Adventure Activity: When your legs don't work like they used to before...

While I was a student in Tullamore College we always went on our hikes in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, located in Laois and Offaly. I completed both my Bronze and my Silver Gaisce hikes in these mountains. To come full circle, I wanted to complete my final Gaisce hike in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, by doing the whole of the "Slieve Bloom Way".

This particular route is approx. 84 km according to Discover Ireland

If you are thinking of completing this trail yourself, please note that there are a few different versions of the Slieve Bloom Way, and as the Irish Trails website indicates, it is important to have the most recent maps to hand.

Day 1: "I don't just want to be alive, I want to live"
One of my best friends (and obviously the craziest for agreeing to come with me on this hike) just recently came back from an adventure in Australia, so it was the perfect chance to catch up. When you're stuck up in the mountains, with the prospect of 4 days straight of hiking ahead, conversation rapidly gets past the "lovely weather" stage, and straight into something more meaningful. So as we followed the winding trails, the boardwalk over the boggy areas, navigated the marshy ground, we inhaled the lovely fresh air, soaked in the sun and gobbled some blackberries, all while talking about the past, the present and the future.



Day 2: "What number deer is that?"
This was the longest day by far - we were out walking 9 hours. Despite the long day walking, however, we only saw 2 other hikers, but 14 deer. It was a very misty day, and some parts of the trail were hard to see. We came across wild blueberries and lots of funky mushrooms. A significant part of day 2 was spent walking on the road too, so if you are planning on doing the Slieve Bloom Way, make sure to have a hi-visibility jacket with you. When we finally made it into Kinnitty our legs were barely functioning.

Some photographs I took of the wildlife we encountered

Day 3: "When your legs don't work like they used to before"

In relation to accommodation, the highlight was definitely staying at Giltraps in Kinnitty - a self-catering glamping place with lovely cabins. Thankfully we had a good rest so we were ready for day 3.

We had to climb over a good few stiles, and my legs were so stiff from the previous two days. Our favourite part that day was just outside of Cadamstown - where if you are interested, you can do a short looped walk in that area. It was lovely, beside the river, well-marked and an interesting walk. The end of day 3 was quite tough, and the blisters were really starting to kick in. I was flagging at some stages of Day 3, so Anne Marie started playing some songs on her phone for some added motivation. When Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" came on with its opening lyrics When your legs don't work like they used to before, I think no song could have described our current predicament so accurately.

Day 4: "Why is it that the phrase 'It's all downhill from here' means things taking a turn for the worst? Downhill is great!"

While this day started with a slow, gradual incline, generally the second half of the walk was either flat or downhill.

We got lost a few times, which is where the View Ranger app came in. Sometimes it was a case of taking a wrong turn by accident, or sometimes the way-marked posts had become a bit overgrown. This did mean adding in a few extra kilometres and wasting a bit of time walking in the wrong direction, but we were never lost for long thanks to the App.

Very near the end, we could see our destination, but we were on the wrong side of the river, so we did end up going for a quick dip in the River Barrow to get to the other side, as the track on our own side was running out.

The Gold Gaisce hike really is a test of endurance, determination and resilience. Suddenly all of those cliché motivational phrases start to come to mind, and you're telling yourself that every step forward is a step closer to your goal, just keep going, you can do this... and in the end, it does all pay off. It felt like such a great achievement at the end.

Residential Activity: Language Course in Austria

As part of my qualifications for the Teaching Council, I needed to complete one week of a residential experience in a German-speaking country, which could either be studying at a university, work or a language course. I knew I would learn the most if I undertook a language course. I set about researching different language courses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but was unsure about where to go. It was only after doing a cultural class about Vienna with my Transition Year German class, that I realised I really wanted to go there.

I had been to Vienna once before when I was very young, meaning I remember very little of my experience there, so I really wanted to go back to experience (and hopefully remember!) it again. There are so many language courses available, but after looking at the helpful reviews online, I decided on Actilingua. For more information here is their website: https://www.actilingua.com/

As part of the residential activity for the Gaisce, I also requested to stay with a host family, and I am so glad that I did. My host was an 82-year-old local from Vienna, who is so enthusiastic about her home, culture and infinitely more sociable than I will ever be.

On the first evening I arrived, she brought me to a concert at the Rathaus, or city hall, with her grandson too. We sat out under the stars to watch a projection of a Beethoven concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein in the 60s.

The following day was the first day of my course. I had already completed a written placement test online before arriving, but on the first morning of the course you also have to complete a short oral test. Following this, I was placed in the C1 class, which took place every day from 2.15-5.30. The classes were excellent, and really suitable to the level of everyone in the group. I really appreciated how difficult it must be to teach on such a summer course, because no two students in my group had the same mother tongue, meaning that everyone had had very different experiences of learning German.

While I wasn't in class, I probably spent most of my time eating (on my return, my grandmother said "you've got stout", so maybe I overdid it on the Wienerschnitzel), and walking around the different parts of Vienna. In the mornings, I had great discussions with my host, about everything from her experiences of the Berlin Wall, to Austrian and German politics, history, religion and education.

The course itself was brilliant, and I loved getting to experience Vienna again, but what really made the trip so special was the residential aspect, which gave me such an immersive experience, enabling me to learn about the culture and history from someone who had actually experienced it all.

Killing 2 Birds with 1 Stone: Teaching Council Requirements & Residential Activity

If you are already familiar with the Bronze or Silver stages of Gaisce, you will know that they both involve: doing a skill, a physical activity, some community involvement and an adventure activity. Where the Gold Gaisce differs from Bronze and Silver (aside from the length of time involved) is the additional "Residential Activity".

What is it?
The Residential Activity must be undertaken over 5 days and 4 nights in a place where the President Award Candidate is staying with mostly unfamiliar people while completing an activity. This can involve going on a Yoga retreat, going to the Gaeltacht for a course, or going to volunteer at a summer camp, such as Barretstown. It cannot be an activity where you get paid, and - as the title suggests - you must be staying with people on your course/ with a host family/ with other volunteers.

https://pixabay.com/en/beds-youth-hostel-bunk-beds-sleep-182965/ 

Organising the Residential Activity
The residential activity is one of the harder activities to get organised. While a lot of people opt for going to Barretstown, this cannot actually be completed in one go, as the camp does not last for 5 days straight. Likewise, yoga retreats often only last 2-3 days (and can be quite expensive!). Other activities which may occur to you sometimes do not completely fill the criteria. For more information, see the Gaisce website: http://www.gaisce.ie/residential-project/

Killing two birds with the one stone
I am currently half-way through my training to become a second-level teacher in Ireland, and it was only when applying for membership of the Teaching Council, that I found out that it is necessary to have spent a minimum of 2 months in the country of the language that you are teaching. As a teacher of two languages, this meant I needed to have spent 2 months in France, and 2 months in a German-speaking country. BUT. Holidays do not count. Having completed my Erasmus year in France, I was sorted in relation to French, as I had studied at university there. For German, however, I only have 7 of the 8 required weeks complete. I completed one school exchange to Sandhausen, and 2 three-week language courses in Berlin and Passau, so I only have one week left to complete.

Stefan's Cathedral in Vienna
https://pixabay.com/en/vienna-church-st-stephan-s-cathedral-1567865/ 

For this reason, I decided I might as well combine my requirements for the Teaching Council with the Residential Activity for the Gold President's Award, and booked a week-long language course in Vienna. In preparation for this, I had to take the "Einstüfungstest" or placement test online, so that they will place me at the appropriate level. In order to fulfil the "residential activity" element, I have chosen to stay with a host family for the week. In advance of my arrival, I have been sent information about my host- she is retired, born in 1936, and her interests include reading and culture.

I am looking forward to getting to know Vienna, speaking some German and also picking up some resources for my classes :D