Maidstone Survival - 15-17 Feb 2008

Over the weekend of 15-17th February, some 26 teams of Explorer Scouts entered perhaps the hardest and most gruelling competition of the Explorer Scouting calendar The Maidstone Districts’ Winter Survival.

Teams were not aware of the location of the start until 5:00pm on Friday night and set out from Hamlet Wood in Maidstone between around 6 and 8 pm. They worked their way around a challenging route being given 1 checkpoint grid reference at a time eventually arriving at the night stop (Tovil Scout HQ) about 8 miles and several hours later.

And so to settle down for the night in the woods in their survival bag (basically an orange plastic bin liner!) for a few hours before being pushed back into the sub zero temperatures to walk another 35 miles or so to Harrietsham School. Only those with the highest degree of determination and team work would complete the course.

Just 3 teams completed the full course and congratulations go to all of them with the ultimate winners (Raptor ESU) completing the route with less walking time than any other team.

Congratulations to everyone that took part.