“When We Seek Our Quest, We Will Do Our Best”: Teenager Scouting Camp in Carpathians

So, it’s been the third day since a group of young scouts aged 13 to 16 who volunteered to achieve some basic survival skills and try themselves living in the wild left for Carpathian mountains.

In their backpack lie only bare essentials: a sleeping pad, a sitting pad, a safety bowl and a safety cup, water bottle, utensils, a folding pocket knife, a change of clothes, socks, undergarments and footwear, hygiene products and a raincoat. And, of course, a stock of provision for the whole 6 days: each one is responsible for carrying his own stock of food.

During the short phone conversations with their parents unabashed delight is clearly heard: here we made a camp (on our own!), and made a list of duties, and shared the duty hours, and conquered the Hoverla… By the way, sense of responsibility for both themselves and other members of the group increased dramatically, and there came the perception of them all as a team. For instance, when one of the boys was feeling unwell, two other lads volunteered to quit their conquest of Hoverla too and stay with him in a temporary camp just to support him.

Their parents say that the voices of their kids in rare telephone conversations are tired (for it takes plenty of effort to do the scouting part and at the same time take care of their everyday needs on their own), but happy, and the mothers, while listening to joyful tales of their boys’ adventure, are already trying to figure out how they will wash all that.

On the meanwhile, the scouting camp proceeds, with another three of Carpathian peaks still to be conquered. It bears reminding that the group is escorted by an experienced guide, several camp counselors and a doctor.