Cross-Country Camp
North Wales (Sept 1974)

Before the camp started everyone was advised to do a little light training. Needless to say no one did and later on in the holiday (?) we all felt the results.

This year's camp was run in conjunction with Bishopshalt School and 25 people left Northwood for the Cwm Pennant Valley, North Wales. When we arrived everyone was eager for his first run of the season and so the pace was abnormally hot. We arrived back to a delightful meal of chicken supreme, left overs from which lasted us until all but the last day of the camp.

The next day everyone awoke far less eager than on the previous day and very stiff-legged. Our run that day was about 4 miles on Black Rock Sands, in pouring rain, which lasted for the whole of the holiday. That evening we had curried chicken supreme, but even after eating it for breakfast dinner and tea there was still some left. Clearly a sequel to the feeding of the 5,000.

Wednesday was the day dreaded by everyone. The programme consisted of a twelve mile run up the valley and back, but Mr. Gibson pretended to have a badly hurt leg at the end of the valley and was ably helped back by a large number of volunteers.

We had our annual walk up and down Snowdon on Thursday. Mr. Miles, the Bishopshalt master got a bit carried away and took emergency rations (1 mars bar each), two exposure bags and (someone said) an ice-axe. We were all rather amazed by his keenness. In the evening we had a "Gibson Curry"; probably well known to all self-catering school holidays as are the results!

On Thursday we had another uneventful wet run on the beach, followed by an afternoon trip to Caernarvon. We returned home on Friday, tired, stiff and put off running for the rest of the season, after the 5th successful cross country trip to North Wales.