Posted by Andrew Breslin | Posted in Activities, News, Scout News, Scouts, Venture News | Posted on 05-01-2023
There are 3 primary hiking challanges that a scout can undertake.
MPC – Mountain Pursuit Challenge
There are 4 events a year, one in each of the provinces. On completing a province attendees receive a unique diamond shaped badge, when a scout completes all of the provinces all 4 badges form an impressive larger diamond when displayed on their uniform.
Event Dates:
Munster in April
Leinster in May
Ulster in August
Connaught in September.
Sionnach Adventure
On completing the Sionnach challenge scouts receive a unique badge with the image of a Fox (Sionnach) for their uniform.
Event Dates: TBC
Fia Challenge
This challenge is organised on a Scouting county level and on completing the Fia adventure scouts receive a unique badge with the image of a Deer (Fia) for their uniform.
Event Dates: TBC
Challenge Info:
For each of the challenges teams consist of 4 scouts and 1 Leader who remains with the Scouts for the full weekend. They are lightweight wild camping weekends for Scouts between the ages of 13.5 and 15.5 and the events will have many teams participating.
Although the scout team will have a leader with them, the scouts are responsible for their own camp setup, cooking, cleanup and navigation across a preset course. The attending leader/s are responsible for their own setup and cooking.
These events are run over 3 (2.5) days and 2 nights. On the first night (Friday) teams arrive at check-in where their is a gear inspection, it is very important to note that if gear is forgotten a scout or the whole team can be sent home. They then walk to a low camp usually <5km. The following morning (Saturday) teams make their breakfast, break camp and hike with all their gear to the high camp usually <5km.
At high camp, teams again set up their tents, store their gear, get a quick snack and then start navigating the preset route set by the organising team of Scouters/Leaders. These routes are always prechecked prior to any scout teams attempting them and are always very manageable, but scouts will need a decent level of mountain fitness. They are always looped routes, so start and finish at the high camp. When navigation routes are completed scouts cook their evening meal and time is then their own, so they’ll have a great opportunity to meet and mix with scouts from right across their scout county / the 4 provinces.
On the last day (Sunday) before heading back to the pickup point scouts make their breakfast, break camp and do a site cleanup. Subject to weather they’ll also take part in a “Scouts Own”. At this they are asked for their views about how the event was run, the route and what could be changed to improve it in the future and they’ll also receive their badges.
Prior to participating in any of these challenges it’s important that scouts take part in the hiking and navigation training offered so they are fully prepared for what’s involved in these events.
A manual covering all aspects of these type of challenges, what to bring, tents, food types and route cards is available by clicking the following link… MPC Manual