P&P Scouts and Petworth Division Guides have just finished the triumphant return of the Halloween Hike. The hike has been running since 1995 and is a night hike for Scouts, Guides, Explorer Scouts and Ranger Guides. The hike route is usually 5-6.5 miles long and there are checkpoints along the way where the teams complete activities to try and win one of the event trophies. The route this year was a circuit from Billingshurst to Wisborough Green and back and the activities included cooking, brainteasers, archery and shelter building plus trying to fill a bucket from the canal (it took a while for them to realise the bucket had holes in it!)
A new format for 2021 started the younger teams walking during the daytime and finishing in the dark while the older teams competed in full dark. We had a total of 20 teams taking part (over 100 young people) supported by over 35 adult volunteers. This was our first big post-covid event and thank you to everyone (especially the young people who came back muddy and smiling!)
We would also like to say a special thank you to Bellman’s Auctioneers for letting us use their car park and to the Wey & Arun Canal Trust for gaining us permission to place a checkpoint near the canal.
If you would like to know more about getting involved please email info@pandpscouts.org.uk
Here are the full results:
Points earned on checkpoints in italics
Class 1
Walking with a leader – mostly in daylight
1 Pulborough B (89)
2 Ifold (87)
3 Arun Alpacas (80)
4 S&S Cherokee B (74)
5 Plaistow Prancers (69)
6 Billingshurst Fireballs (69)
7 S&S Cherokee A (66)
Class 2
Walking unaccompanied, starting in daylight and finishing in the dark
1 Billingshurst Cookie Monsters (80)
2 Fittleworth (80) Missed Checkpoint
3 Billingshurst Hedgehogs (76)
4 Downlands B (74)
5 Billingshurst Jungle Cats (73)
6 Midhurst B (48)
7 Easebourne (18) DNF
Class 3
Walking unaccompanied in full dark
1 Downlands A (103)
2 Silver Stags (102)
3 Arun Antelopes (90)
4 Pulborough A (81)
5 Phoenix Omega (78)
6 Midhurst A (73)
Here are the results of the time trials:
Only time spent walking is counted, all checkpoint time is deducted. Classes 2& 3 only
1 Downlands A
2 Fittleworth
3 Phoenix Omega
4 Billingshurst Jungle Cats
5 Silver Stags
6 Arun Antelopes
7 Pulborough A
8 Midhurst A
9 Downlands B
10 Billingshurst Hedgehogs
11 Billingshurst Cookie Monsters
Additional Hike Report from Adam, Billingshurst Scouts
On the Halloween Hike we first did a kit check and then we had some grid references and we had to plot them onto a map of Billingshurst. Once we had done that me and my fellow hikers set off on our trek around and about Billingshurst. Along the hike there were 6 different checkpoints which we had to do different activities which included cooking a meal which we had already prepared and had in our bags. Other activities included archery, shelter building, stacking dice with chopsticks and solving tricky puzzles on the spot.
On the hike we encountered lots of mud, darkness and losing our sense of direction as our team came adrift of the hike route twice. Whilst losing track of where we were going, on the second time this happened we met up with another team and at the next checkpoint we saw another scout team. The hike was about 6 and a half miles in total yet it took us roughly 8 hours, this was because of the checkpoints taking up more time.