Year Nine students who chose the Adventure CaVE experienced a particularly exciting and action packed week in Keswick, read on for a full report.

After travelling to Keswick on Monday morning, the group set up base camp at the Castlerigg Hall Farm campsite. As well as the tents for sleeping in we also erected a large event shelter as a communal area and kitchen. We then set off with a full change of clothes in tow to Stonycroft Gill in the heart of the Newlands Valley for a gorge scramble. With water chutes, splash pools and waterfalls, this really was like Wet'n'Wild in the wild. On return Miss Scott and I started the camp cooking for the week with a fabulous chicken curry, followed by chocolate sponge and some rather dubious custard made by Mr Marlowe.

Tuesday morning began with a cooked breakfast before we departed for Great Langdale and Pavey Ark. After a steady walk up Stickle Ghyll to the foot of Pavey Ark, we began the scramble up the natural fault line which runs diagonally across the cliff face of Pavey Ark, topping out at 700m above sea level. The climb was exhilarating and was a real challenge to everyone with the height, steepness and exposure of the cliff face. After the obligatory summit photos, we set off down a much simpler route to return to the valley floor of Langdale. That wasn't the end of the activity for the day though - after the evening meal, we all set off to Bowderstone quarry for an evening's abseiling before returning, very tired to the campsite after 10pm.

The adventure CaVE was really good, I had a fantastic time!

After another full breakfast on Wednesday morning, climbing was the order of the day and several pleasant hours were spent on the rock faces alongside Derwent Water at Bowderstone Slabs. Several pitches were set up, and there was the opportunity to have a go at a range of 15m climbs, or, later a much larger 35m section. Wednesday was camp-cooking night and the group were charged with planning, buying and cooking a meal to a budget.

Showing typical Macmillan style, there were no warmed up tins of beans in sight, instead we had chicken fajitas, corned beef hash, Quorn Bolognese, Chili Con-Carne, penne pasta in a tomato and herb sauce, and homemade, panfried meatballs with onion and olives, not to mention the variety of desserts on show. For the final part of the evening we paid a visit to Castlerigg Stone Circle, a 5000 year old, Neolithic monument of standing stones and watched the sun set over the Cumbrian mountains.

Thursday was another busy day with a full day's mountain biking in the Whinlatter forest led by Miss Scott. Whilst many were familiar with such activity, others were less so (I hadn't been on a bike for any length of time for over 25 years!) There were a few tumbles and scrapes but a great time was had by all, including the midges which managed to get a good bite out of everyone. The route followed involved lots of climbing, steep descents and banked corners - there were even rickety bridges to ride across.

The adventure CaVE was brilliant! I learnt new skills and had an amazing week!

Another filling meal later and an evening walk up onto Walla Crag ended the week superbly. As the group lay in the grass at the summit watching the sun go down over Bassenthwaite and Keswick there were lots of chances to reflect on a truly wonderful and adventurous week and the sadness of having to depart the following morning.

Thanks to Miss Scott and Mr Marlowe without whom the CaVE would not have been possible.

Report by Mr Bede