Young ones have a taste for outdoors

Young ones have a taste for outdoors

2 May 2012

MORE than 250 young people from across Northern Ireland took part in the inaugural Mourne Mountain Adventure challenge on Saturday.

Forty teams including groups from Newcastle, Ardglass, Portaferry and Ballynahinch competed in a series of challenges including an eight-mile trek through the Mournes and travel via rigid inflatable boats from Dundrum Bay to Ballykinler beach, while completing command tasks designed to test decision making, leadership and teamwork.

The event was organised by a number of organisations including Newry and Mourne and Down Councils, the Fire and Rescue Service, the Coastguard, the National Trust, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Civil Defence and the Ministry of Defence.

The teams started out from Tollymore Forest Park and navigated their way through a series of checkpoints within the park and along the Brandy Pad into the Mournes.

After this eight-mile trek, they arrived in Dundrum Bay for the second phase of the challenge, jetting off in rigid inflatable boats across the bay to Ballykinler beach for the third phase, a final set of command tasks conducted by the army.

The day ended with a well-deserved warm shower, hot meal and an awards presentation for all participants in Ballykinler Training Centre.

Event co-ordinator, Huw Morgan, from 38 Irish Brigade, said the event had been an “unqualified success.”

“The young men and women who completed the hike through the mountains, the RIB crossing and all the different challenges at Ballykinler can be really proud of themselves,” he said.

“The teams worked really hard and it was a pleasure to see so many tired, but smiling, faces at the end of the event.

“We were very fortunate with the weather as it remained dry and clear throughout the day.  However, the strong easterly wind made the sea conditions too rough for the crossing of Dundrum Bay by all the groups.

“We still managed to get all teams across to Ballykinler by using the pier at Dundrum and this made for a shorter, smoother crossing.”

Sixteen year-old Jenna Finnegan, who was team leader for a group from Ardglass, said her team enjoyed the experience.

“It was pretty tough but we feel like we’ve accomplished something,” he said.

“I’d never done anything like this before so it was a brilliant opportunity to make the most of the Mournes, which are right on my doorstep really.”

Alan Rodger, from sponsor company Carillion, said they were pleased with the unique cross community event, while Down Council chairman, councillor Dermot Curran, said the council was delighted to work with such a wide range of organisations to organise the new event for the Mournes.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to encourage our youth to explore and enjoy their natural surroundings as well as keeping the Mournes at the heart of our tourism destination,” he said.