Edinburgh Training Camp

At the beginning of half term, a group of 24 Upper Boats set out to Scotland to complete a training camp kindly hosted by Edinburgh University. Unlike a typical training camp, this was based almost entirely on indoor exercise. This entailed testing and endurance work on the rowing machine as well as weights training, all using Edinburgh’s fantastic facilities. It was a great opportunity to get fitter and stronger, but also to developing the squad-depth which is a key characteristic to ECBC. Aside from all the training, the squad was fortunate enough to go on a tour of the university and attend an admissions lecture which included a talk from the head coach of EUBC. This talk gave the squad a fantastic insight about life and rowing at Edinburgh, but also university in general. Despite all this, the main excitement of the camp still lay ahead: a day-long hike in the Pentland Hills. This expedition was definitely a step outside the comfort zone for many members of the squad, who weren’t accustomed to long walks or the steep Scottish terrain. Despite the challenges though, the group worked nicely as a team to complete the hike, all the while keeping morale high despite the Pentland weather. Other than a brief lunchbreak the walking was more or less continuous with RGE setting a relentless pace. Just before we left, the squad completed two final sessions on the rowing machines and in the gym before heading, thoroughly exhausted, back to England. The team came away from the camp a far closer unit than it arrived, having endured hours of tough training together. Thank you to MPFH, GRP, RGE, and Mr Cross for running such a successful trip!