Delphi Transition Year Report
On Monday the 26th of September, transition year travelled to Delphi Adventure Centre by two trains and a bus.
On arrival we were given our first activity which was coasteering. For coasteering our group got into wet suits and took a mini bus to the beach. At the beach we were given helmets and life jackets. The instructors explained how to safely perform jumps into the water and how to avoid rocks while swimming. We then walked around the coast and swam with the current from different points. Then came the point we were all dreading, jumping off the cliffs. Eventually when everyone had jumped in, we swam through a dark cave but not without a lot of kicking and screaming!
That evening we went on an adventure walk full of wet muck and even more screaming. The walk wasn’t full of smiles, as many people complained about their shoes. One girl was even asking for compensation for her new shoes. When we returned we were given mouth watering, crispy waffles. After a long and tiring day we went to our rooms to go to sleep… not before cleaning our dirty shoes.
On Tuesday morning we woke up ready for the fun and adventurous day ahead. Our first activity was surfing. We were given our wet suits and took a bus to the beach. On the beach we were shown the correct way to catch a wave. We practiced what we would have to do and ran excitedly into the cold and icy water. The waves were enormous and extremely hard to catch, only a few people got the hang of it. Everyone loved the experience and did not want to leave.
After lunch we got harnessed up and went to the high ropes. This was very challenging for a lot of people as they had a fear of heights. We had the option of doing the “Leap of Faith” or the “Tight Rope”. For people who were unable to face their fears, there was a less daunting option which was the dark tunnels. Everyone enjoyed this activity whether they faced their fears or not.
For our last evening activity we had a campfire. Our instructors lead us to a place off track in the forest. There we lit a fire using Vaseline, cotton wool and a flint. Everyone sang songs and some played guitar. It was a very good opportunity to bond with our classmates. When we returned to the centre we were given cookies and milk. Then it was off to bed to rest for our journey home.
Our last day sadly came and everyone was packed up ready to go. Before we left we had one last activity, the boulder wall. This was also very daunting for anyone with a fear of heights. On the day it had been raining heavily and the rocks were very slippy, this added to the difficulty of the climb. Despite the horrible conditions many were able to conquer their fears and make their way up the wall.
We returned to the centre after the last activity and a bus came to collect us and bring us to the train station. From Westport the train brought us straight to Monasterevin. Our parents were waiting for us at the train station, we were all exhausted and had an amazing time on our transition year bonding trip.