Written by Mfundo Jiyane, SSA Youth Influencer Gauteng

Earlier this year the Gauteng Region started 2022 with adventure, fun, and camaraderie! Due to the Covid pandemic the well-known and well-loved Cederberg Senior Scout Adventure could not take place. In a bid to offer Gauteng Scouts the opportunity to experience such an adventure the Senior Scouts Adventure Magaliesberg (SSAM) was established. The event was open to all senior Scouts aged 14.5 years and older and took place from 5 to 9 January 2022 in the Magaliesberg area (Hartebeespoort dam and Magaliesberg). Scouts, Rovers and adult volunteers hiked from base to base, including a water base, rock climbing and more!

We chatted with a few Scouts who attended SSAM and their excitement was unanimous!  “My name is Kyle Bevan from the 1st Eagles Scout Group.  I heard about the event on Instagram and I knew that I wanted to be part of it. I missed out on the last two Cederberg Adventures when they were cancelled and so all I wanted was to take on a challenge of a lifetime,” he says. “We were put up in Patrols of 10 and I have to say that the event was really good, exciting, and fun! The hiking was challenging mentally and physically. But the most challenging activity for me was rock climbing, as it was difficult physically. I enjoyed the adrenaline rush during rock climbing and I realised it was something that you can’t necessarily do often without proper training and instructors! I can say the Senior Scout event was a very nice way to end my Scouting journey, as it consisted of a lot of physically challenging hiking between bases and a lot of fun activities in between that would not be seen on a normal hike. It was also nice to meet and bond with other Patrols and Scouts from different Troops. If given a chance I would love to participate in such events in the future or help out in any way possible. I can say that SSAM met my expectations, challenged me and I believe it was fit for all senior Scouts,” concludes Kyle with a smile.

“I thank my Troop Scouter for letting me know about the Senior Scout Adventure Magaliesburg,” states Siyamthanda Tunzi, a Scout with the 1st Phumula Gardens Scout Group. “For me, the event was super exciting and scary at the same time as I was doing some of the activities for the first time, like abseiling. I was in a Patrol of 10 with Scouts from different Troops which was exciting. My most challenging activity was rock climbing as sometimes you wouldn’t find any foot holes. I also enjoyed abseiling as it was my first time doing it and it helped me to overcome my fear of heights! The overall event for me was fun, thrilling, and tiring and it tested my mental strength as well as my patience. It has helped me to grow mentally and physically as most of the activities we did were not activities I was exposed to before. Given a chance, I would like to participate in such events in the future again and make the most fun of it. When signing up to SSAM I hoped to learn new things and grow as a Scout, and I did just that!  It has also helped me to overcome my fears and boost my confidence as we were interacting with other Patrols and Scouts from other Troops. I gained self-confidence, and I’m proud to say I got more knowledge about Scouting.”

Lewis Zitha from the Maru Scout Group agrees with his fellow Scouts! “For me, the event was extremely good and a very wonderful experience! The view of nature was beautiful,” he says. “The most challenging activity has to be the first hike as it was very long and required a lot of fitness. I enjoyed mostly rock climbing and abseiling, these two required physical strength, flexibility, problem-solving, and self-trust. The SSAM improved my Scouting journey in a positive way and helped me gain self-trust as well as to improve my adventurous skills. I think such camps should be made more often as they help one build friendships and we can learn different skills from other Scouts. There is absolutely nothing I would take away from the event as everything was smooth sailing. Some activities were on my bucket list and it was a wish come true when I came across them,” he adds with a grin.