Scout leaders from St Albans spent 10 days living and working with scouts from around the world at the 15th World Scout Moot in Iceland.
Liz Walker, 51, attended the moot at the Icelandic National Scout Centre on the banks of Lake Ulfljotsvatnm from Tuesday, July 25 to Wednesday, August 2, along with scouts from 80 different nations. During her stay she tried mountain walking and swimming in a naturally hot spring.
The scouts also visited Vatnajökull National Park, which is home to the largest glacier in Europe. They had a go at climbing Iceland’s highest peaks, walking on glaciers and climbing ice walls.
Liz said: “I take great pride in being part of the team that is supporting our 500 UK participants.
“For these young people this is an experience of a lifetime and I have seen them grow and develop on this trip into caring and organised citizens of the world with the skills they need to make a positive contribution to the future - I am proud of them.”
Another woman from St Albans, Emma Lane, also attended the moot. Before arriving at Lake Ulfljotsvatnm, Emma went hiking and visited Hafnarfjörður Town, the official home of the President of Iceland. She also learned about elves and Vikings and kayaked around the harbour.
Emma said: “I enjoyed my time at the moot as I got to experience different cultures from 97 countries in 10 days. I was in a patrol with participants from Hungary, Australia, Lebanon, Canada, Switzerland the UK.
“At our expedition centre we got to take part in sailing, which I thought I would hate, but in fact I had an amazing time.
“My favourite part of international scouting events is that everyone is there for one reason and that is to create a better world by learning from others.”
The World Scout Moot is a gathering of scouts age 18 to 25. The UK contingent took 500 participants to the moot, with 5,000 attending from around the world.
Scout Ambassador Julia Bradbury said: “The precious time they spent enjoying adventures and learning about different world cultures will make a lasting impression. I’m particularly pleased that they spent time hiking across the spectacular Icelandic landscape.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here