This year, two adventurous young lads at Kibble are setting their sights high, with ambitions to climb Scotland’s rugged hills and bens.
The idea to discover Scotland’s mountains was borne from a conversation at the dinner table on New Year’s Day. The idea was sparked following two of the children’s adventure, alongside staff, who climbed Ben A’an on Boxing Day. They were so excited on their return that the other children wanted to join in on future adventures too. No time like the present, with the steak pie dishes in the sink and the desserts being finished, team member Hayley checked the weather forecast for Conic Hill the following day and with blue skies promised, the resolutions were in motion.
With the alarm set early to make the most of daylight hours, the enthusiastic group set off for Balmaha to climb the scenic Conic Hill. The walkers were braced for all weathers, with woolly hats, scarves, gloves and waterproofs should the weather take an unexpected turn. There was great excitement as they made their way up the rocky terrain, greeted by fellow walkers wishing them a Happy New Year as they passed. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, they were welcomed by beautiful, bright blue skies to mark the beginning of a brand-new year.
As the group made their way towards the summit, they even stumbled across a herd of friendly cows. One of the children couldn’t quite believe it, excitedly shouting “are they really, real?”. They decided not to get too close though and keep their pace up the hill. After a few stop-offs to rest their legs, they began to see the peak which formed a shape they imagined was like the Grinch’s lair towering over Whoville. Conversations sparked as to whether the Grinch himself may appear once they reached the top, motivating the boys to keep going.
Reaching the Summit
Despite their weary legs, the walkers reached the Summit where they were met with breath-taking views across Loch Lomond and surrounding snow-clad hills. There was also snow on the summit, so the boys enjoyed throwing snowballs and building a snow man. After a quick picnic to recharge and refuel, they made their way back down the hill, and to the warmth of the car.
“I am so proud of the children for setting their intentions and then going for it, without hesitation! What a great way to kick start a new year and we’re excited to look at the map and mark out the year’s adventures, culminating in climbing the Cobbler. When it comes to ambition and determination, the sky is the limit for our boys!”
Hayley Clark, Kibble
Despite the cold weather, the boys were unphased and loved every moment of their day’s adventure. On the car journey home, they spoke of all of the exciting things that they saw and made plans to climb more hills throughout the year, before going camping in the summer and tackling the mighty Cobbler in Arrochar.
After the exertion of the day, the boys were shattered and fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the pillow. We’re sure their dreams were as big as the challenges they aspire to and we can’t wait to hear of their future endeavours discovering Scotland’s majestic mountains.
A huge well done to our young mountaineers!