busy busy

Phew what a busy few weeks it has been. I went to Stubbers (web page www.stubbers.co.uk/)yesterday as part of a team building day for my ILM 5 Leadership and Managment course. It was really great fun. The staff were fanastic and everyone who was there had a great time and worked really well together. I was in a team of 7, Lisa, Ali, Sarah, Jessie, Diane, Natasha and me.

This is a picture of the whole of the ILM 5 just after the raft race.

Our first task was to try to cross a pond by using ropes and two logs. It took us a while to figure out what to do with all the available equipment, but we got there in the end and we all managed to get across safely without getting wet. Once on the other side of the pond we all pulled on the rope to get the next person across, so by the last person there were six of us pulling and she went really really fast along the rope across the pond. It was really cool.

The second task was to build a tower out of milk crates, as high as we could with two people standing at the top. It was really great fun. Again it took us a while to figure out the best plan but when we got it set up we really whizzed along. Natasha had a great time at the top. We managed a height of 21 crates, but the next team managed 25. Still we were pleased with our achievement.

We had a very well earned lunch break and then went on to a third task which involved moving along tightrope wires using ropes to help us and getting across from one platform to another. Then we had to balance ourselves on a large seesaw. Then finally we had to get each person in the team through a spider's web made of rope. That required a lot of trust in each other as we had to lift a few people and guide a few people through.

The final task involved all three groups racing to make a raft out of empty barrels and poles and ropes. We were offered an optimal design and went with that. I learnt how to tie a great knot. Just need to practise it otherwise I will forget how to do it. We all finished making the rafts and went into the water at the same time. We had to get to a platform in the middle of the lake and rescue our "damsel in distress" and row like crazy to a buoy, touch it and turn back. We were well in the lead the whole way. It was really exhausting and my arms still ache from rowing so hard, but our team got back first. But the race wasn't over, we had to untie it all and put it all back neatly. It was a great laugh and we finished well ahead of the other two teams. Several people got very wet but I think everyone had a great time. That was the end of the day and we all finished on a high. Fortunately the weather was really good, sunny with some cloud, so it was not too hot or too cold.

WE WON THE RAFT RACE! YAY