Wales Camp at Crickhowell & walking in Brecon Beacons
This was a most successful camp in very possible way;
We managed to take all but none of our older scouts; Rebekah, Jack, George, Luke, Josh, Duncan and Jade. We also provided our 3 young leaders Tom, Kirsten and Joseph  with an amended programme. It was also good to find them helping at every turn. We also invited Rosie from a troop which has no advanced adventure programme, and it was great to have her with us.
I received tremendous support from my assistant Rod who loaded and loaded equipment and pitched tents at night in the pouring rain. Explorer scout Orin who came from Dulwich college troop to help us, provided brilliant hill walking and navigation skills that kept us all safe in very difficult conditions. He is also a lovely guy. David Evans had planned 3 high and challenging walks which tested us all to the very limit. The views over the snowy mountains were truly memorable.
The scouts were quite brilliant to a last person; they walked their legs-off with full packs for 2 days, camping on their own and dealing with a real emergency, much credit to PL’s Rebekah and Jack. They were rewarded with an evening at the Llangorst Ropes Centre. They then had 2 days of bitterly cold walking up to 2,000ft in snowy conditions, with the final walk in swirling freezing mist, with snow, mud, rocks and water underfoot for miles draining every drop of our energy, but the wind was the only thing moaning, no-one complained.  Just before we descended, and it as about to get dark, the clouds lifted and we were rewarded with some amazing views around us, like a vast grey and white unpopulated Russian wilderness, quite scary and encouraging us to find a final bit of energy for the last hour coming down. Much credit to young Rosie and Jade and to everyone for wearing the proper kit, for bringing hot flasks etc we all needed it.
 We had laughs a plenty; taking -over the fish and chip shop and even supplying our own bench, Rod taught us a great table game, Tom entertained us with ketchup, we took our own movie theatre and were kindly invited to the Evan’s cottage for a relaxing evening.
 The new South London Mission min-bus was perfect, with the roof-rack put to good use for the first time.
We thank the Capital Community Foundation for their Grassroots funding which bought us the new lighter tents which especially enabled the younger girls and boys to participate and for our big new Base Tent.
We also thank Newcomen Collett foundation for their generous grant and God for watching over us all.
 We came home with a few blisters and sore throats, but parents tell me the stories keep coming-out. Any involving me are totally untrue, of course.
Eddie Langdown  Expedition Leader.
