Once Team 11 had finished their induction week and got to know each other, their teamwork skills were put to the test on a 4-day residential in Dartmoor, led by team leaders Sam and Andy.
On day one, the team arrived at the Pengelly Centre to check out their accommodation for the trip and meet outdoor instructor Gary. The team then got to work by taking part in the ‘Pengelly challenge’ which involved solving cryptic clues, an innovation task and finishing with a group treasure hunt. Later in the evening, the team took part in the ‘glow stick challenge’ which saw team member Callum ultimately take the prize for his team by locating the glow stick amidst the trees without being detected.
Day two, the team were pushed to face their fears by learning to abseil and rock climb. With many team members feeling uneasy with heights, the team rallied together to support one another and cheer everyone on. Later in the afternoon, the team got the opportunity to go caving and split into two teams to explore different parts of the cave.
On day three, the team put all their newly learnt skills to the test by completing a 5 mile hike whilst tackling many obstacles on the way. They crossed over a river using a zip wire, created a contraption to rescue their next clue from a pit and one of the team captains for the day, Luke, braved a blindfolded rock climb to retrieve clues for his team.
The final day was spent gorge walking and the team worked together to help everyone get upstream. Noticing that some members of the group found the gorge walk challenging, the team decided to work together and create a human chain to help pass team members up the stream by using their team mates to stabilise them.
A great week was had by all and we would like to give a special thanks to Gary, Simon and Charlie from the Pengelly centre, and Jenna and Gemma, our Prince’s Trust volunteers.