“My survival experiences”
My dad belongs to PTTK- Polish Touring Association. He often takes me on orientation walks. In June 2012 we were on competition in Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska for four days, on camping.
It was the first time in my life when I was sleeping in the tent! We were in the forest, but I wasn’t scared. There were a lot of people, because it was XXI Polish Championships in Orientation Walks.
I think we had about eight stages of walks. On June the 7th, after we had arrived and had a break, at 22:00 we took part in the night walk in the forest. We were walking in dark forest and scored points on our maps. Of course I was with my dad and his friend from PTTK, I wouldn’t take part alone! Our route was very difficult… We were walking through the bushes, trees, spiderwebs, bristles, puddles, wetlands… At about 1 or 2 am we were back to the base.
Conditions were quite straitend… there were four showers and six toilets for all the people in the wood…
Next day at 7 o’clock we took part in next stage. This one wasn’t easier, on the last few meters, when we were runnig to the finish line i had some problems with breathing- I don’t have asthma, but I have my own ihaler for some reasons.
Like I said, we had a lot of long stages, but some of them weren’t so hard. Not every walk was “survival”. For example next day we started a short route with pictograms. It wasn’t so exhaustive… the thing about this stage was that we had to think more than sooner. Honestly, my dad and his friend did more than I, I had no idea what’s going on with all this symbols and signs… I still don’t know the meaning of the pictograms.
I think the last night stage was the hardest thing about this championships. I like orientations walks and runs, but I was so exhausted… These days my condition is way better, but a year ago I didn’t like to move so much. My legs hurt, I had muscle sores and I hated all these spiders and bugs in my hair and in my clothes, I couldn’t manage all these hills, heights and shrubs.
Next day we went back to Warsaw.
These days I’m different and I would like to take part in next championships. I started doing sports and I really enjoy it. I also think that now I wouldn’t panic if I swallowed a small spider 🙂
Ewelina Walczyna
Klasa 3c
Gimnazjum nr 15 w Warszawie