I totally forgot to blog about my validation walk last Wednesday. As readers may know, I have been qualified as a Basic Expedition Leader since 2006, and am required by my council to be validated each year to check that my navigation skills and fitness are up to date. For various reasons I missed the recent validation days and arranged with Max that I could do mine on a Leaders' Walk that he had arranged for a group last week. However instead of doing it himself, he arranged that the validation would be done by another outdoors leader. I was rather dismayed because this particular leader has a rather serious style that makes me feel nervous and reduces me to a babbling fool. I hoped that he might observe me while we all walked together, but oh no - "Susan, you're coming with me!" he said relentlessly. Separated from the group like an impala being singled out by a lion in the Serengeti, I had nowhere to hide. I felt under pressure as I navigated along, answering questions about the route and using map and compass to pinpoint exactly where we were at all times. I managed fairly well although I was a bit rusty on how to take a "back bearing" and promised that I would practise this. The leader asked me to identify a tree and I correctly said that it was a rowan tree. He then asked me what the fruit was called. "Berries?" I hazarded. "No, pastilles," he replied, deadpan. "They are rowan tree fruit - pastilles!*" I was completely thrown by this unexpected display of humour! I'm glad to say that I passed my validation and actually found it to be quite enjoyable. *Rowntree Fruit Pastilles! Ha ha!
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