Naas & Co. Kildare News

Naas Scouts finish 100 km cross country trek

Shane Nolan and Killian ONeill receive their certs. Photo: Moira Reilly.

Imagine at 17 years old being left in an unknown place and having to travel 100 kms on foot over 5 days with just €5 and whatever you can carry on your back.

Four teams representing Naas Scouts participated in a venture scout challenge last month. They were Shane Logan, Cillian O’Neill, Adam McAuliffe, Cameron O’Byrne, Ross Maher, Daniel Herley, Cathal Cocoman and Conor Begley. They were dropped off in places like Killybegs, Ardara, Kilcar and Blacklion - in Donegal and Cavan. The final destination for all of the group was Glencar Lake in Sligo. They were dropped off in teams of two and each night had to knock on a person’s hose and ask if they could pitch their tens in the front garden. No lifts were allowed, they had to walk every step. Each team was given budget money, a mobile phone, base camp location and maps. They then had to work out a plan to get themselves to the base camp while completing a number of projects along the way.

“People were curious and wanted to know what we were doing,” said Shane Logan. On arrival at base camp they were assessed to ascertain that they covered all the criteria. “Throughout our adventure the spirit of the local people and their hospitality propelled us forward to our destination,” said Cameron O’Byrne.