Epic Canyoning, Trading Up, and a Thunderstorms
Today’s blog is from the Pink Team, where the group continue to explore the Austrian Alps.
Early Starts & Forgotten Paperwork
The day began before the sun was fully up, accompanied by a classic logistical hiccup.
“We got up at an early 5:30am and ate brioche buns and fruit and we had to leave early for the 7am bus. Graeme forgot the all important wavier forms for the canyoning trip. He had to run back to camp and catch the next bus and met us on the train. There was then a peaceful, quiet train ride ahead, where everyone fell asleep from the early rise.”
Taking the Plunge
Once everyone (and the paperwork) arrived safely, it was time to push some boundaries.
“Our dramatic expedition began 8:45am where we kitted up in wetsuits and helmets before a hair-rising drive over the mountain. On arrival we started by abseiling down from a road bridge into the canyon, then down the canyon scaling down rocks, more abseiling, walking under a freezing waterfall, some via-ferrata sections, and some slides and big jumps into the deep cold water below.
The Art of the Trade
After warming up with a classic lunch of schnitzel and fries, the team headed back to Innsbruck for some free time and impressive negotiation tactics.
“After all of the early stress, we went back to Innsbruck to wander around Innsbruck, where we traded up from 10 cent coin to an A.C. Milan shirt, and traded neckers with a scout group from Dublin.”
Trading up from 10 cents to a football shirt is some impressive trading!
Riding out the Storm
Just as the group returned to camp, the weather decided to turn.
“Then we took a bus back towards the camp. Just when we got back it started to rain and we had to move all of our stuff, again… We had to deal with a major storm with thunder, lightning, and rain for a long time. We shared our shelter with a group of Norwegian scouts and shared music, sang songs and had a Macarena dance off.
We were in the eye of the storm when we made a fire in light rain, cooked sausages and had lots of cake.”
Check back tomorrow to see what Day 6 brings as the adventure continues!
