The Expedition story
The plan; take 6 boys from
different schemes in Glasgow on expedition and walk for 1½ days heading from
the Glenmore pass car park down the valley towards Loch Buie, then along the
remote coastal path to Carsaig. There we would be picked up by the beautiful Birthe Marie wooden fishing yacht,
skippered by Mark Jardine. From here we would continue our journey by sailing
boat around the Ross of Mull, visit stunning white sandy beaches, climbing
crags and the rocky shore of Ulva. We would finish at Fionnphort pier, just in
time to jump on the coach home. 4 days in total.
The staff running this expedition had all at some
point worked at Camas over the past 30 years, Mark in the 80’s, Neil in the
90’s and Avril in the present day. This really helped when trying to bring the
sense of community that our guests feel at Camas to the expedition experience.
Community is key to the work Camas is trying to do. There is so much that can
be gained from this community approach; building confidence through the
supportive atmosphere it can create.
The group arrived at the starting
point. On a clear day the view down the valley is spectacular, looking over the
3 lochs. I had wanted it to be clear to inspire the 6 lads on their journey.
But it had just started raining and the mist was coming down. Fortunately
spirits were high despite the weather with a mix of excitement and
anticipation. Neil had met with the group previously in Glasgow to go over some
expedition prep; packing, food, appropriate clothing, etc. As a result when
they jumped off the bus we were pretty much ready for the off, just a little bit of
extra kit water proofing was needed.
At this point everyone was raring
to go, but it’s important that everyone sets off with an understanding of the
aims of the expedition. Not just where we are heading but what is expected of
us, our behaviour and attitude to what we are about to do. Are we going to move
forward positively? From the Camas perspective in order to build community we
need to respect ourselves and others around us. On expedition respecting our
equipment is also essential to keep our selves safe, enabling us to complete
the planned journey. So we got into a team huddle set out some group objectives
to help us achieve our aims and then headed off in to the mist.
For most of the team
it was the 1st time carrying an exped rucksack and for some of the
younger lads the walking was quite hard going. The group were split into pairs
(1 older 1 younger) the elder acting as a mentor for his partner. The young
people took their roles seriously, offering support and guidance when needed.
The pace was great with only a few stops for snacks and the occasional refusal
to move which was handled by the team really well. With such a supportive
atmosphere everyone was encouraged to keep going to our 1st camp
site. When we got through the rough terrain and met the smooth path, there was
a sense of elation among the group knowing camp was near. Quote of the day had
to be when one member said “I feel successful”.
For the last 100 metres some of the mentors helped their partners with
their bags.
Getting into camp is when the routine of your day
starts to build. For the next 3 days cooking meals, pitching tents, drying kit,
washing pans all need to happen. One thing we do at Camas is share in common
tasks; this is also true of time on Expedition. On the 1st night 2
of the boys were taught how to pitch a tent, with the knowledge that tomorrow
they would in turn have to teach 2 others how to pitch their tent. While this
was happening 2 cooking teams were formed 2 boys in each working with staff
members. For some of the group this was the 1st time they had ever
cooked. It was a bit wet and a bit midgy so after eating and clearing up people
were swift to get into to tents, knowing that in the morning we still had a
good amount of walking to do before we met up with Mark. 
Journeying makes you think about your resources so
in the morning we supported young people in some more dry kit preservation as
the rain still hadn’t lifted. We were working on a helping you to help yourself
culture. This meant that the young people felt supported and cared for thus
building trust in our mini community. At the same time they are given the
opportunity to take what they have learnt, starting to do things for
themselves, this is where confidence can start to grow. All packed and ready to
go we added the next section of our routine, Reflection. Reflections happen
every morning and evening at Camas and this was also the case on expedition.
Onward with the day, we started to walk. The pace
was great and the thought of the Birthe Marie waiting for us at Carsaig was
keeping morale high. Walking alongside each other gives you the time to chat
and get to know one another. The group were really starting to form. There was
a point on the path where the terrain got rough and hard to pick out. Mentors
were really looking out for their partners here, but at time tiredness and
uneven ground caused some to get disheartened. There is always the time on an
expedition when you realise that it’s really hard but only option is to keep on
going. At this point people show themselves what they are really capable of.
They delve inside themselves and look for the support around them, get up and
move forward. It’s these times when journeying acts as a great metaphor for
one’s personal life journey.
About half way to Carsaig the sky cleared and we
were able to take in the view. However it was still slow going. But everyone
was helping each other, sharing kit, offering support. The sense of achievement
that came we saw the boat and headed down the pier was amazing. Everyone was so
proud of themselves. With a short breather, the logistics of how to get 12
people and kit on to the boat with a small dingy were sorted. Everyone was
excited to be resting their legs and the challenge of the sea and learning a
new skill was to come.
The wind was low, so the sail’s were down. Mark
taught some of the boys how to steer and the others enjoyed the view of the
Carsaig Arches having a well deserved sit down. Everyone was keen to fish but
as sea sickness was apparent among the crew we headed to our 2nd
camp spot (Eilean Dubh). White sands and clear waters, it was beautiful, and
dry which was much appreciated after last night. Kit drying lines set up, our
budding tent experts taught 2 more boys how to pitch with a little support.
Then they joined a cooking team and got that new skill in the bag. Others went
to help with collecting wood for the fire. With onesies on and the fire going
we reflected on how far we had come over the past 2 days. It already seemed
like an epic journey, 2 more days of fun and challenge to come.
The expedition routine was now in
full swing; everyone up in the morning, some people getting breakfast ready and
some packing away tents. It was amazing to see how boys that were needing
support with a lot of things on the 1st day were packed, ready to go
and with a smile on their face. With sometime spent reflecting on what each of
us bring to the group we were ready for the next challenge. This morning we
were having a little break from the boat and going rock climbing just around
the corner from our camp site. Rock climbing up was really challenging for
some, trusting the rope to descend even more so. But, having done it once,
confidence was established and the doubters were up and down the crag like
mountain squirrels. Working together, some great leadership was coming through
and bonds between us becoming stronger.
After lunch we made it back on
the Birthe Marie and gave sailing up the Sound of Iona a bash. The plea for
fishing continued so we stopped for a while and Mark gave us a demo on line
fishing. Before he could explain fully he had a bite and pulled out 3 mackerel.
Unfortunately the rest of us weren’t so lucky. After some time we gave up and
continued on to our final camp site; Ulva. Routine went into
action and tent apprentices learnt the ropes, some a little more keen than
others. A feast was prepared and we enjoyed the catch of th
As we headed for a visit to
Fingals Cave, Staffa appeared out of nowhere from the mist. After a good bit of
awe and wonderment we made our way to the Bull Hole (Just round the corner from
Fionnphort). Safely attached to Mark’s mooring we took a bit of time to look
back over our journey together. A map showing our complete trip was set out in
front of the group. We looked at what we had achieved, these shared experiences
that had happened. In turn we said what had been hard, what we had learnt and
what we would be taking away with us. The honesty that came was incredible. One
of the younger members of the team said previously he had been scared of the
older boys when they have been at home on their scheme, but now they said they
felt more like they have a big brother. At the end each member was given a
limpet shell necklace to keep as a memory of all they had shared together. At
the pier it was hugs and smiles all round, everyone had a look of pride from
their accomplishment. Onesies were donned for a sleepy journey home. They had 6
hours ahead to reflect on the last 4 days and the community they had built and
here taking back.
