Striding Edge with the ATC

Working for The Adventure Element today - 19 young cadets from Tower Hamlets on an adventurous learning day.

Well we learnt that if we sit down every 5 minutes it's very hard to attain our goals. It took 3 hours to reach the hole in the wall - and then another 2.5 to get most of the way across Striding Edge. Many of the cadets really pushed themselves to achieve this much - we had tears, laughter (some manic) and saw some great motivational teamwork from the more able - but in the end this was too big an adventure for some - though I hope they all felt a sense of personal achievement to have gotten as far as they did as a team. I helped two cadets hand by hand and step by step - there were moments when they were obviously terrified - but their smiles when they both finally let go of me & stood up tall on the thinnest part of the ridge was the best bit of my day. 
We turned them around before the last climb onto Helvellyn and returned on the lower path, many of them stopping to stare at where they'd just been - a far cry from city centre life.

It's an odd thing; one I've come to expect if not understand - but these long slow days, the standing around, the coaching - they're far more tiring than the hard fast days!