21.5 Miles of Adventure: Maltby Scouts Conquer Expedition Challenge – February 2025

The spirit of adventure was alive and well as our intrepid older Scouts embarked on their Expedition Challenge! Setting off from Maltby, they tackled a demanding 21.5-mile hike, winding their way (with a few detours, as you’ll soon discover!) towards Rotherham. This wasn’t just a walk; it was a test of teamwork, navigation, and resilience. One of the key requirements for achieving their Expedition Challenge Award is for the Scouts to document their journey. So, grab a cuppa and settle in for a hilarious and insightful account, straight from the Scouts themselves:

Day 1

At the start of the expedition, we planned out the initial mapping points with Hagrid. All of us had the kit we needed for the expedition.

On the day we started at the Edward Dunn where Dobby gave us all kazoos which were made very loud by the boys. As we said goodbye to our parents Jack took lead of the map, which took an unexpected turn (as we nearly got lost in Maltby!).

Very soon the girls took over with the map as Jack couldn’t be trusted. Dobby met us at St Bartholomew’s Church and walked up that big hill leading us to Hooton Levitt and then to Carr.

Walking through a big field at Thurcroft where Melissa got stuck in a bramble and Boson saved her and it ended up smashing Bosun in the face. At this point Adam took control of the map.

Adam led us to the Scouts Headquarters where we had lunch. We caught Bosun relocating a toaster [for Broxholme!]. After lunch Charlie was forced to have the map thanks to Hagrid, before we even started walking again Charlie was confused on how to read the map.

Fun Fact, everyone got sugar rush due to Olivia bringing an entire bag of blue lollies (which made nothing serious as the fact the leaders were laughing at the scouts having blue lips and tongues!).

When we finally got walking again, we took a massive detour which added extra miles because we were early, and the coordinates hadn’t been marked properly thanks to the leaders.

On this expedition Bosun made a lot of mistakes another one of these was making a wrong turn which led us through a farmer’s field when we had to get directions from a dude walking a dog, we thanked the dude as he told us to be careful as the hill we went down was slippery. We were mud-skating!!! 😉

Next, we walked past loads of horses which were very still leading to a lake after we passed this lake Olivia brought up the conversation of jumping into one. After this we had a 5-minute break as this was a Dobby checkpoint we continued to walk towards Rotherham.

We were now walking into Canklow woods where we had yet another break at this point, we were approaching 20 minutes left of walking when we took another detour to Boston Castle where we could see Meadowhell (Meadowhall) in the distance.

We were now told we had a 10-minute walk down the road to our location. We arrive at the location, and we had at least 20 minutes “to settle and make our beds” before we made tea.

But the boys decided they were making it, and the girls (and Jack) were making breakfast. As the boys were cooking spaghetti and meatballs, Melissa came down and started arguing with Bosun about why you should wear shoes outside if you accidentally get glass in your foot and how he doesn’t want to do paperwork.

Day 2

On day 2 we woke up to the sound of bagpipes at half past 7 and Baloo playing the bugle. The girls and jack cooked breakfast as Bosun was taking pictures of the burnt to more than a crisp breakfast.

We packed and the boys washed the pots. At about 10 we set off and Frankie had the map. As we started walking it started to spit so we stopped so Jack could put plasters on his foot and get our waterproofs on.

Bosun’s hat kept flying away so he gave it to the scouts and put a grandad cap on that was soon stolen by Jack. After that we ended up walking through a park into the woods where we had 2 paths one went around, and one went up a really steep hill.

Frankie, after getting attacked by Baloo chose the steep hill and all you could hear was the scouts sighing. After the big hill we crossed a road to walk over a really muddy field wear we met Dobby, and most people had to stop to put on plasters and all the leaders started passing out snickers and eating them this is when Jack started throwing chocolate bars because everyone was asking for one.

When we started walking again we walked back the way we came when we came to the top of a hill that had a drop that was straight down as it had been eroded away, as we go down the hill we find a rope and Captain grabs the rope and starts swinging then we carry on through a really muddy area where Jacob nearly lost his shoe in the mud.

After this, we stopped at a stream where all the leaders washed their boots and then we carried on walking through the woods uphill. We stopped just before a hill as we were waiting for Baloo, who kept mentioning Harry the Happy Hippo (which made no sense.)

After climbing the hill, we were meant to meet Dobby in a car park but she wasn’t there so Tom decided that we would knock on his mum’s door, we saw Dobby and carried on walking towards Tom’s mum. When we get there, we take a selfie in front of her house then we carry on towards Wickersley bridge and walked past Wickersley School around Morrisons and take a final picture and we all quickly disperse into cars.

What we enjoyed?

• Sleeping
• Cooking
• Kazoos
• Sausages
• Making fun of leaders
• Blue lollies
• Walking

What did we dislike?

• Meatballs
• Eggs
• Breakfast
• Baloo waking us up

What would we do differently?

• Cook for ourselves
• Bring games
• Not let the boys choose a film
• Not get lost in Maltby 🙂
• Don’t give anyone kazoos
• Pack more snacks

Reflections and Lessons Learned

What a whirlwind of an expedition! Reading their report, it’s clear our Scouts faced challenges, embraced the unexpected, and created memories that will last a lifetime. From navigating (or misnavigating!) through fields and woods to the culinary adventures (and misadventures!), this journey was a true learning experience.

The ‘What we enjoyed?’ and ‘What we disliked?’ sections offer a brilliant snapshot of their priorities. It’s fantastic to see the simple pleasures like sleeping, cooking (mostly!), and the camaraderie of making fun of the leaders ranking so highly. And, of course, the infamous blue lollies!

Their ‘What would we do differently?’ section demonstrates a valuable ability to reflect and learn. It’s great to see them taking ownership of their experience and thinking about how they can improve future expeditions. The emphasis on teamwork, planning, and bringing more snacks is spot on!

As leaders, we’re incredibly proud of their determination and resilience. They’ve not only completed a challenging hike but have also gained valuable skills in navigation, teamwork, and self-reliance. The Expedition Challenge Award is about more than just walking; it’s about developing the character and confidence to take on new challenges.

Thank you to all the Scouts for their fantastic report and to the leaders, ‘Hagrid’, ‘Dobby’, ‘Baloo’, ‘Captain’, Jonah and all the others mentioned, for their dedication and support. Here’s to many more adventures!