By Bronagh McHugh
Goood Morning Camp IHC!
Good morning Blue Wales and White Switzerland, and Good morning Red and Green team!
Today is a big day here at IHC, as not only is it Day 2 of Olympics but its Alumni Day…
Alumni and Olympics can only mean one thing… Its Rope-burn and Pioneering night!
Rope-Burn and Pio night is a huge IHC tradition, where our evening activity is taken over by the CITs, who compete for their Olympics teams in front of the entire camp, and alumni!
But lets start with the daytime events first:
Day 2 began with lineup and silent breakfast, before it was time for flagpole!
We had a number of announcements this morning, a couple of birthdays and TWO lost teeth on White team. So Kings and Queens and the Lost Tooth song were performed at the highest volume possible!
Then it was time for activities; This day included Volleyball, Soccer, Tennis and Softball for our Blue Team and White team girls.
And Flag Football, Soccer, Pickle-ball, Regatta, Biathlon and Basketball for the Blue and White team boys.
In the evening, our alumni had arrived and joined us for dinner and evening flagpole. They got to watch the teams entrance, as well as their accolades and introductions to their rope-burn and pioneering teams!
After Flagpole, we made our way to Hill Soccer for the big event! The atmosphere was electric, as both the Blue Wales and White Switzerland were chanting at the tops of their lungs, the CITs were having pep talks and the gorgeous sun was setting! It was the perfect backdrop for the exciting evening ahead!
The girls kicked off the night with the Pioneering event, the Blue and White teams compete against each other. The aim is to collect wood to build a fire large enough to rapid boil a pot of water, and then set up a tent. Once complete, the team must use the water to put the fire out, and break the tent back down, only then will the time be stopped.
Tensions were high, as although they got off to a slower start, the Blue team caught up to the white team, who started off at an incredibly quick pace. It was neck and neck, but ultimately it was a White Switzerland win! Woohoo!!
Then it was up to the boys, ready for Rope-burn challenge. Both teams of boys were in the zone, and ready to fight for their teams. The objective is that both the White Switzerland and Blue Wales will build a fire large enough to burn through a rope that is hung horizontally 8 feet above the fire. The first team to burn through the rope wins!
This was a nail-biting watch, as both fires stayed consistently at an equal level for the majority of the game. When White dropped, so did Blue’s! It was thrilling, yet impossible to tell which team had the winning fire! Until, at 15 minuets and 19 seconds, the rope was burnt through, and the winner was …. Blue Wales!!
Congratulations to both teams for another incredible evening at the IHC 2023 Olympics!!
We can’t wait to see what happens next, so make sure to tune in tomorrow!
