continued back to the Dive Systems Centre to be collected by our parents. For many of us, it was our first experience diving, Top: Julian Formosa admires a reef during the try dive.

Bottom: Dive buddies, David Caruana (left) and Jake Busittil remember it fondly. (right), wave at the camera.

and I

will

always

Julian Formosa Assistant Patrol Leader Buffalo Patrol

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From the Courtyard

Issue 129 September 2018

GOZO UNIT

Despite the incorrect weather predictions thrown at them, our Unit managed to sneek in a relaxed weekend on the Sister Island. Don’t let them tell you it was grueling though!

As a Unit, the weekend of the 20th—22nd September had long been earmarked for a Gozo Camping trip and plans were made weeks in advance. Everything was set until inclement weather predictions put a dampener on our plans (excuse the pun). As a result, at the Wednesday meeting before camp, we came up with a plan B. The plan B was to hold the event in an apartment in Gozo…technically a far cry from the rugged outdoors but nothing beats the good company of our Unit.

Thursday evening came and at around 4 pm we had arrived in Gozo and made our way to the apartment by bus. We were all excited to have some fun and to do some Scouting activities that our leaders prepared for us. When we arrived we stored our equipment in one of the bedrooms and decided to go for a swim.

After this we felt too lazy to cook so considering that it had already gotten late, we took a shower and

From the Unit

ordered pizza.

Food was a popular feature of this camp turned weekend break!

The day after we woke up and Zarby was already making us tea and coffee so we started our day fast and good. The first thing we did after the great coffee, was to have another swim but this time we took the long route and made our way to the rocky part of Marsalforn. As it turned out, contrary to all predictions, the weather was great; it wasn't too hot and to be honest that's all we needed. By around 11 am we made our way back to the apartment and started cooking brunch because right after brunch we had the activity that we had been waiting for, prepared by our leaders.

The activity was in Cittadella and it was a scavenger hunt. We made our way to the activity location where our leaders gave us the paper – or rather a picture of a paper sent via messenger - with what we needed to find. After an hour running in the sun we were exhausted and we met again to see who had won.

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Roaming the streets of Gozo

From the Courtyard

GOZO UNIT

Issue 129 September 2018

After a long day roaming the streets of Citadella, we needed to refuel, and what better way to do this than by eating an ungodly amount of pasta? After everyone was proclaimed to be in a food coma, we decided to end the night by watching a classic comedy and we all mcloved it.

The next day, after we all woke up nice and early for some leftover egg white omelettes, followed by a quick clean up in hopes of being invited back to the apartment (please do). Finally, the trip was over and

From the Unit

we found ourselves on the ferry back home but not before we finished our last game of cards.

Daniel Baron & Lorin Grima Ventures

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From the Courtyard

HIKING IN THE HIGHLANDS

Issue 129 September 2018

The Rover Crew took on Scotland in September. Best to leave it to them to let you know how it went.

What is life if not one giant adventure? This is the philosophy employed by many within the SAC Rover Crew, and it is the philosophy that led them onto their latest, and possibly greatest, adventure. As September drew to a close, five intrepid Rovers traded the dying embers of the Maltese summer for the chilly winds of the Scottish Highlands. Pierre Sant, Andrew Agius, Luke Maistre, David Pace and Albert Galea were to also be joined by two more similarly intrepid Rovers who had already traded in Malta’s hot and stuffy air for the cold, fresh breeze of the isles – with Gabriel Rizzo joining up from his base in Kent, and Matthew Zammit making the short (and insultingly cheap) hop over from Dublin. The intention of the trip? Taking on the Highlands themselves. The two highest peaks in the United Kingdom, Ben Macdui and Ben Nevis, awaited the travellers – a far cry from even the steepest and most desolate hills that Gozo could offer any willing (and unwilling) hiker.

From the Crew

Day 1: Violent storms and violent stomachs – The Arrival in the Highlands It is destiny that, on such a Crew trip, the outgoing flight from the Maltese isles plays its part in the tale.

The expression “start as you mean to go on”, comes to mind, in fact. One must only look back to three years ago for the prime example of this concept; back then a similarly sized group of enterprising mountain climbers hailing from the Crew succeeded in delaying the whole airplane due to a suitably huge container of butane gas hidden away within one of the member’s rucksacks. This time, happily, there were no such gas-related gaffes. However, as luck would have it the Great British weather had certain ideas in mind; none of which included a smooth landing for our protagonists.

Storm Ali can be noted for many things; it was the remnants of a hurricane which had wrecked havoc on the other side of the Atlantic, and it’s the first storm to be given a non-British ethnic name. What our protagonists noted most however was that Storm Ali made their landing into Aberdeen’s airport suitably more terrifying than it probably

should

have

been.

However, after much leaning left and leaning right, the plane planted itself onto the runway and our five travelers (and everyone on the plane) breathed a sigh of relief.

Disembarkation, standard border control checks, and the affirmation that Luke Maistre is somehow still not on a no-fly list followed soon after landing. The group emerged The intrepid voyagers departing Malta to Aberdeen, kicking off the Scottish into the fresh Scottish air to find Highland adventure

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From the Courtyard

HIKING IN THE HIGHLANDS

Issue 129 September 2018

Gabriel Rizzo, whose landing a couple of hours earlier had been in such poor conditions that he and his fellow passengers spent the better part of 45 minutes waiting for the wind to calm down enough so stairs could be deployed to disembark the passengers.

Nonetheless, with their feet firmly planted on the ground and their vehicles acquired, the group set off to their first destination; a set of lodges on the outskirts of the village of Aviemore. Following a quick detour into the outskirts of the town of Elgin for sustenance in the form of KFC, and opportunity for Luke to unceremoniously stain the honourable establishment’s car park with the results of car sickness, the group wheeled into the lodges and emerged into the Scottish drizzle to take up accommodation and settle in for a night’s rest. It would be a rest that would be of much value, as little did they know the sheer scale of what was to come over the next two days.

Day 2: A Baptism of Fire – The Ascent to Ben Macdui There was an aura of excitement as the morning dew lifted from on the lodges and as the rover crew emerged. It was their first full day in the highlands, and the excitement only grew as the adventurers

From the Crew

immersed themselves in the scenery that surrounded them. It was however Ben Macdui that they had on their minds, as that was their destination for the ensuing 36 hours or so. Ben Macdui is the second highest peak in the UK, standing at 1,309 metres above sea level, and forms part of the Cairngorm hills.

The intention was to summit the hill (David made it a point to pedantically point out that due to its relatively low height, it could not be considered a mountain) before camping somewhere on the trail for the night and making the rest of the trip down the following morning.

The hike up the path, which started at a base level of around 600 metres, began in the early afternoon at break-neck speed. The weather had taken a turn for the better, and the skies were near enough cloudless. The winds however remained strong and as the incline became steeper, it made progress ever more grueling. Indeed, after what seemed like an age, the huge initial climb had been dispatched. The hikers however, in reaching the peak of the initial climb, had learnt the hard way about hiking in the Highlands. At 950 metres elevation, there was still a long way to go. The terrain in the lead up to Ben Macdui can be described in varying manners; not ideal, inhospitable, foolishly impractical, or even as an utter and unshakeable travesty.

Firstly, the nature of the walk itself was difficult to deal with. The summit may have been at 1,309 metres; but getting there meant going through various plateaus, dips and rises – it wasn’t simply a straight walk to the top like Ben Nevis would later be. Furthermore, there came a point where the trail simply ceased to exist, leaving the now tiring rovers to clamber over boulders as they climbed up the slopes. By four in the afternoon, Ben Macdui itself was finally in sight. Snow-level had been reached, but the climb had taken its toll. It was decided that one last stab at reaching the summit should be mounted, but a mere 30 metres in elevation below the summit, the tiredness and the elements proved to be too much for the group.

A decision was taken to climb down some 100 metres in elevation into something of a valley below the summit. An ideal camping spot, free of snow and boulders had been spotted next to a decently sized stream. Getting there meant descended through the snowy slopes, which resulted in more than one pair of tired legs giving way and landing their owners bottom first into the freezing floor. Albert lived up to his accident prone fame by taking the first skid off the slope, a skid which resulted in a walking pole becoming the first fatality of the trip. However all told, they had reached the camping spot unharmed (aside from

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From the Courtyard

HIKING IN THE HIGHLANDS

Issue 129 September 2018

the walking pole, which had snapped into two pieces).

As evening fell, tents were pitched and each person’s respective sustenance – with the overwhelming food of choice being various iterations of Heinz’s canned stew – was heated up and devoured with varying levels of success, with David Pace being able to testify on the lower degrees of the said success. It had been a solid day overall, and with conditions expected to improve slightly with less winds, a renewed attempt at reaching the summit was not altogether out of the question the following morning.

Day 3: Scotland’s White Morning – The Second Day on Ben Macdui When the following morning did dawn however, that renewed attempt was thrown by the wayside. The morning silence was broken by groggy morning calls from tent to tent, imploring the occupants to peer outside. Shock greeted the adventurers. The conditions hadn’t improved. On the contrary in fact, they had gotten worse. The rovers emerged from snow-covered tents, in winds stronger than the previous day

From the Crew

and a temperature which bottomed out at -8 degrees Celsius.

Before and after: Left—The crew’s choice of camping spot on day two. Right— The frigid conditions that the Rovers were greeted with early in the morning of the third day

These were desperate times, and an executive decision was taken to forego breakfast and begin the descent to base camp, lest the weather deteriorate further. However, the first order to start the descent was to climb out of the valley and cross a plateau to get back onto the previous day’s path. It was as the group crossed the barren plateau that the conditions worsened. Snow stung the little bits of exposed skin that remained not tucked under some form of clothing, whilst the wind battered the group to its core.

Visibility reduced to a mere 15 metres and it became harder and harder to keep the bearings in check.

However, after what seemed like an eternity fighting the cold away, the group eventually stumbled onto the path and started the full descent.

This wasn’t where the problems ended however. As their altitude reduced, the snow changed to rain and the group were suitably drenched. The descent was a solid two hours of near enough continuous rain, and it was only when cloud cover was broken at around 750 metres that the conditions started to let up.

In the mid-afternoon, the six weary and soaked hikers arrived at the base camp and trudged into the camp’s restroom complex. Rucksacks were thrown to the floor with abandon, as the group recovered from the ordeal. The sheer scale of the conditions soon became clear; most – if not all – waterproof clothing and kit had failed to keep the rain out, whilst the cashier of the gift shop was suitably amazed

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From the Courtyard

HIKING IN THE HIGHLANDS

Issue 129 September 2018

that the group had battled through the conditions, commenting that the conditions had been bad enough to cease the operations of the mountain lift. The group drove first to Aviemore, where an upbeat Matthew Zammit was picked up and hauled into the back of one of the vehicles, and then to the night’s accommodation.

As the group filed into that night’s hostel and invaded the said hostel’s drying room, an evaluation took place; it’s true that they hadn’t reached the summit, but they had given a right go at it. Furthermore, it was also agreed that had the group encountered that morning’s conditions on the day of ascent – it would have been highly likely that an ascent wouldn’t have happened at all. All in all however, the experience had made for positive thoughts and positive memories, and the group – after a good night’s sleep – was looking forward to what the following days held, especially the climb onto Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak.

Day 4: Restock, Resupply, Return – The Greenery of Glencoe Owing to the forecast on Ben Nevis not looking all too favourable for the day, it was decided that the fourth day would be a more relaxed on for our protagonists. A hearty breakfast (ie: a £3 meal deal from

From the Crew

Tesco) was consumed and stocks were replenished. Albert Galea’s and Pierre Sant’s boots had fallen foul of the water on the peak (both Albert’s main and spare boots had in fact taken residence in the hostel’s drying room for the duration of the previous night, owing to the fact that they had around as many waterproof features as a colander) and so new boots were bought instead. Meanwhile food supplies were also replenished; Tesco’s classic Beef Jerky had been a crowd favourite during the walk, and an increased supply was hence purchased.

The day’s hike was this time from Glencoe, and was much more akin to a simple walk in the park than the previous summit hike had been. The weather was holding up, save for the odd light drizzle (the first of which induced mass hysteria in most of the group, who refused to risk getting drenched once again), the terrain was reasonable and the scenery was breathtaking. A beautiful 17 kilometres round trail was planned for the day, and it did not disappoint, with a wonderful wooded path, astonishing river views and even the odd waterfall crossing as well characterising the path.

It would however be one such waterfall which cut the trip short. Too wide to feasibly cross – despite each member running the numbers for every, even remotely, possible crossing avenue – the group turned back whence they came.

Nonetheless, the scenery

remained breathtaking, and the pace was set at a more leisurely step.

The afternoon was beginning to draw to a close when the group arrived back at the cars, and on their way out to the town of Fort William, they were greeted with breathtaking sunset views over Loch Leven. With an early start to the next day expected, another shopping detour was taken, this time to the local Asda.

Supplies suitably stocked up, the group made their way to their camping location for the night – a truly unique place.

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Unique camping ground on day 4—the courtyard of Old Inverlochy Castle

From the Courtyard

HIKING IN THE HIGHLANDS

Issue 129 September 2018

There isn’t much left of Old Inverlochy Castle; but there is enough left for you to easily identify that it was once a castle capable of holding its own against any would be river raid. Those medieval days were however long gone when the troop of seven adventurers walked into the courtyard of the abandoned castle. Camp was set up on the soft ground as the notion of sleeping in an abandoned castle under a near full moon set itself in. With nothing creepy or suspicious afoot however, and some sensational pictures (as seen below) taken for the record, the group got a solid night’s rest. They’d need it, for the day after was finally the day that they’d climb Ben Nevis.

Day 5: The Highest Peak in the UK – Climbing the Ben Standing alone at 1,354 metres above sea level and with a trail starting pretty much from zero elevation; Ben Nevis was a different kettle of fish to Ben Macdui entirely. The elevation change may have been more substantial, but the overall distance of the trail was pretty much the same. Another difference was that this was a one-day hike, meaning the kit on each person’s backs was minimal – unlike in the case of Ben Macdui, when tentage and sleeping equipment had to be hauled up the hill as well.

From the Crew

It was an early start, with a solid and consistent ascent. There were still some aches and pains persisting in some from Ben Macdui, but nothing untoward was reported thus far. The problem was that the conditions as the summit was being reached weren’t exactly phenomenal; cloud cover started at around 800m and rain was threatening.

However, miraculously, as the group approached the cloud cover – it began to recede and recede. Only at something along the lines of 1,100 metres was the cloud reached. By then however, there was much more to worry about than the clouds. The group had reached the trail’s infamous Zs, with the trails taking hairpin turn, after hairpin turn as the ascent continued. The terrain meanwhile deteriorated as well; more loose rock found itself underfoot, and there was more climbing to be done.

Once the six Zs were dispatched, a solid 3 and a half or so hours since starting the trail, it was time for the final push. The weather this time came down, with the wind picking up and the visibility decreasing.

Snow once again began to be found at the group’s feet, however neglible amounts actually fell from the sky.

After one final push, the group had done it. They had reached the top of the highest peak in the United Kingdom. Kit was thrown down and commemorative pictures were taken left, right and centre. The moment was broadcast to the world on the group’s Facebook page too. An SAC scarf was left knotted to the old weather observatory which marks the summit, left there for posterity’s sake and to commemorate the great success of this group.

With a suitable amount of beef jerky consumed to refresh the energy levels, the descent then began.

Like any other descent, this was a challenge to each person’s knees and joints, and after a whole day on the trail and three previous days hiking, the weariness The SAC scarf proudly tied onto the door of the old weather observatory at the summit of Ben Nevis

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was beginning to take its toll. Matthew was the first to skid off the trail, hurting his ankle in the process,

From the Courtyard

Issue 129 September 2018

HIKING IN THE HIGHLANDS whilst Pierre and Luke were also caught out by the slippery descent.

Even the experienced and

monumentally fit Andrew found himself sitting on his bottom instead of walking on his feet at one point.

The descent didn’t discriminate at all.

Nonetheless, the group eventually reached the base and reveled in its success. The walk had taken its toll however. A shower and a bed for the legs to recover was required by many, and whilst Andrew and Albert drove Matthew to Glencoe to depart the group and catch a bus to Glasgow, from where he would take his leave back to Dublin, the rest scoured for accommodation options.

The group re-convened at the Alexandra Hotel’s restaurant and discussed the options over a Steak & Ale Pie and a beverage of Scotland’s finest. In the end, it was decided that David and Gabriel would spend the night in a tent on a campsite – as was their own desire – whilst the remaining four would take up residence in a hostel for the night. Each reported their satisfaction at the facilities that they found at their place of accommodation, with each group being satisfied with a shower and the opportunity to lay down and relax. The hard work of the trip was now over, and this truly was now the opportunity to kick back

From the Crew

and enjoy the remainder of the holiday.

Days 6 & 7: A Vow to Return – Relaxation in Pitlochry & Edinburgh The penultimate day of the trip was penned in one of relaxation, and that is something that the group had no problem in satisfying. The quaint and wonderful village of Pitlochry was chosen as the destination for the said relaxation, based on the premise that it was halfway to Edinburgh (where the group would fly out from the following day) and that it had cultural elements to offer.

Indeed all these cultural elements were surveyed, with the group surveying a traditional plate of fish and chips from a proper good old pub, and a specialist tour of a traditional distillery in the same village being knocked off the bucket list as well.

All in all it was a day of sight-seeing and touristing, one that was much deserved considering the trials and tribulations that the group had undergone over the course of the previous four days. Nothing and nobody was going to spoil that day of relaxation, and over dinner the group looked back fondly on their adventures in the highlands, already vowing that they’d be back in the future.

The final day’s trip into Edinburgh and couple of hours of sightseeing on the Royal Mile before seeking the airport and departure back to Malta were in many senses a mere formality.

The group had been

smitten by the Highlands. The sheer grandeur and scenery; the lush greenery, and the sense of adventure had left an indelible mark on the hearts of the whole group. And so even after the group returned to the comparatively stifling Malta, they still talk of the highlands, as if their hearts have developed something of a tartan pattern, and vow to one day return for more similar, intrepid adventures like this.

A mandatory group photo at the top

Albert Galea Rover

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From the Courtyard

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Issue 129 September 2018

COMING UP! Keep these dates free in your calendars.

24th October 2018 “Burger Wednesday” in aid of Hospice Malta 2nd—4th November 2018 Operation Bulwark (all sections apart from the Pack) 7th November 2018 Going Up Ceremony—SAC HQ—19:00 Pack: 31st October 2018 Cub Halloween Party—SAC HQ—18:00 to 20:00

From the Crew

10th November 2018 Cub Treasure Hunt—Birgu Unit: 27th—28th October 2018 Venture Night Hike 24th November 2018 Theseus badge hike for new Ventures Crew: 28th October 2018 Rover Day Hike

WELL DONE! A round of applause goes to Beppe Demicoli for completing his Musician’s Badge in September.

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From the Courtyard

Issue 129 September 2018

ANNOUNCEMENTS GOING UP

The following boys will be leaving their current sections at the next going up ceremony. The adventure continues from here, for: Pack to Troop

Troop to Unit

Unit to Crew

Benjamin Attard

Andrew Abela

Craig Bonello

Luke Aquilina

Neal Azzopardi

Max Evers

Alec Borg

Sam Boujauoi

Quentin Falzon Camilleri

Julian Gouder

Carlito Bugeja

Lorin Grima

Nico Micallef

Daniel Busutill

Nigel Grech

Dimitri Joe Muscat

Nicky Debono Drury

Daniel Mallia

Matteo Panzavecchia

Luigi Farrugia

Adam Vella Cardona

Antone Vural

Francesco Gove Matthew Muscat

From the Crew

Patrice Pace Thomas Sciberras Herrera Alex Siegler

ANNOUNCEMENTS Do you look forward to the monthly Hot Dog Sale? For this month only, we are upping our game .. and it’s all for a good cause.

In view of regulatory restrictions related to public collections, we have been unable to commit our members to participate in the annual collection tin campaign in aid of Hospice Malta. We have thought long and hard on how we can support a cause that is close to our heart .. and we may have a solution!

On the 24th October 2018, SAC Rovers will be replacing the Crew fundraiser with a Burger Sale. Flamegrilled, not fried: you’ll be lovin’ it!!

Our freshly made burgers will be on sale at the end of the weekly meeting for just 2 Euros. Whether you opt for a “plain burger in a bun” or an “all in” of all the dressings on offer, we guarantee that it won’t be just the burger’s deliciousness that will leave a good taste in your mouth...because all proceeds from this event will be donated to Hospice Malta.

Hospice Malta is a voluntary organisation - inspired by Christian values - that provides Palliative care for persons with cancer, motor neurone disease, end of life respiratory, cardiac, renal and liver disease.

Hospice Malta also aims to help and support their families.

We thank you in advance for your support!

The Rover Crew

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