Green Corridor Hike, 23rd August 2014

Written by Jessica Koong, Assistant Sixer & Scribe

Everyone assembled at the foyer at 7am sharp. It was our 2^nd hike of the year. We were all very thrilled!

Claudia and Daniel called for Indian File and took attendance. Everybody was present, save some who were either sick or busy. Chil briefed us on the safety precautions as the path would be very muddy. Also, he roughly explained the route to us - from Bukit Merah to Greenleaf and then back to school. Before we knew it, we filled two big buses and set off to the starting point of our little adventure!

Upon reaching our destination, we lined up in a single file according to our sixes, from Bilby to Wombat 2. Along the way, we would change positions, so that each six had a chance to lead.

At the starting point at Bukit Merah, we were greeted “warmly” by an extremely muddy path. Many of us were horrified. How were we going to get through? Nevertheless, we believed in ourselves and braced ourselves for the worst.

Every step I took, I could feel the mud below me sinking slowly, just like quicksand but a little slower. My foot got stuck in the gooey mud several times and it was really fun trying to get my foot out! Unfortunately, some of the boys fell into the mud. Eeewwee! I felt sorry for them. Imagine the mud all over you! The adult leaders helped the “victims of the mud” clean up by giving them wet tissue wipes.

There were even tadpoles in some of the puddles! I wonder how they can survive in there! After about 4 kilometers, we reached our resting point where we could consume the snacks or food we brought. We rested for about 20 minutes before continuing our trail.

After our break, we met a dog named Butch. It had a beautiful white coat. It was with its owner and they were taking the same path as us! What a coincidence! We also passed through a dark tunnel where there were many rocks and pebbles. It was really hard to walk and maintain our balance. It was really slippery! Some of us whipped out our torches and used the light to guide us through. We stayed together, not wanting anyone to slip.

The rest of the hike was not as muddy as the first half. We then had a second break and ate up the rest of our food! We were famished and gobbled down the food like we had not eaten for the past day. We were only 10 minutes away from school, so we persevered although our legs were aching. While crossing the main road, Chil warned us to be careful and to walk briskly as the whole pack might not get across the road at one go.

During the final stretch, we sprinted all the way back, relieved to reach school safe and sound. When Chil announced that we had walked or as you may call it, hiked, 10.88 kilometers, we were taken aback! All the adults gave resounding applause! I could tell everyone, adults and cub scouts, was proud as it had been our longest hike ever! Well done, everyone!