Goodness me! It's very difficult to sum up all that has happened during my time at Hobbiton-in-Hogsback. A two-month stay somehow extended to four months and a place I thought I would never learn to love has become more home to me than anywhere I've lived in the past five years.

When I arrived at Hobbiton, my first reaction was to ask Chris and Rocky to take me back to Rocky Road with them. Stuck on a mountain in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of screaming kids just didn't strike me as the way I wanted to spend my time in South Africa. It was July when I arrived with Gemma and it had snowed just the previous week. For the first two weeks, Gemma and I learnt (bloody fast) how to make a fire and proceeded to sit and stare into it every evening for the first week. Getting into bed was a contortionist mission - have you ever tried taking off and putting clothes on simultaneously? Kitted out in thermals from head to toe - it wasn't a pretty sight!

Despite the shaky start, once the children started arriving in earnest, I was relieved to find they were all between the ages of 11-18, so not a screaming kindergarten environment at all. And the work proved to be great fun - basically playing outdoors a lot! You are also very aware of how much of a change you notice in the groups from the day they arrive to the day they leave. At first, they all want to stick with their friends, are all moaning and bitching about something. By the end they are usually significantly more supportive of one another, more open about themselves and really grateful for the opportunities the instructors have given them.

On a typical day, when there is a group in camp, we get to the office at 8.45am for coffee and a cigarette (NB. the cigarettes are not compulsory), then work with the kids starts at 9am - usually with a hike to one of the waterfalls. Then we break for more coffee and cigarettes at 11am after which we will usually do group dynamics or the ropes course. At 1pm we have an hour off for lunch (and coffee and cigarettes) so start again at 2pm with orienteering or abseiling, then break again at 4pm. A lot of groups then have free time until supper (which obviously gives us a chance for more coffee and cigarettes). After supper (usually around 8pm) we have night activities, usually games in the hall or a night hike. The night hikes are wonderful. It's amazing to have a 14 year old boy telling you that it made him feel at one with nature!

Once the evening activities have ended (usually around 9.30pm), we are free to do whatever. With the schedule being so packed and Hogsback (and therefore the nearest bar) being about a 30-40 minute walk away, the night life is pretty quiet - watch the fire, smoke, have a glass of wine and go to bed. Often on Fridays I would try and venture out and met lots of weird and wonderful people in Hogsback - basically a mountain retreat for the slightly offbeat and eccentric. It has been really rewarding to be a part of the Hogsback community for the past few months - it's really given me some insight into what life in South Africa is like. I would definitely recommend this place to others - the project itself is a great learning experience and, as long as you are open to everything and don't take anyone's word for granted, the community is a fascinating mish mash of people and cultures.

Hogsback is full of adventure and Hobbiton even more so. It's a fantastic place to discover your real potential in terms of outdoor pursuits and basic physical endurance. It's the perfect place to face your fears and test your limits. Every day here has been different and it is a period of my life that I will think about a lot ... and perhaps one day understand!

Nicky Webb

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