Tim round the fire

Day 1 - a long drive to Dolgellau from Oxford, the two minibuses stopped en route to do a walk through the hills and snow. Those of us transporting provisions overtook them, unpacked and as we set off to do a short walk - the Torrent Walk - we bumped into them walking towards us. Mark hadn't told them they were walking the last 10 miles. It did mean that Mark and Nick had to run all 10 miles back to collect the minibuses though!

The kids cracked open the cake tins, we built a fire and cooked huge bowls of pasta whilst 17 teenagers tried to decide who would bunk with whom.

The boys presented Mark with the cake - it arrived almost intact, just Mark's (the coach) leg fell off and a few of the blades didn't make it, but it went down very well and the J14 boys quad proudly ate their sugar versions whilst Mark had the dubious please of eating his own dog.

It's beautiful under the snowy mountains but very very cold.